Subdivision of Montclair – the area above Thornhill at Woodhaven and Oakwood Drive, and up to Snake and Colton Blvd. The Forest Park Pool (now Montclair Swim Club) was included with the tract.
Updated Apil 2026
“Wickham Havens, Inc., to Sell Fine Scenic Property on the Highlands Northeast of Beautiful Piedmont” – Oakland Tribune, May 11, 1924
A residential park that has been “twenty years in the making” is how they described Forest Park when it first opened in May 1924. Frank C. Havens undertook the task of transforming the barren hills into timbered homesites in the early 1900s. He sent his planters up to the canyons, slopes, and ridges and planted young pine, cypress, and eucalyptus. His son Wickham is in charge of selling Forest Park.
Forest Park consisted of about 750 acres (600 in some articles) of wooded slopes, stretching up to Skyline Blvd. The first unit was about 75 acres and was sold by September 1925, with another 60 acres ready to be put on the market.
Large, roomy lots sold for as low as $575.
Transportation
Starting June 1, 1924, the Key System announced a new schedule.
The Montclair bus, which connects to San Francisco trains and local streetcars at 40th and Piedmont, will now run until midnight.
A Center of Activity
Big wooded lots some with a view of the bay were selling at a few hundred dollars each. “Investment in Forest Park today means rich profits in the future” – Come out and see the $10,000 pool being built for the residents – Oakland Tribune June 1924.
In Scenic Forest Park
Elmer F. Morrill lived down the road by Harbord Drive and Moraga since the Late 1880s.
Elmer Morrill wrote a series of articles or ads like this about buying and living in Forest Park.
Oakland Post Enquirer July 2, 1924
Swimming Pool Added
A new $10,000 pool was added for Forest Park residents.
To add to the charm of Forest Park, an open-air swimming pool was added.
They took advantage of the creek running through the property, using a pump to add water to the pool. Thereby assuring plenty of fresh water in the pool.
Oakland Tribune, March 23, 1924
Forest Pool is located at Thornhill Drive, and Woodhaven Way is now the Montclair Swim Club.
The pool was divided to provide a shallow pool and an eight-foot depth for diving and swimming. The water was constantly changing in motion. Bath houses and dressing rooms were provided for attractiveness. The pool was reserved for Forest Park residents.
“for the children’s sake” Oakland Tribune May 17, 1924″
For the health and happiness of the children, choose Forest Park as your home. Trees! Sunshine! The invigorating air of the hills! Ferns! Flowers! “You’ll be surprised at what a truly beautiful home park it is.” Oakland Tribune
Hollywood Invests in Forest Park
Mildred Harris, formerly Mrs. Charlie Chaplin, was one of the buyers in Forest Park, according to the Oakland Tribune. I don’t think she ever lived there.
Photos of Forest Park
Cheney Photo Advertising 1925
https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt209nd06r?&brand=oac4
Photo by Cheney Advertising 1927
https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt209nd06r?&brand=oac4
Present Day – Google Maps
Cheney Photo Advertising 1925
https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt209nd06r?&brand=oac4
Cheney Photo Advertising c 1927
https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt209nd06r?&brand=oac4
Cheney Photo Advertising c 1927
https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt209nd06r?&brand=oac4
More Info:
- Forest Park is Culmination of Great Dream – Oakland Tribune, May 10, 1924
- Forest Park Goes On Sale – Oakland Tribune, May 11, 1924
The End
To be continued …Forest Park – the Shepard Canyon Section
I spent so much time at Forest Pool growing up in Montclair . I loved going to the pool. I would walk there from 6807 Ridgewood Dr.
1952 to 1965
Paul Nobmann
We were members of the pool circa 1972-1982
Thank you so much for compiling all this. Just wonderful.
Charles
Overlake Ct
You are welcome.
Thank you for putting this together! What a treasure!
Thank you!
Thank you.
I enjoy your blog, Dorothy. The parts about our area are especially interesting to me, of course. We knew Mr and Mrs Dunkle when we first moved here. They told us the castle was built by Tom Mix, the old time movie cowboy. They said he was planning a tract, but nobody wanted to move up to the hills at that time, too inconvenient. We got to go in one Halloween when we were supervising trick or treat. They were very nice people.
Thank you. I don’t know about the Castle being built by “Tom Mix”. But I do know it was one of the earlier homes up there. As a young kid of 10 or 11, I remember my friends Mom ( they live on Oakwood Dr) pointing and telling us about Mr. Dunkel and his castle as we drove by. I didn’t pay much attention. I wish I did. Little did I know I would be writing about it years later.
Wow, this is a precious piece of treasured history! My 2 brothers & I grew up in the beautiful village of Montclair. We were truly blessed to live there. We were members of Montclair Swim Club. Our parents bought our house in 1957.
Thank you so much for a your findings.
Warmly,
Michelle Mayfield(McGinn)
Did you live on The Turn? Yes, Montclair was a and is a special place to grow up. Thank you for your kind words.
Dorothy
We lived on The Turn for 52 years and always considered it part of Forest Park but some realty companies call it Forestland. Which is it?
Hi, first things first I went to school with Erik. That is a good question. Ok, Forest Park is the area from Thornhill at Woodhaven up to Skyline. The area that you lived in was called Pinehaven. I’m not exactly sure when they started calling the combined areas Forestland. Back in the 40s and 50s, they broke the neighborhoods down by their names like Merriewood, Fernwood, Forest Park, and Pinehaven. Each of them had their own association or group. Now it all pretty much called Montclair. I rather like the old neighborhood names. I wrote about Pinehaven herehttps://abitofhistory.website/2019/04/13/how-to-build-a-log-cabin/
Does anyone know the history of the equestrian path that still exists between Woodhaven Way and Thornhill Drive below “Forest Pool?” It is a favorite woodland path for many people to stroll along. It shows up on property plot maps. We would love to know the story behind it’s creation and historical use.