Month September 2019
In 1858 Miss Julia Aldrich was contracted to run a small private school on Isaac (Issac) Yoakum’s farm. Yoakum had built his house on the site of the present Lockwood School, he later moved that house and replaced it with a small building to be used as a school.
The Toler Heights subdivision changed hands so many times before the 1930, it seems they never really got around to selling the area with photos of new homes being built. The following is all I could find. Lawlor Street 9703… Continue Reading →
The Stephen’s Family a successful African American family in Oakland. They owned a successful restaurant. Virginia, their daughter was the first African American woman to receive a law degree from University of California Boalt School of Law in 1929.
In December 1943, there were winds up to 75 MPH and many fires in the hills and the East Bay. There were at least 10 brush and grass fires reported all over Northern California. The smell of burning eucalyptus hung… Continue Reading →
Oakland Tribune October 16, 1960 On Saturday, October 15, 1960, a brush fire started in the area of Mountain Blvd and Burckhalter Avenue. The fire bore a striking resemblance to the disastrous 1923 Berkeley fire, which swept from the hills,… Continue Reading →
Royal Edward Towns (February 10, 1899–July 23, 1990) was one of the first African American firefighters in Oakland . He was born in Oakland in 1899