Walsh & O’Brien’s Store, junction 18th, Peralta & Center Sts., Oakland, CA, ca. 1898″ OMCA – Gift of Mrs. Brent Howard H26.1429
Oakland Tribune Dec 21, 1901
Oakland’s oldest flatiron building resides at the juncture of Peralta, Center, and 17th Streets in West Oakland. It was built for William Walsh in 1879; the two-story redwood structure initially housed the Center Junction Exchange Saloon with apartments above.
Oakland Tribune Feb 11, 1884
A native of Ireland, Mr. Walsh purchased the Peralta Street lot in 1877. Peralta Street was one of the main avenues to Berkeley.
Oakland Tribune Dec 21, 1901
By 1877, the saloon had evolved into the Junction Cash Grocery and Liquor Store. In 1894, Mr. Walsh partnered with Austin O’Brien. The firm of Walsh & O’Brien was described as:
“importers selling direct to families, groceries, wines, cigars, home furnishing goods, hay, feed, and grain.”
Mr. Walsh bought out O’Brien’s share of the company in 1901 and changed the name to Walsh & Co.
Oakland Tribune Apr 18, 1901
Plate 100
From Oakland 1902 Vol 1, California Published by Sanborn Map Company in 1902
Most who grew up in the Montclair District of Oakland have fond memories of Mort’s Drive-in on the corner of Moraga and Medau. My memories of Mort’s are from when it was on Thornhill Drive next to the 7-11. The smell of french fries (the best!)wafting through the air into our classrooms would make our mouths water. I can still remember how good they smelled and tasted. Yum!
Before Mort’s opened at the corner of Moraga Avenue and Medau Place, the land was part of the Medau Dairy.
FYI – I don’t know why McKeen’s was sold. I think the owner’s political life took up much of his time. But that is just my opinion.
The Corner of Moraga and Medau – 6420 Moraga
Here is what the corner looked like in 1954.
Moraga and Medau in 1954 Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey
McKeen’s Charcoal Broiler
McKeen’s in 1958 Montclarion
On a shakedown run, they sold three hundred “Big Mac’s” in four hours.
“Big Mac” & “Little Mac”
Montclarion July 1958
In 1958, Robert “Bob” Mckeen, a local realtor, opened a delightful contemporary-style barbecue restaurant. The ex-Cal basketball star planned on eventually having a chain of them, and Montclair was the first one. It offered both take-home and on-site dining.
Bob McKeen 1958
“Montclair claims Big Bob and his natty new spot.”
Oakland Tribune July 1958
Mort’s Drive-In
Montclarion March 1961
Morton “Mort” and Gertrude Saunders bought McKeen’s in 1961 and reopened it as Mort’s Drive-In.
Montclarion March 1961
Montclarion March 1961
Arson Suspected!
In April of 1966, fire swept through Mort’s Drive-In, causing several thousand dollars in damage.
The building was broken into through a rear window. Police believe the intruders were disappointed that they did not find cash on the premises. Papers and rubbish were piled in the middle of the room and set on fire.
Mort Sauders, the owner, offered a reward of $100 for information.
Montclarion April 13, 1966
Montclarion April 13, 1966
Montclarion April 13, 1966
Going, going gone!
Crown Liquors and Cleaners
In 1967, a new building replaced the Drive-In. Crown has been there ever since.
Oakland Tribune 1967
Oakland Tribune 1968
More Info:
A special thanks to Chris Treadway for the clippings from the Montclarion.
In the first 36 years, the school changed location five times and gone by eight different names.
A Bit of History
In January 1915, McClymonds High School started in a small building formerly occupied by Oakland Technical High School at 12th and Market with sixty students. Originally called the Vocational High School and was the first public school in California to offer vocational training.
J.W. McClymonds directly inspired the organization of the school, superintendent of the Oakland Schools between 1889-1913 (Oakland Tribune Mar 09, 1924), and the name was changed to McClymonds Vocational School.
In 1924 the school was moved to a new building at 26th and Myrtle, and its name was changed to J.W. McClymonds High School.
It became just plain McClymonds High in 1927. The building was condemned in 1933, and classes were moved to Durant School.
In 1936 McClymonds High School and Lowell Junior High School were merged to form a new high school on Lowell Site at 14th and Myrtle Streets. McClymonds High thereby became a four-year high school.
In 1938 the name changed from J.W. McClymonds to Lowell-McClymonds, then in July of the year to McClymonds-Lowell High School.
Finally, in September 1938, they moved back to the old site at 26th and Myrtle Streets after the buildings were reconstructed at the cost of $330,000. The alumni won out, and once again it was McClymonds High School as it is today.
Dedication
The new high school occupying the entire block at 26th and Myrtle Streets, erected at the cost of $660,000 was dedicated in March of 1924.
The school was named in honor of J.W McClymonds, who had died two years earlier. The ceremony was held on Mar 09, 1924.
Oakland Tribune 1924
McClymonds High School was completed in 1924 as a part of the school building program of 1919. The new building contained 35 classrooms, 11 shops, administrative offices, storerooms, science, millinery, and art rooms and an auditorium with a seating capacity of 1000. There were shops for forge work, auto repair, machine work, pattern making, woodworking, electrical engineering, and printing. The machinery in the shops costs several thousands of dollars.
Mcclymonds High School – undated Oakland History Room
Millinery Courses
The milliner’s art “so dear to the hearts of the fair sex” was introduced as a course for girls in schools of Oakland. Mcclymonds had a shop with machinery for fabricating and molding the millinery.
“The girls are virtually flocking to the new course, which teaches the latest in chic, feminine headgear.”
In 1954 a new three-story reinforced concrete structure was dedicated.
The structure designed for 1200 students and contains 42 classrooms, an auditorium, cafeteria, and library. Corlett and Anderson of Oakland were the architects.
The auditorium is in the two-story south wing and classes in the three-story building.
A class of 75 students was the first to graduate from the new McClymonds High in 1954.
New Gym
The Old Gymnasium – 1928
In 1953 the old gym was condemned as an earthquake hazard and wasn’t replaced until 1957.
The new Gymnasium 1956
The new gym was the first Oakland school building to be built with tilt-up wall construction in which concrete wall sections are poured flat on the ground then raised into place.
Folding bleachers will seat 875 spectators. A folding partition will divide the main gymnasium into boys and girls for physical education classes.
The building also included an exercise room, shower and locker rooms, first-aid rooms, instructor’s office, and storage areas. Ira Beals designed it at the cost of $427,000.
McClymonds Field Dedicated – 1960
Oakland Tribune 1963
The new $625,095 track and field facilities was touted as one of the finest in the East Bay when the it was dedication ceremony was held.
The new tennis courts adjacent to the gym were dedicated to the memory of Earl M. Swisher, a former teacher, and tennis coach.
The Field Today – google maps
In 1964 three McCLymonds High School seniors drowned in the icy waters of Strawberry Lake in Tuolumne County.
Oakland Tribune 1964
The victims were:
Gloria Curry – Age 17
Carolyn Simril – Age 17
Melvin Lee Moore – Age 16
The trip was for the about 150 students called “honor citizens” because of outstanding community and school service.
Pinecrest Lake 1964
Most of the students were on the ski slopes, and sled runs at Dodge Ridge. Between 15 and 20 of them were on the frozen lake when the ice gave away.
The students said there were no signs on the lake warning of thin or rotten ice.
A heroic rescue by three boys and two men saved the lives of at least ten students when the ice broke about 150 yards from the shore.
Carolyn Simril died while trying to pull somebody out and fell in herself.
Feb 1965
A large crowd waited in front of Mcclymonds High for the three buses to return. They knew that three students had drowned, but they didn’t know who they were.
Photo by Joanne Leonard circa 1964 Gift of the artist in honor of Therese Thau Heyman 2003.139.35
McClymonds Today
McClymonds High School is a highly valued icon of the West Oakland community as it is the only full-sized OUSD High School in the region. It is located near the intersection of Market Street & San Pablo Avenue in the Clawson neighborhood, which contains a mix of residential and commercial development with a handful of industrial yards
The school is located at 2607 Myrtle Street Oakland, CA 94607
In 1909 a newly appointed commission met at city hall with then Mayor Frank Mott to assume the responsibility of establishing a public playground system.
Oakland was the second city in California to establish a playground system; the first was Los Angeles in 1905.
Superintendent of Playgrounds
George E. Dickie Greater Oakland 1911
In May of 1909, the commission appointed George E. Dickie, the first playground superintendent, and that summer, the city opened two “experimental” playgrounds at Tompkins and Prescott Schools.
Oakland Tribune Oakland (Calif.) Park commission., Oakland (Calif.) Playground commission. (1910). The park system of Oakland, California. [Oakland: Carruth & Carruth.
Before 1909, the Oakland Women’s Club operated summer playgrounds for two years at West Oakland’s Tompkins and Prescott’s schools at their own expense.
Oakland (Calif.) Park commission., Oakland (Calif.) Playground commission. (1910). The park system of Oakland, California. [Oakland: Carruth & Carruth.
With a budget of $10,000, the commission opened three municipal playgrounds in 1910.
Oakland (Calif.) Park commission., Oakland (Calif.) Playground commission. (1910). The park system of Oakland, California. [Oakland: Carruth & Carruth.
The first was opened on January 10, 1910, at de Fremery. The park included a dozen swings, two long slides, a baseball diamond, two regulation tennis courts, and courts for basketball, volleyball, and handball.
Oakland (Calif.) Park commission., Oakland (Calif.) Playground commission. (1910). The park system of Oakland, California. [Oakland: Carruth & Carruth.
Two weeks later, they opened Bushrod Playground at 60th Street and Shafter. The land was deeded to the city in 1904 by Dr. Bushrod Washington James of Philadelphia with the stipulations that it is maintained as a public park forever.
Playground at Bushrod Park 1911Oakland (Calif.) Park commission., Oakland (Calif.) Playground commission. (1910). The park system of Oakland, California. [Oakland: Carruth & Carruth.
The first recreation “center” was built at the site, and the structure remained standing until 1943.
Oakland Tribune 1911
They then provided playground equipment to the West Oakland Park (which later became Bayview, and is now Raimondi Field)and Independence Park ( now San Antonio).
Oakland Tribune 1911
Recreation for Everyone
In 1911 the city charter was revised to include the role of recreation in the community, this resulted in disbanding the commission, and a board of playground directors was created to oversee the parks. The Parks and Recreation Department was formed
This was posted before, but I had to update it because some of the photos were lost when I switched hosting sites.
In the summer of 1931, a group of property owners in the central downtown section formed the Downtown Property Owners Association.
One of their first projects was modernizing some of the “elderly buildings” in the downtown area. They were losing tenants to the new modern buildings being built there.
The association took care of all the details of the program.
“Just try to find a vacancy!”
D. Frost
Oakland Tribune 1933
A committee was formed to study older buildings. Buildings were photographed, and data was gathered, including finances, taxes, leases in effect, rentals, accurate measurements, and complete descriptions of the buildings.
By 1934, there were seven completed projects, with three more started.
The Jonas Building
The Jonas Buildingis located at thecorner of Broadway and 11th Street in downtown Oakland, California.
Abraham Jonas owned the building and ran a clothing store for men.
Jonas building, Oakland, California. 1932 Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division (Oakland, Calif.)
The Jonas building was the first to be remodeled and modernized.
Jonas building, Broadway and 11th Street in downtown Oakland, California 1934 – Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division (Oakland, Calif.)
The Abrahamson Building
The Abrahamson Building is located on the corner of 13th and Washington Streets.
It was opened in 1893 as Abrahamson’s Dry Goods and is owned by Jules and Hugo Abrahamson.
Abrahamson Building – circa 1931 Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division (Oakland, Calif.)
The second project in the modernization program was a five-story structure. J.H. King supervised its transformation, and E.T. Foulkes was the architect.
Oakland Tribune April 12, 1932
The facelift was completed in March of 1934 with the opening of the Union Furniture Company. The firm occupied all five floors of the building.
Oakland Tribune 1934
Modern vertical lines predominate in the remodeled building, replacing the bay windows, cornices, and ornamentation from when it was built. Green tiles was used to cover the brick walls.
Abrahamson Building 1932 – Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division (Oakland, Calif.)
Over the years, other businesses occupied the building.
Abrahamson building, southeast corner of Washington and 13th Streets in downtown Oakland, California. Darling Shop in view. 1942 -Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division (Oakland, Calif.)
The M.K. Blake Building
M.K. Blake Building was a four-story store and office structure at the corner of 12th and Washington Streets.
This was the third modernization project.
M. K. Blake building (the Blake Block), southwest corner of Washington and 12th Streets circa 1935 Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division (Oakland, Calif.)
Oakland Tribune August 1932
The building was stripped of the bay windows, cornices, and other ornamentation removed. A warm ivory shade was used on the exterior walls, with a darker color for the trim.
M. K. Blake Estate Co. building (the Blake Block), southwest corner of 12th and Washington Streets in downtown Oakland, California. Smith’s in view. 1949 Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division (Oakland, Calif.)
The Delger Building
The Delger Building was the ——building to be remodeled under the program.
The project included the removal of the former exterior and the bay windows.
Delger is building at the corner of 13th Street and Broadway Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division (Oakland, Calif.)
Delger building, northwest corner of 13th Street and Broadway in downtown Oakland, California.
The Park Building
In 1933 the modernization of the Park Building begin. The building was locatied on fourteenth street between Broadway and Washington Street across from City Hall.
Park building:circa 1930 Downtown Property Owner’s Association.Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.
Oakland Tribune July 6, 1933
The Park Building marked the eight building in the program.
The Park Building circa 1933
Glenn Building
Work began in 1937 on the Glenn Building at 1308 Broadway as part of the Downtown Property Association’s modernization program.
Glenn building, 1935 Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division (Oakland, Calif.)
According to the Oakland Tribune, the Glenn Family had owned the building for 50 years.
The improvements to the two-story cost $5,000 and included all new tiles on the front of the building. Edward T. Foulkes was the architect of the project.
Most people will recognize the building as the home of De Lauer’s Newsstand.
Glenn building, east side of Broadway between 13th and 14th Streets in downtown Oakland, California. Margaret Burnham’s Cottage Candies, Leighton, Kay Jewelry Company in view. 1935
The Zukor Building
The Zukor building was modernized in 1934. The ancient arches were replaced, and the unsightly exterior features were removed. The wall finish was replaced with a soft shade of green hard glaze.
Zukor’s, Inc. building, Washington Street, between 13th and 14th Streets in downtown Oakland, California. 1932 Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division (Oakland, Calif.)
ScreenshotScreenshotOakland Tribune
Zukor’s, Inc. building, Washington Street, between 13th and 14th Streets in downtown Oakland, California. 1934 Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division (Oakland, Calif.)
The Schutz Building
The Schutz Building, was on Twelfth Street between Broadway and Washington Street, was the twenty-first modernization project.
The three-story building was owned by the F.W. Schutz Estate Company.
Schutz building, north side of 12th Street between Broadway and Washington Streets. Smith’s Shoes for Men, Brunswick Billiards in view. circa 1936 Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.Oakland Public
The builing was the twenty-first project.
The briock exterior was replaced with a hard tile finish in a light tan with black trim.
Schutz building, north side of 12th Street between Broadway and Washington Streets. Smith’s Shoes for Men, Brunswick Billiards in view. circa 1936 Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.Oakland Public
More Info:
In total, 31 buildings were rebuilt or given a “facelift.” The program was a success; buildings were filled with stores, and the stores were filled with shopping people.
Plaza Building at 15th and Washington Streets
Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank Building at 13th and Franklin
S.H. Cress Company on 14th and Broadway.
Federal Telegraph Building at 12th and Washington Streets
Fuller-Sparks Building on 14th Street.
Masonic Temple Building on 12th Street for the new Lerner Store
Postcards have been an essential tool in advertising the city of Oakland for a long time. I have collected postcards from Oakland for years. I recently found a small advertisement published in the Oakland Tribune reminding people that “Postcard Day” was coming up, which piqued my interest.
Reminder AD Oakland Tribune 1910
I tried to find the exact postcards, but I didn’t have much luck, except for one or two. I have shared what I think might be them. If I get lucky and find them, I will update this.
Here is what I found.
OAKLAND IN PICTURES
In 1905, W.J. Laymance of the Laymance Real Estate Company suggested a unique way of advertising Oakland in which every citizen, even the humblest, could participate. They could send illuminated postal cards of this city to friends in other sections of the county, thus calling attention to its beauty and resources.
Some of the cards’ subjects were the Oakland Waterfront, Residence District, Lake Merritt, Court House, Club House, Piedmont Springs, Among the Flowers, Piedmont Park, East from Fourteenth and Franklin Streets, North from San Pablo and Fourteenth Streets, University of California, Injured Football Player, and the Greek Theater.
There were about 20 illuminated postal cards illustrating the beauties of the city. They sold the cards at two for five cents and ten for twenty-five cents. The postal cards were sold at drug and stationery stores. They hoped 10,000 people in Oakland would participate.
Oakland’s PostCard Day 1910
Oakland Tribune 1910
February 12, 1910, was designated “Oakland’s Post Card Day.”
The Oakland Chamber of Commerce undertook an extensive publicity campaign. Every man and woman in Oakland and most of the children were expected to send one or more cards advertising the city.
The card was a double booster card with a decorative scheme of dark green and orange on both cards, but the views of Oakland will be different.
Postcard Day 1910
The recipient was to retain the first half of the double card. The second half, which was detachable, was to be sent to the Chamber of Commerce requesting a brochure.
Return Card – circa 1910
Postcard Day – 1910
Picturesque residences on the shore of Lake Merritt, seen through the overhanging branches of beautiful old oak, the orange in the glowing sunset was a striking contrast to the tree’s deep green.
Postcard Day 1910
Oakland Tribune Feb 13, 1910
Postcard Day 1912
1912
Views of Oakland and other cities furnished by Southern Pacific.
Piedmont Park – A Beauty SpotIn Oakland On line of Southern Pacific
back side Piedmont Park – A Beauty Spot On line of Southern Pacific
Postcard Day 1913
Southern Pacific plans to help advertise Oakland with postcards to be mailed by the citizens of Oakland.
There have been many discussions and articles about the name “Uptown” for an area in downtown Oakland. Most people hate it, except for the new people who just moved here, who call it “hip” or “trendy” (this is my opinion I did not conduct a poll).
Most recently, I was on one of the Facebook groups I belong to. Just about everybody who commented hates the use of the word uptown. Only two people actually read my comment about the history of the name. One still didn’t buy my explanation, and the other thanked me.
“No as a native oaklander we have never used the word uptown it was always downtown”
Facebook Group
“Gentrification definitely gentrification”
Facebook Group
We went Downtown
Growing up in Oakland, we always went downtown and never uptown because we went home.
It still is downtown to us and will always be! I will not argue that!
People assume the name “Uptown” comes from newcomers or “gentrifiers” who are taking over the area.
I know I questioned it, thinking they (the developers) were trying to make it sound like New York.
“The use of “Uptown” to refer to what is really part of downtown Oakland is relatively new and followed the city’s massive gentrification project to renovate the Fox Theater and build 10,000 new units of housing around Grand Avenue and Telegraph in the early 2000s.”
It’s too bad the article’s author didn’t spend time researching the name.
Statements like this would further their belief that the term is new and made up.
“Square (the tech company) has launched its East Bay operations by moving a few hundred employees into new digs in downtown Oakland’s hip and trendy Uptown neighborhood.”
A couple of years ago, I decided to research the name a little more. I was reading an old report from the redevelopment agency from the 1980s and saw a reference to the “Uptown District.” That got me thinking, and the rest is history.
A bit of history follows.
The Uptown Historic District runs from 18th Street to 21st Street along Broadway at the north end of Oakland’s central business district. It includes three blocks of the triangular gore between Broadway and Telegraph Avenue, plus the Fox Theater on the west side of Telegraph and portions on the eastern side of Broadway at the 19th Street intersection.
The district represents a phase of the expansion of the central business district in the 1920s and 30s. The new shopping and entertainment center was at the north end of the turn of the century downtown, anchored by the new Capwell department store and developed by Capwell’s 20th and Broadway Realty Company.
The district is an essential collection of small to medium-scale commercial buildings of the 1920s and 30s, historic brownstone and terra cotta buildings from the 1920s, and colorful Art Deco Terra Cotta from the 1930s.
Oakland Floral Depot, northeast corner of 19th Street and Telegraph Avenue Date: circa 1980 – Oakland Stores Collection Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division Permalink: https://calisphere.org/item/45a075ddbec11673a0d40a3fc87d3b17/
Capwell’s and I. Magnin’s buildings, the Fox and Paramount Theaters, and the Flora Depot building are excellent examples of each style.
I. Magnin & Co., northwest corner of Broadway and 20th Street 1951-04-24 Downtown Stores Collection Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division Permalink: https://calisphere.org/item/d57eab31fed90ff765d7834b39af46b6/
Uptown the Beginning
In 1895, the Tribune’s new was located “Uptown.”
Oakland Tribune 1895
In the early 1900s, as Oakland grew from the waterfront, people started calling the area past 14th Street “Uptown.” By 1903, the area just below 14th Street was getting crowded, and the large mercantile businesses were reaching out for more space. They could only go uptown.
The real expansion of uptown began in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Capwell’s was built in 1928.
Pioneers in “Uptown Oakland”
Oakland Tribune Mar 20, 1927
Smith Brothers’ new “Beautiful Uptown Store”
Oakland Tribune Oct 25, 1931
Oakland Tribune Oct 25, 1931
It was reported in the Oakland Tribune on March 24, 1936, that 19 new leases were signed in Oakland’s uptown business district.
Oakland Tribune Mar 24, 1936
In 1944, the new Hibernia Bank was built in “Uptown.”
Oakland Tribune Dec 18, 1944
After 17 years on 14th Street, Walson’s moved “Uptown” to 2000 Franklin in 1968.
Oakland Tribune April 17, 1968
I could go on and on, but I won’t.
Tours
There have been walking tours of the “Uptown District” since the early 1980s.
Map of Uptown Walking Tour circa 1982
Walking Tour 1982
I like that the “old” name was used and not changed to something awful like the following:
“NOBE” is possibly the baldest and most obnoxious attempt to rename part of Oakland. Devised by realtors, the name is an acronym referring to North Oakland-Berkeley-Emeryville.”
East Bay Express
“Baja Dimond” This is a ridiculous name that some realtors have tried foisting on the part of the Fruitvale just below the Interstate 580 freeway across from the actual Dimond neighborhood. It’s the Fruitvale, not the Dimond.
East Bay Express
Just remember that Uptown is a part of Oakland’s History.
