1857 – 1888:  Ellis A Haines  purchased the property from the Peralta’s

In 1888,  Frederick C. Talbot of the San Francisco lumber firm Pope & Talbot purchased 133 acres from  Ellis A. Haines in Elmhurst near San Leandro and adjacent to the Souther Farm (now the  Dunsmuir Home)  for $15,000.

The total acreage seems to change depending on who wrote it or what you read. Above, you will see that one clipping has the entire area as “133 acres “and, in the other, it as “153 acres.” It has been as high as 453 acres. I have always understood it to be the same land as the Oakland Zoo and Knowland Park, but who knows?

Edenvale

Nestled in the hills surrounded by the choicest fruits and flowers, “Edenvale,“ as the name suggests, is a veritable paradise.

The estate comprised 140 acres (different acreage) of fertile land for farming and orchards. Sixty acres were planted with almonds, cherries, oranges, walnuts, lemons, prunes, apricots, peaches, and olives, and eighty acres were chosen farming land.

In the picture below, you can see the caretaker’s home in the back (the taller one). This house is still standing today as part of the Oakland Zoo.

The garden had rare trees, exotic plants, and lighted pathways. It also had a large pond with a bridge, large enough for a small rowboat.

The main house was a modern, elegant colonial structure with twelve rooms, four baths, running water, and gas.

There was a large modern stable, a greenhouse, and servants’ quarters. There was a home for the caretaker, which is still standing today. A brooder for chickens and a pen for pigs. Oakland Tribune March 22, 1902

Barn Burns –

Talbot Farm for Sale

Meanwhile

R.C. “Cliff” Durant Purchases Estate

Durant purchased the Talbot estate “Edenvale.” The estate, which consisted of 470 acres (different acreage), sold for $200,000.

The above says “478-acres” and below says “200-acres”.

Fire Destroys The Mansion

The fire broke out on December 19, 1921, on the third floor near the roof. Durant was outside then and alerted the servants and employees, who formed a fire brigade.

Strong winds fanned the fire, and it quickly spread throughout the mansion.

A squad of police out of the central division carried furniture and valuables from the burning mansion. They then turned their efforts to stop the fire from spreading to the basement, saving a valuable collection of wines and liquors.

The Estate Becomes A Park

In 1929, the city of Oakland council voted to purchase the former country estate of the late F.C. Talbot from the Park Commission. The 350 acres ( different acreage) would cost the city approximately $662,000. That deal fell through, and the whole story is confusing. Durant Park opened to the public in 1932.

In 1935, Sidney Snow took possession of the  475-acre Durant Park (different acreage) and started building the zoo. He ran it with some help from the city of Oakland. – From A History as Told by the Founder’s Daughter”

In 1937, Durant Park was called the Zoological Gardens and Arboretum of Metropolitan Oakland.

In 1950, Durant Park was dedicated as the “East Bay State Park” under the California park system. A dedication speech noted that many trees and plants from F.C. Talbot’s estate were included in the Historical Arboretum, a separate park from the Oakland Zoo.

A row of mature Canary Island Date Palms marks the part entry. Stately Mexican Fan Palms, Chilean Palms, and exotic Bunya Bunya trees from Australia dot the formal meadows of the existing picnic grounds. These Arboretum specimens were planted at the turn of the last century (I bet before that) as part of the Talbot Estate grounds. There is also a collection of 8 species of palms, native and exotic oaks, redwoods, and many other specimens from North Africa, the Himalayas, Chile, and the Canary Islands. – From the Zoo Master Plan 1996

In 1951, the park was renamed “Joseph Knowland State Arboretum and Park.” It is now known as Knowland State Arboretum and Park and the Oakland Zoo.

In 1962, a fire destroyed the building home to Effie, the elephant, until 1959. The building, built in 1890, was part of the Talbot Estate. It had been marked unsafe.

The Estate Today

On the map below, the sizeable red square shows where most of the estate was. The smaller green box shows the location of the caretaker home that was part of the Talbot Estate. When Sidney Snow ran the zoo, he and his family lived there. Now, it is used by zoo employees.

The meadow by the main gate still has some of the trees planted by Talbot over 100 years ago, and they are part of the Knowland State Arboretum and Park today.

A couple of things:

I am working on getting copies of the actual photos instead of copies from a report.

I am also checking on the Knowland State Arboretum and Park. Does it still exist?

I know they allow parking (on crowded days) in the meadow, where some historic trees still stand.

More Info:

• Ellis A. Haines – Bio – The Bay of San Francisco Volume 2
• Souther Farm – Oakland Tribune March 24, 1963
• He Saved his Chickens – F.C. Talbot – S F Chronicle December 15, 1901
• F.C. Talbots Big Battle with Cook – Oakland Tribune January 31, 1902
• Talbots Banish the Hired Help – San Francisco Call February 01, 1902
• Talbots Sale a Big Success – Oakland Tribune March 31, 1902
• F.C Talbot Passes Away – S F Examiner March 11, 1919
• Durant Flies over Property Closes Deal – S F Examiner December 06, 1919
• Durant Park as New Zoological Gardens – Oakland Tribune March 31, 1937
• Durant Park Becomes a State Park – Oakland Tribune May 22, 1950
• Oakland Zoo – A History as Told by the Founder’s Daughter – Alive Magazine

The End