High above the city on Joaquin Miller Road, he designed and built a log cabin. He used timber that had been cleared close by.
Hal Boyd loved the outdoors so much, so he learned to paint so he could express his love. The log cabin was his studio, where he painted. In 1926 he had an exhibit of his artwork.
During the day, he was employed by the city as a forest ranger to watch over Sequoia Park (now Joaquin Miller Park).
When his parents Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Parker Boyd, lost their home in the Berkeley fire of 1923, he added on to his cabin, giving them a place to live. – Oakland Tribune Jan 06, 1926
Oakland Tribune Jan 06, 1926
For rent Oakland Tribune Jul 23, 1924
Oakland Tribune – 1927 Review from his Berkeley Exhibit
He worked as a special promotion and production manager for the Woodminster Summer Concert Series during the 1945 season.
Oakland Tribune Jan 12, 1945
Oakland Tribune Aug 08, 1950
I found this article from 1955. It says the cabin was destroyed in a fire. I don’t know if this true or case of the wrong address. 3543 Joaquin Miller Road is the house next door. The cabin is still there.
San Francisco Examiner April 17, 1955
Sometime in the 1950s, he moved to Carmel, CA – He lived there until he passed away in August of 1990.
In 2014 the cabin sold as a “fixer-upper” for $260,000. REDFIN.Com
Cheney Photo Advertising c 1916
Groundbreaking Pacific Tread Tire Company
Previously sold on eBay
Oakland Tribune 1936
The M.T. Minney advertised in 1916 – The tracts are “Surrounded by beautiful homes, rolling hills, golf links, and wealthy estates and with the building of such plants as the Chevrolet Automobile Factory, the Pacific Tread Tire Factory, and others. The future value is not a matter of speculation, but an assured fact.”
Oakland Tribune Apr 30, 1916
In about 1947 George A. Sturtevant built the Hollywood Shopping Center on Hollywood Blvd at 107th Ave (10715 MacArthur Blvd) across from the Peterbilt Factory
Oakland Tribune
Well, I didn’t have too much luck finding homes that were advertised in papers. I will keep looking and update when I do.
This post, originally published in 2019, has been updated and expanded.
November 7, 2025
A few of the homes that were built in the Montclair Highlands area of Oakland in the 1930s and 1940s.
Drake Drive
In 1936, Frederick L. Confer designed a “modernistic” (now Art Deco) home for Mr. and Mrs. George H. Everest and their two daughters. The Everest family had been living at 1760 Mountain Blvd before moving into their new home in Montclair Highlands at 1831 Drake Drive.
Oakland Tribune Oct 11, 1936
Emge and Stockman developed the home, and James H. Anderson, who had previously worked with the architect, was the builder.
Oakland Tribune Mar 21, 1937
Oakland Tribune April 11, 1937
The house features four bedrooms upstairs, each with its own bathroom. The lower floor features one bedroom, a bathroom, and a private entrance.
The house was completed in May 1937
Oakland Tribune, May 23, 1937
Behold the fantastic views from all the upstairs bedrooms, the dining room, the living room, and the patio. The large corner lot also has a large yard.
Oakland Tribune June 6, 1937
The House has been on the market many times since 1937.
San Francisco Chronicle, July 19, 1946
Oakland Tribune July 31, 1949
In 1969, it was listed for $46,500
In March of 2019, it was listed for sale at $1,695,000.
The houses at 1881 and 2001 Drake Drive were also built around this time.
Oakland Tribune.
Narragansett House
Cape Cod colonial architecture characterizes the nine-room Narragansett House in the Montclair Highlands Section on Balboa Drive, built as a model home in 1937. Fully furnished by H.C. Capwell’s.
Oakland Tribune Feb 07, 1937
The home opened in February 1937; by the end of the first week, 3,500 had toured the house, and by the end of April 1937, over 25,000 had visited.
The site for the home was selected due to its panoramic view of the San Francisco Bay. The enjoyment of the view played a big part in the design of the house. The living room has a large plate-glass window that frames the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate.
Oakland Tribune Feb 14, 1937
“Three large bedrooms, two tile baths, an extra lavatory, and games room make a complement of rooms adapted to the needs of the most exacting home seeker.” Oakland Tribune Jan 31, 1937
Tomorrow’s Home Today was the first Oakland Home constructed under the Precision Built system, and it opened in December 1939. It is located at the corner of Balboa and Colton Boulevard in Montclair Highlands, with a sweeping view of the San Francisco Bay.
Montclair Realty Company sold the home.
“The walls and ceilings were built with Homasote, the oldest and strongest insulating and building board on the market. The walls were prefabricated by the Precision-Built process in the shop of a local mill under standards of exacting accuracy, which ensure tight joints, freedom from sagging, and permanently crack-proof walls and ceilings”. Oakland Tribune Jan 21, 1940
