Iveywood and the Iveywood Extension are subdivisions in the Elmhurst District.
1911 City of Oakland Map
It was the site of the old Ludovina Peralta Ivey homestead. Ludovina was Ignacio Peralta’s daughter and Luis Maria Peralta’s granddaughter.
The Peralta Land Company was the exclusive agent forIveywood, and The M.T. Minney Company(Minney-Morse) of Oakland was the exclusive agent for the Iveywood Extension.
Oakland Tribune
Both tracts had building restrictions that required each house to cost from $ 1500 to $2000 and that all the homes on each street would be in harmony with those adjoining, ensuring a standard value for both the lot and the house that sits on them. There were also restrictions that prohibited the sale of a lot to Chinese, Japanese, Hindus, Negroes or people of their type.
Iveywood
Iveywood is located between East 14th (now International) to Bancroft Ave and 100th Ave and 104th Ave, including Sunnyside St., Birch St., Plymouth St., and Walnut St.
Looking North Across 106th towards Dante Ave Photo by Cheney Photo Advertising
The Same area today – google maps10460 Dante Ave. In the photo above
“you live in the city and country both”
Oakland Tribune Mar 17, 1910
Iveywood Extension
Along the Foothill Blvd. Photo by Chaney Photo Advertising.
Iveywood Extension is located between Bancroft Ave and Foothill Blvd and 104th Ave to the San Leandro border, including Sunnyside St and Dante Ave. Byron St., Voltaire Ave., and Longfellow Ave.
Iveywood Extension fronts the north side of Foothill Blvd and East 14th Street.
SF Call 1910
“A beautiful tract containing 400 lots was placed on the market on October 1, 1910.”
Showing Block 26 on 106th between MacArthur and Byron AveLooking South on Voltaire at 106th Ave circa 1911Iveywood ExtensionShowing the National Rubber Plant at 105th and FoothillLooking south on Voltaire at 106th – today.
Electric Loop – Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Electric Loop -Photo by Cheney Photo Advertising
Southern Pacific spent several million dollars building the electric interurban train service to Iveywood and Broadmoor. The Southern Pacific electric “Loop System” insured purchasers of lots in Iveywood with perfect transportation to downtown Oakland and San Francisco.
On 106th in the Iveywood ExtensionLooking East on 108th Ave from Bancroft Ave in Iveywood ExtensionOn 106th Ave – Google MapsLooking East on 108th AVe from Bancroft – Google Maps
Model Homes
Oakland Tribune 1939Oakland Tribune 19392300 108th today – Google Maps2415 106th today – Google MapsOakland Tribune 19402315 and 2321 109th Ave today – Google Maps
The first school in Oakland was founded in July 1853 with sixteen students. Miss Hannah J. Jayne, a member of a pioneer family after whom Jayne Street is named, was the first teacher. The school was located at Twelfth and Jefferson Streets and was purchased in 1853 for $900. Later, the home of Oakland High.
J.B. McChesneywas the high school’s first principal for many years, starting in 1867. In 1913 a grammar school at 13th Avenue and East 38th was named in his honor and later called McChesney Junior High. In 1989, it was renamed Edna Brewer Junior High, a long-time principal at the school.
McChesney Elementary School
Named for School Officials or Civic Leaders
Like McChesney School, many schools in Oakland were named after school officials, principals, and teachers.
Burckhalter Elementary School was named for astronomer and director of the Chabot Observatory Charles Burckhalter in 1927.
Clawson School was named in honor of William F. Clawson, an educator and principal at the Tompkins School until his death in 1882.
Clawson School
Campbell School at 4th and Grove Streets started out as Grove Street School. In 1907, it was renamed in honor of Oakland’s first superintendent of Oakland Schools, Frederick ‘Fred’ M. Campbell. Campbell’s daughter Mary was a teacher and then principal for 32 years, ending in 1926. In the early 1950s, the school was closed.
Campbell School – OMCA
Cole Grammar School (c1885 – c1926) at 10th and Union Streets opened in 1885 and was named after Dr. Rector F. Cole, president of the board of education.
E. Morris Cox School was first called The Elmhurst Annex. It was renamed in honor of E. Morris Cox, who died in 1925. Cox was the Assistant Superintendent of Schools.
Durant Schoolat 28th and West Streets was the 28th Street School renamed in honor of the Rev. Henry Durant, head of the old Oakland College on 12th Street, which grew into the University of California.
Durant School
Kaiser Elementarywas named in honor of Henry J. Kaiser Jr., an industrialist and civic leader.
McClymonds High School was named after J.W.McClymonds, who was once the superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District.
McFeely School was named in honor of Susan McFeely, who was ateacher and principal in the Oakland school district for 49 years before her retirement in 1930.
Carl B. Munck Elementary was named for Carl B. Munck, who served on the school board from 1943 to the mid-1980s, 28 of those years as president.
Swett Grammar School(also known as Intermediate School No. 1) was located at 12th Avenue and East 19th Street. It was named after educator John Swett. In 1913, this historic school became the first of the lower high schools (junior high or middle School). In 1926, a new school was built on Steele St.
Named After Presidents
Many schools in Oakland are named after presidents.
Longfellow Schoolis at 39th and Market Streets, Emerson at 48th and Webster, and Hawthorne School (which was Fruitvale School No. 2)at Fruitvale and Talant Street. Hawthorne School is now Urban Promise Academy.
Emerson Elementary
Joaquin Miller Elementary and Bret Harte Middle School
Joaquin Miller Elementary
Franklin School at 9th Avenue and East 16th Street was named in honor of Benjamin Franklin.
Prescott School at 9th and Campbell Streets was named for William H. Prescott, a historian.
Named for Pioneers or Landowners
Chabot Elementary School was initially called the Claremont Annex School and was renamed Anthony Chabot School in 1927.
Chabot Elementary
Frick Grammar School (later a junior high) located at 62nd and Foothill Blvd was opened in 1912. It was named after Walter P. Frick, a well-known lumberman who donated the land for the school. It is nowFrick United Academy of Language.
Frick Grammar School circa 1915 – Photo by Cheney Photo Advertising
Peralta Public School – The Peraltas Spanish Pioneers and the First Family of the East Bay
Peralta Public School – Photo by Cheney Photo Advertising
Tompkins School was named for Edward Tompkins, an Oakland Pioneer.
Other Famous People
Ralph J. Bunche Elementary The school was named for Ralph Johnson Bunche (1903-1971). He taught Political Science at Howard University and was the first African American to get a Ph.D. in political science from an American university. He worked with helped Martin Luther King Jr. He was the first African American to be honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. He helped form the United Nations and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President John F. Kennedy.
Burbank Elementary was named after Luther Burbank, a botanist and horticulturist who lived in Northern California. It is now Burbank Preschool Center.
Lazear School (now Lazear Charter Academy) at Twenty-Sixth Avenue and East Ninth Streets opened in 1914. The school was named after Dr. Jesse W. Lazear, an army surgeon. J.W. McClymonds is responsible for coming up with the name. McClymonds, a superintendent for the Oakland schools, voiced his belief.
“that schools should be named after persons who had accomplished something in the world’s work.”
JW McCymonds 1913
Lazear School March 1915
Dewey School at 37th Avenue and East 12 Street after George Dewey was an Admiral in the Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.
Dewey Public School –
Fremont High School was named forJohnCharles Frémont,an American explorer, military officer, and politician.
Horace Mann School started as Melrose Heights School and was later renamed Horace Mann.
Original Horace Mann School circa 1915 photo by Cheney Photo Advertising
Name After The Location
The school’s location played a part in naming the earlier schools. Bay School at 62nd Street and San Pablo Avenue had a view of the bay. Beulah School at Tompkins and Orchard Streets near Mills College was in the Beulah district.
Many were named for the district or neighborhood they were in.
Allendale School, located at Penniman and 38th Avenues in the Allendale district, was founded in 1904 as Fruitvale School No. 3.
Allendale School – from the Oakland History group on Facebook
Highland School on A Street between 85th and 86th Avenues got its name from 85th Ave, formally called Highland Street. Now called Highland Community School.
Lakeview School opened in 1914 at Grand Avenue, and Perry Street has a lake view. The school began as an annex to Grant School on Broadway (later moved to Pill Hill) and is located on Perry Street. Westlake Middle School is west of Lake Merritt.
Santa Fe School at 54th and Adeline Streets in the Santa Fe Tract.
Santa Fe School
Nature played a part in the naming of some schools: Laurel School on Kansas Street, Manzanita (now Manzanita Community School) at East 26th and 24th Avenue, Sequoia School on Lincoln Avenue, and Redwood Heights School (also in the Redwood Heights neighborhood)on 39th Avenue.
Original Sequoia School on Scenicat Lincolncirca 1915 photo by Cheney Photo Advertising
Skyline High School, Thornhill Elementary, and Piedmont Avenue School were namedafter the street they are on.
Castlemont High School was first called East Oakland High, but Castlemont was more fitting as it resembled a castle. It is now
Castlemont High
Hillcrest Elementary is at the crest of the hill, and Bella Vista School, Bella Vista means beautiful view.
The Court of All Nations is located on Hillen Street (formally Trumbull Street) near Mills College, with a view of the bay and the nearby hills. The group of fifty homes was built in 1925, with the first four starting in January of that year.
Unique Idea Result of Europe Trip
The unique idea was brought back by local builder R.C. Hillen after spending five months motoring through Europe in search of ideas for one of his next developments.
He wanted to reproduce the picturesque homes that dot the hillsides and valleys of European countries.
The homes are of five and six-room European style with American convenience. Each home is an architectural gem, specially adapted by W.W. Dixon, architect and the editor of the Home Designer Magazine, from sketches Hillen made during that trip.
They will include patios and landscaped gardens both in front and back.
Casa Romero
Oakland Tribune May 17, 1925
Casa Romero is a Spanish-Moorish type, and it opened in ???. The iron grill balconies before the windows and the flower-grown patio with pool and fountain suggest old Spain.
Oakland Tribune
W.W. Dixon, who designed Casa Romero, said, ” the name an old Spanish name dating from the days of the Mexican Grants in California.” Casa Romero means the house of the Romeros.
“‘Casa Romero’ Is All Electrically Equipped: Radio Featured.”
Oakland Tribune May 17, 1925
A Pipe-Organ Radio is installed in the living room. The rare acoustic properties of the room, eighteen by thirty-six feet in size and eighteen feet high, were fully utilized. A Radiola super-heterodyne is hidden behind what appears to be pipes of an organ on the balcony above. Using a central control, you could listen by loudspeaker or earphone connections by merely pressing a button.
The hidden radio – Oakland Tribune 1925
Casa Romero Today from Google Maps
European Style Homes
Some of the homes were designed along the lines of English cottage architecture, and others suggest French and Italian villa homes with homes from Spain, Norway, or Holland.
All have charming features and will include a large living room with a unique fireplace, a dining room with a buffet, and a kitchen with all the modern fixtures. Priced from $6500-$7900
Grand Duke
The Grand Duke Model Home – Oakland Tribune 1925
Dixon and Hillen
Walter W. Dixon(1884-1953)
Robert C. Hillen (1884-1955)
Style: Storybook, fairy tale, Hansel & Gretel
Dixon designed homes and other buildings, alone and with the firm Dixon and Hillen, from about 1910 to 1950, mostly in the East Bay.
Dixon built grand Storybook houses and houses in other styles and is best known for compact Storybook tract cottages.
Both were involved under the name of Dixon and Hillen Publishers with the Home Designer Magazine, based in Oakland and printed out of their office at 1844 Fifth Ave. The monthly publication costs $2.50 yearly for a subscription and covers mostly bungalow and Storybook types of homes.
They also designed the homes on Picardy Drive in Oakland.
Klinknerville was a town in what is now the Golden Gate neighborhood. It was started by Charles Alexander Klinkner in 1885, the name was changed to Golden Gate in 1888, and it was annexed by Oakland in 1897.
Klinkner Hall, at the present-day corner of San Pablo and 59th Street, in the late 1800s. (Oakland Library History Room.)
In 1877 (or 1878), Charles A. Klinkner and a partner purchased 14 acres of dairyland in the area of what is now 59th and San Pablo. The land was subdivided into lots for building homes.
“Ring the Bell, Klink, Klink, Klink, the boom continues, “Klinknerville,” lots 50 x 150 $600.00, houses built to order on the installment plan, Apply to Klinkner before buying elsewhere.“
Klinkner built a home for his family on San Pablo Ave near 59th Street
Klinkner Family Home – OMCA
He also established a horse car line that ran from Park Avenue to what today is 62nd Street.
By 1885, the construction of Klinknerville had begun. He first built modest Victorian homes.
Tract homes under construction and offered for sale – OMCA
To attract residents to Klinknerville, he built Klinkner Hall at 5832 San Pablo Avenue, and in 1888, on the other side of the Street, he built the Del Monte Hotel.
Showing Klinknerville Hall in 1919 – Photo by Cheney Photo Advertising
Klinkner Hall was the social center of the town. There was a grocery store, a drug store, a dry goods store, a meat market on the first floor, and a large community assembly hall where the clubs and lodges would meet on the upper floor. There was a steeple clock atop the building.
A photo of Klinkner Hall with signs showing “Drugs, Insurance, Wells Fargo Express, Post Office and Real Estate.” Carts advertise Klinkner’s Rubber Stamps. OMCA H76.295.58O
Klinkner also built Eureka Park, a baseball field, which was the home of the Klinkner 9. Later on, it was the home of the Oakland Oaks, the city’s professional baseball team in the early 1900s, and the name was changed to Freeman’s Park.
Eureka Park. Johnny Maher, proprietor. Baseball grounds about 1886. OMCA
He also built about 75 houses. The houses were sold for between $3,000 and $5,000 or sometimes could be won in a raffle off a $2 ticket.
SF Chronicle 1892
Huckster
Klinkner & Co. buggy, barn in the background, ca. 1886-1893 – OMCA H77.57.26
Mr. Klinkner was one of Oakland’s earliest hucksters, if not the first. He was a staunch believer in the fact that it pays to advertise. Every Fourth of July, he would hitch up a span of mules to his cart. The mules were painted red, white, and blue, and the coach was plastered from top to bottom, advertising his business. On St. Patrick’s Day, they were green; at other times, they’d be an appropriate color for the occasion. Sometimes, he would match his colorful mules with equally bright dogs and a monkey or two.
Buggy. Dog, two monkeys on the back of a horse. Gift of Fred L. Klinkner H77.57.28
Golden Gate
But Klinkner and the town bearing his name did not last long. In 1888, Klinkner applied for the area post office to take the
“Klinknerville” name, “much to the disgust of the old families in the area,” who preferred the term “Golden Gate,” Thomas Klinkner wrote.
Oakland Tribune 1888
A back-and-forth ensued, with Klinkner even making a trip to Washington, D.C., to personally appeal to then-President Grover Cleveland.
The “Golden Gate” side won out, and the town’s name was changed shortly before Klinkner’s death. Golden Gate was annexed to Oakland in 1897.
The name “Klinkner” soon vanished from the area. What was once called Klinkner Avenue was changed to 59th Street.
Klinkner family: Charles seated in the wagon photo from Oakland Museum of California
Klinker’s Family
Charles Klinker was born in Ausen, Germany, in 1852. His family then settled in Iowa when he was an infant. At age 20, he came west to San Francisco and opened the Red Rubber Stamp Factory on Sansome Street.
Klinkner died in 1893, at the age of 40, from a cold he neglected. He is buried in Mountain View Cemetery.
1983
C. A. Klinkner and Co. Red Rubber Stamps 1884 “Courtesy of California State Archives.”
Klinkner married Katherine Parke, an Oakland native. She was born in the town of Clinton (later part of Oakland) in 1855. Katherine Klinkner died in 1945.
They raised seven children in their home in Klinknerville.
Charles A. Klinkner 1876-1951
Fredrick S. Klinkner 1878-1954
Herman P. Klinkner 1881-1959
Cora V. Klinkner 1887-175
Harry D. Klinkner 1889-1968
Elma I. Klinkner 1891-1984
The Klinkner family home was demolished in 1929 to make way for a brick building, which housed a drugstore owned by Klinkner’s son, Fred, before closing in 1968, taking the last remnants of the Klinkner name in the neighborhood.
Oakland Tribune 1919
Katherine then moved into an apartment on the second floor of Klinkner Hall, where she lived until selling the building in 1941. She then moved next door to a small cottage at 1064 59th Street.
The DeRome Home 1076 – 59th St., Oakland, 1886. Gift of Junior League of Oakland-East Bay H78.86.76
Her daughter, Mrs. Cora DeRome (see), lived next door at 1076, and her son, Fred, lived across the Street at 1097. Klinkner Hall was demolished and replaced with a grocery store.
The Oakland Real Estate Board held a contest to name the new residential district along Moraga Road in the hills behind Piedmont. The syndicate owned the area comprising 2500 acres of residential land and a business section. The prize for the best name was $50.00.
Oakland Tribune 1919
“The one condition was they had to describe what they saw in the district to suggest the name they submitted.
Montclair was the winner.
Montclair Subdivsions
Oakland Tribune Aug 22, 1922
Development of the hill section was first envisioned in the early 1900s when the Realty Syndicate Company purchased the Dingee and Medau properties.
SF EXAMINER JUL 10, 1901
The first unit would open in 1920, extending across Moraga Avenue from the present business district up and over to the Piedmont border. They called this unit Montclair Acres, and the great demand for lots resulted in the opening of Montclair Estates in 1921.
SF Examiner Nov 2, 1920
“The wisdom in buying a homesite in Montclair Estates is bulwarked by ever increasing joy of ownership.”
Streets for the two units were named after famous WWI generals such as Pershing, Dawes, McAndrew, Liggett, Bullard, and Harbord.
They both offered half-acre and one-acre lots.
Country Club Acres was also put on the market in 1921. It was located on the other side of Moraga Avenue, extending to Holy Names School and Masonic Avenue was in it.
Oakland Tribune May 28, 1922
Montclair Vista adjoining Country Club Acres opened in 1922 and extended from Harbord Drive to include Maxwelton and Hiltop Crescent. They held a “huge bonfire” (wow!) to announce the opening of Montclair Vista.
Oakland Tribune May 28, 1922
Sierra Vista opened in 1922.
Oakland Tribune 1922
Across the valley, Merriewood was opened in also in 1922. In addition to selling lots, the company also sold lots with small bungalows, the purchaser choosing the style of home to be built. Within two years, they sold 250 of these homes.
Oakland Tribune April 18, 1926
In Merriewood there are streets named for some of the signs of the Zodiac like Aquarius, Aries (no longer used,) Capricorn (my street,) Leo, Taurus, Uranus, and Virgo.
SF Examiner Sept 1924
There is also a group of streets named in honor of Robin Hood. They are Nottingham, Robin Hood, Sherwood, Merriewood (Merry Men?), and Crown (Crown of England?.)
Hampton Highlands opened in 1925 and was located starting where Park Blvd meets Estates Drive.
Oakland Tribune Nov 1, 1925
Montclair Highlands was the large area adjoining the business center, and streets in it were named for explorers; Cortez, Balboa, Magellan, and Drake, among others.
Oakland Tribune June 7, 1925
In this section, the syndicate built an Observation Tower, which burned down a few years later. Montclair Highlands was so successful that Montclair Highlands Extension was opened, including Cabot Drive and Colton Blvd.
Smith Reserve included some 1,600 lots, now known as Piedmont Pines, opened in 1926, and the streets were given English names, such as Ascot, Chelsea, Beaconsfield, Holyrood, and Keswick.
Oakland Tribune May 23, 1926
A lot of work went into preparing Smith Reserve; they had to remove trees, open roads, and put in storm drains.
Oakland Tribune May 30, 1926
It was in Smith Reserve that they built one of the finest model homes in all of California. Check out Casa Alta Dena here.
Oakland Tribune Oct 9, 1927
In 1927 they opened “Smith Reserve Highlands” after closing out Montclair Highlands.
The Townsite
Oakland Tribune 1919
In 1919 the Realty Syndicate announced the plans for a civic /business center for the area in the hills behind Piedmont.
Site of the new Townsite – Oakland Tribune Nov 7, 1920
When the business district officially opened in 1925, it was known and publicized as “Montclair Townsite.”
Oakland Tribune Nov 7, 1920
Big Promotional Campaign
An extensive newspaper campaign was carried out on both sides of the bay, with advertising bills amounting to thousands of dollars weekly. Banners and flags flew along Moraga Avenue. Two bus lines provided free transportation into the hills.
The syndicate built a large lodge used for sales promotion. A prominent artist on the Examiner staff named Virgil Theodore Nahl painted a large mural painting in the lodge of the hill district looking towards the bay.
The lodge was later converted into an attractive home. I’d love to find out which one on Lodge Court is “The Lodge.”
Following the collapse of the Reality Syndicate in 1929 Raymond Emge who had worked for them took over the management of Montclair Highlands. Emge organized a home building company that promoted homes designed by architects and held architectural competitions. From then until WWII scores of new homes were built throughout the hills.
“Then it was revealed that Milton Wiser was a “confidence man who had played out his racket and disappeared, owing many people in defaulted debts and checks that bounced.”
Montclarion Jan 1, 1958
Montclarion 1957
Milton Wiser and his associates were promoters of Heavenly Candies by Haas up and down the West Coast.
Their sales pitch told of up to $10,000 profits a year. The cost to the prospect was $4500 (or any amount from $1200 to $6,000), plus candy stock.
From 1956
How could they go wrong? The product was backed by daily promotion on the Queen for the Day t.v. Show. The famous Haas candy company of Oakland made the candy.
Haas Distributing Co of Oakland
When Wisser came to Oakland in 1956, he made arrangements with Louis Chiodo, the owner of Chiodo Candy Co., to provide candy for the stores.
Wiser organized Haas Distributing Co. to buy products from Chiodo. Wiser invited the name Heavenly Candies and added: “By Haas.”
Chiodo was advised by the Oakland Better Business Bureau, of which he was a sponsor, that Wisers activities should be questioned, and they were aware of Wiser’s activities elsewhere.
Chiodo became concerned about the payment for candy he sold to Haas in December 1956. At that time, he was owed $58,000. Because of this, he did not extend any more credit to any of the Heavenly Candy Stores (that Wiser started and sold). The was one exception. He provided Dolly Monks with candy for her store on credit.
Bounced Checks
The bank account at the College Avenue branch of Bank Of America was closed with many outstanding checks, which bounced.
Dolly Monks was shocked when several local Montclaions brought in “rubber checks” from Heavenly Candies.
Calls to their office were switched to a recorded message “You have reached a discontinued number.”
Unhappy Owner
Edward Topping, who opened a Heavenly Candy store on Grand Ave, told. The Montclarion (August 21, 1957) was not satisfied with the way Wiser’s outfit had not fulfilled its promises.
He had been sold on the “package deal.” which gave him for a cost of $4500 a complete store ready to operate. He was also promised a “grand opening,” including lights, a majorette to give away candy, etc. He opened his store with no fanfare, and nobody showed up from Haas Distributing Co or provided anything to give away.
Haas did provide women to help Topping get started. But they paid her with rubber checks.
Police Investigation
The Oakland Police Department’s grand theft detail began an investigation into Wiser in August 1957. They hoped to gather enough evidence of fraud that can convict the man. Wiser operated just short of breaking the law.
On the surface, they appeared to be running a legitimate business. Of the 100 stores sold on the West Coast, no more than 50 were still open after the first year. Many of the owners lost their original fees.
When Wiser closed out his bank account many checks were outstanding and of course, bounced. Many other debts incurred by Wiser just simply not paid by check or otherwise.
Various Names Used
It looks like (from the articles I read) Wiser was using the name Haas as in the Geo. Haas and Sons Candy stores. Geo. Haas Candy Company went bankrupt in 1940.
Auburn Journal Sept 1958
Haas Distributing Co.
Haas Heavenly Candies of Oakland
Haas Chocolates of Oakland
J.H.Hass Distributing Co
Heavenly Candies by Haas
Now I haven’t found much else on Milton Wiser after 1958. But if I do I will update this post.
The End
Disclaimer: Now I don’t if Milton Wiser was guilty of anything or if he was a “confidence man” as reported in the Montclarion. As far I can tell he didn’t get his day in court of give his side of the story.
Sources
Candy Promoter Disappears as Checks Bounce – The Montclarion August 21, 1957
Sad Story of Milton Wiser Unwinds – The Montclarion August 21, 1957
Case Against Promoter Studied By Police – The Montclarion August 28, 1957
Wiser’s Bad Checks Paid By Ex-Aide – The Montclarion September 11, 1957
Would you like to be Queen for a Day?! Host Jack Bailey would say that the entire audience would reply: “YES!” Four or five women, each having a sob story to tell, told Bailey why they believed they should be crowned the show’s Queen. Usually, each contestant asked for a merchandise prize, such as a washer and dryer. The audience determined the winner by applause (via the “applause meter”).
On the April 11, 1957 episode of Jack Bailey’s “Queen for a Day” show. Dolly Monks of Oroville Ca was one of the four contestants. Each contestant had to talk about the recent financial and emotional hard times she had been through.
Dolly spoke about the hardships involved in raising three small children as a single parent after her husband had died of cancer. She was worried that she would not be able to provide for them as a single mother.
Dolly was chosen as the “Queen of the Day!”
The winner of that episode would qualify to win a fully stocked candy store from a participating sponsor of the show.
The participating sponsor was Haas Distributing Co. of Oakland run by Milton Wiser to promote the sales of “Heavenly Candy” stores all over the west. At the time of the show, there were about 100 stores opened.
The store would be completely stocked with Heavenly Candy and fixtures that were provided by the sponsor. She would be trained for as long as necessary in all aspects of running a candy store.
Queen of the Day to Open New Store in Montclair
The Montclarion April 1957
Mr. Wiser chose a store in the Montclair District. He worked with John Grubb Realty to lease a store on Mountain Blvd at 2034. The store had been the home of Montclair Sporting Goods, which had recently moved up the street to a larger store (where they stayed in business until 2020.) Later on, the same storefront was the home of Williams Footwear well into the early 1990s. My two friends and I all bought our “sort of” platform shoes there in the 70s.
The store was scheduled to open on July 12, 1957
Wow! This Is Big!
“with all the Hollywood razzle dazzle”
Milton Wiser 1957
Plans for the candy store opening were shaping up to be big according to Wiser in an article in The Montclarion (July 3, 1957.) Wiser tried his best to estimate and came up with a figure of slightly less than 50,000 people who might turn up in Montclair for the opening of the Heavenly Candies store at 2034 Mountain Blvd. He attributed the large estimate due to all the advanced print advertising and the daily plugs for the store on the t.v. show.
Mr. Wiser made it clear the opening would be spectacular and that he has extended an invitation to the mayor of Oakland Clifford E. Rishell and of course lots of other people including some famous Hollywood types. Because of this, the Montclair merchants asked the police department for extra protection.
Queen to Draw Throngs
Montclarion July 1957
“Friday July 12 is the BIG DAY -the grand spectacular Hollywood-type opening of the new Heavenly Candies store”
The Montclarion 1957
The opening was scheduled to start at 7 pm and was scheduled to be seen live on KRON TV in San Francisco. The Mayor of Oakland, Jerry Colona of Hollywood, and of course Jack Bailey himself was expected to be there.
Five girls were hired to help with handing out free candy to the first 1000 people to come to the store.
Los Angeles Times July 12, 1957
Store Opens with a Modest Throng
The Montclair Business Association went into action fully expecting thousands of curiosity seekers to come to Montclair. They persuaded the Chamber of Commerce to help pay for the cost of a big banner welcoming the Queen to Montclair. They held a reception at Sanford’s before the grand opening and invited the “Hollywood representatives and such folk.”
SF Examiner July 12, 1957
As the time approached for opening to begin, a modest group of about 500 people slowly assembled in the blocked-off street in front of the store. Jerry Colona and Councilman Peter Tripp (for the mayor) were there to cut the ribbon opening the store. The Oakland police department had three officers.
The Montclarion July 1957
Dolly was there in her crown and robe.
Queen for a Day from left to right Jerry Colona, Dolly Monks and Milton Wiser – 1957
Contrary to the advance information given to The Montclarion by an overly hopeful candy official, there was no live television coverage of the event. There wasn’t a public address system. It was filmed by a professional movie company to be shown at a later date on the Queen for A Day show.
The Californian July 16, 1957
The Queen is a Pawn
It seems to me the whole thing was big promotional stunt for the T.V. show and Heavanly Candies, Dolly became something of a pawn between the two.
She sold her home in Oroville and moved her family down from Oroville to a rented cottage in Pleasant Hill and secured a day maid to take care of her children.
In response to to an article in The Montclarion (July 31, 1957.)
“I realize to some people this all must look like a publicity stunt, but unless you know the inside story you can’t tell where the ‘business’ ends ‘heart’ begins.”
Dolly Monks
End of Her Reign and a New King
After the fanfare of the opening had passed on. Dolly opened every morning at 9am after driving from her home in Pleasant Hill after leaving her three children with the babysitter.
The Montclarion
She found that candy sales not too brisk. In fact many weeks went by and she paid her babysitter more than she made in the store.
Then she found out the the people who bought her home in Oroville left without notice. Her car was damage when struck from behind one morning.
So, she announced through The Montclarion that she would be giving up the store.
That announcement and Halloween candy trade sales gave her a big upsurge and she decided to stick it out.
The Montclarion 1957
The just after Christmas she called The Montclarion and put in advertisement that she was selling out and closing the store on January 1, 1958.
It turns out the reason what not that the store was a failure but that she was in love. She had met her king. Ralph King that is. They planned on getting married in 1959.
The Montclarion Jan 1958
Queen for a day…and a King forever.
The Montclarion Feb 1958
Coming soon Part 2 of a “Queen for a Day” – The Confidence Man
The 1920s were economic boom years in the United States and California.
Economic growth was fueled by the general post–World War I recovery and oil discoveries in Los Angeles and, most notably, the automobile’s widespread introduction.
Oakland expanded during the 1920s, flexing enough to meet the influx of factory workers.
Oakland TribuneJuly 22, 1922
Between 1921 and 1924, 13,000 new homes were built in Oakland, more than 1907-1920.
Many of the large downtown office buildings, apartments, and single-family houses still standing were built during the 1920s, reflecting the architectural styles of the time.
Moraga Road District
Oakland Tribune Nov 2, 1919
After running a contest in Oakland Tribune in 1919, Montclair was the name given to the new area. You can read more about that here: Sunalta or Montclair?
Montclair Opens
1920
They sold $460,000 worth of property in Montclair during the first year.
Her First Birthday
Oakland Tribune October 1921
Where is Montclair?
The Montclair of the 1920’s – Oakland Tribune
Today, Montclair covers a much larger area. It includes the neighborhoods (or tracts) of Pinehaven, Merriewood, Fernwood, Glenwood Glade, Forest Park, Montclair Highlands, and Piedmont Pines.
During the first years of the 1920s, much money and effort went into selling property in Oakland, whether through free houses or lot giveaways or providing car service to the sites from downtown (just 15 minutes away). The Realty Syndicate even provided buses ( see The First Bus lines in Oakland ).
I thought I would show you some clever ads from the Oakland Tribune and the San Francisco Chronicle. In the months leading up to the day Montclair went on sale, they ran small teaser-type ads all through the paper.
Growing up in Montclair, there was an older woman who would walk the streets of Montclair. She would walk with her head down, minding her own business and not causing any problems.
She would walk from her home at 2779 Carisbrook Drive near Skyline to the Montclair shopping area via Chelton Drive. Sometimes she would go to the library. She would go to the McCaulous Department Store.
She sometimes would take rides from her neighbors. She was very quiet and a loner.
She just always wore a gray raincoat and red rain boots.
People have different memories of her. Some thought she was related to Jack London or the Knowland Family (I can’t find anything); Some thought she was wealthy. Some thought of her as scary, spooky, or even crazy. There were many rumors about her, especially from people who didn’t know her.
If spoken to, she would talk to people and be very nice. She would purchase Girl Scouts cookies from her neighbors or donate to a school event.
I believe she was just heartbroken and lonely.
Her name was Hazel Wells.
Early Life
She was born Hazel Beatrice Clark on June 19, 1914. She grew up in Alameda with her four sisters. From what I can tell, she led an everyday life.
Oakland Tribune Jun 19, 1925
Hazel Beatrice Clark at 16 Alameda High School
Marriage
In 1937 she married Oscar Donald Wells, who also grew up in Alameda. In 1941 Hazel gave birth to a son Oscar Donald Wells, Jr.
California, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1850-1941 – Alameda 1937
World War II
Oscar Donald Wells enlisted in the Army on December 30, 1941, in San Francisco, California, during World War II. He was 32 years old.
In March of 1943, while living in Alameda, Hazel received a letter from her husband saying he was going on leave and intended to buy their son a pet monkey. In the same mail delivery, she received a letter from the War Department saying that Staff Sargent Oscar Wells had been missing in action since March 1.
He went missing on a bombing mission in the Middle Eastern theater of operations. He is still considered missing, but they placed a marker for him in North Africa.
From the War Dept
In October 1943, two-year-old Oscar Wells was pinned with the Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to his father.
Oakland Tribune October 25, 1943
Sometime after her husband’s death, she and her son moved to Montclair, and they lived at 2779 Carisbrook Drive, close to Skyline Blvd.
Contra Costa Times Nov 1956
In the early hours of November 6, 1956, Oscar Wells Jr. stole a 1956 Lincoln from in front of the home of M.P. Kitchel on Camino Lenada just down the hill from his home. The keys were in the car. Wells was on parole from California Youth Authority.
A short time later, he was pulled over by a Walnut Creek policeman for speeding. He pulled off as the officer approached the car. The police took chase on the streets of Walnut Creek, going 75 to 90 miles per hour.
During the chase, the policeman noticed a tank truck start up after stopping. He pulled back on the pursuit. Wells didn’t see it and slammed head-on into the tanker at about 75 mph. He was pinned in the car. There were no skid marks.
“Shot me – get me out of my misery”
Oscar Wells Jr
He was buried three days later.
Aftermath
Hazel had lost her husband and son in tragic ways, and she probably never fully recovered from that. This might explain the way she was.
The Montclarion 1987
Over the years, her house has fallen in disrepair, and her neighbors step in to help her with money to turn the power, or they would hold work parties to clean up her yard or replace broken windows. She often refused help.
In 1986 the home was condemned. The electricity and water had been turned off for years. The city put an “Order to Vacate” sign on the front door. Hazel responded with a sign of her own.
“Not Vacant/Occupied by Owner”
Hazel spent the rest of her life in the Salen Luthern Home in Oakland. She died in 2008.
The Monclarion Aug 1996
The house on Carisbrook was sold for $155,000 in 1992 and demolished, and a new home was built.
A bit of history of some of the early residents of Montclair from the 1920s.
The Montclarion
In 1918 Mr. and Mrs. Otto H. Darmsted bought three and a half acres from Villa Site Sales in the Pinehaven Tract for $1800. The land was cleared of pine trees, and the logs were advertised as free giveaways to the buyers to build a log cabin.
The Darmsted’s were married in 1911 and raised five boys in the home on Pinehaven.
The Montclarion 1961
The Montclarion June 15 1960
The Darmsted’s lived at 8 Pinehaven Road, which was later changed to 6515 PInehaven Road. One of their sons lived at 6501 Pinehaven.
George and Sadie Davidson and Dellos Miller (Sadie’s brother) jointly purchased a lot on Leo Way in the Glenwood tract of Montclair in 1921. At that time, there were only two other homes in the neighborhood.
The Montclarion
They completed building their home in 1925.
In a 1970 article in Montclarion, Mrs. Davidson said they “really pioneered.” She cooked on a wood stove since they had no gas, phone, or mail delivery. They had to walk down Broadway Terrace to pick up their mail.
They lived at 1011 Leo Way until the mid-1970s, over 50 years.
On Thorn Road
The Montclarion
George and Edith Mullen moved to Montclair in about 1922. When they moved there, Thornhill Drive was still called Thorn Road, and it went straight instead of turning right by the swimming pool like it does today.
The Montclarion
In a letter shared with the Montclarion in 1960, Mrs. Mullen shared that
“Merriewood was a solid mass of trees… planted ages ago so taxes would be on forest land.”
She also said real estate developers planted Thorn Road with Royal Ann cherries and Gouldin Road with apricots.
The Montclarion
They lived at 570 Thorn Road, which was later changed to 6022 Thornhill Drive. George died in 1933, and Edith lived there until the late 1950s. They were the members of Montclair Presbyterian Church, Improvement Club, and Montclair Women’s Club.
I couldn’t find any current photos of 6022 Thornhill. The last time it sold was in 1989.
Glenwood Tract
The Glenwood Tract
In 1921, George and Marie Annereau purchased two Glenwood Tract lots that spanned from Glenwood Glade and Duncan Way. Their house at 212 Glenwood Glade was the second one built in the tract. Dave Duncan, for whom Duncan Way was named, was the first. The Duncans live in a tent on their property while they built their home. There was no electricity then, and they cooked on a wood stove. They lived at 132 Duncan Way.
Oakland Tribune Feb 25, 1926
Mr. Annereau was a founding member who helped build the Montclair Improvement Club House at Thorn Road (now Thornhill Drive) and Mountain Blvd. The Montclair Women’s Association ended up buying the clubhouse and used it until the early 1990s.
The Monclarion 1961
The Annereau’s created a beautiful garden on their large double lot; each had a separate hothouse. They opened their garden each year for tours, and they had many blue ribbons for their exhibition entries.
