Fanny Wall Children’s Home

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Fannie Wall Children’s Home and Day Nursery, an orphanage and daycare center in West Oakland, was established in 1918 by African-American clubwomen. Sometimes, it is called the Fanny Wall Home.

“Charity is the Golden Chain that reaches from heaven to earth.”

from the letterhead

The Beginning

In 1914, the Northern Federation of California Colored Women’s Clubs President Fanny Wall and Financial Secretary Hettie Tilghman began working on a children’s home and day nursery to support black working mothers and care for orphaned black children. After years of planning and fundraising, the home opened in 1918 on Peralta Street in West Oakland.

“Care for the Orphans

“Shelters the Half Orphans”

“Keeps the Children of Day Workers.”

Oakland Tribune April 1920

Initially, the home was called the “Northern Federation Home and Day Nursery.” Subsequently, it was renamed to honor Fannie Wall, the first woman to run the charity daily.

The Fannie Wall Children’s Home and Day Nursery was open to children of all races, ethnicities, and religions. It was the first facility in Northern California to provide various services, including housing, boarding, and daycare for black orphans.

It was located at 1215 Peralta Street in West Oakland from 1918-1928.

Fannie Wall ( 1860-1944) came to Oakland with her family in the early 1900s. She was born in Gallatin, Tennessee, in 1860. She was married to Archey(Archy) H Wall (18?? -1931), a staff sergeant in the US Army. They had two daughters, Lillian (Williams) and Florence (Murray), and one son, Clifton Archey, was transferred to the Presidio in San Francisco and ultimately ended up in Oakland. Wall was an early community activist who participated in several organizations that promoted African American economic empowerment.

She served several terms as the president of the California Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs.

She co-founded the Art and Industrial Club of Oakland in 1906. Under her presidency, the club joined the Child Welfare League Wall and helped establish the “Colored Y” of Oakland.

In 1936 Archie Williams her grandson (Lillian)won a gold medal in the 400-meter run in Berlin.

Oakland Tribune August 8, 1936

Fannie Wall died on April 14, 1944, in her home on Telegraph Avenue. She is buried in the same plot as her husband in the San Francisco National Cemetery.

Oakland Tribune April 20, 1944

Linden Street Site

In 1928, having outgrown its original location, they moved to a new one on Linden Street.

Fannie Wall Children’s Home, 815 Linden – 2nd site -Courtesy The African American Museum and Library Oakland

The handsome house at 815 Linden Street was purchased for $5000. Charlie Man designed the upper-middle-class house in the 1880s. It was one of five buildings built by Frances Reichling, a surveyor who subdivided his property at the corner of Linden Street and Eighth Street. The most prominent building became the family home; the others were rentals.

Linden Street 1948 -African American Museum & Library at Oakland (Oakland, Calif.)

The home could accommodate up to 20 children and 8-15 children for daycare services. It would be operated by a professional staff of over ten employees, including social workers and a volunteer psychiatrist. 

They considered this house a step up from the one on Peralta Street and was across the street from the “Colored Y.”

Women and children seated around the piano at the Fannie Wall Children’s Home and Day Nursery- updated -African American Museum & Library at Oakland (Oakland, Calif.)

New Look

The Linden Street site was given a face-lift in 1953. The “new look,” a two-room addition, was used as the administrative offices, releasing the old offices and reception room for nursery classes and a future library. They provided room for 47 children.  

In 1962, the Oakland Redevelopment Agency purchased 815 Linden St. and demolished the building for the Acorn Project.

Management

“Fannie Wall is Calling”

From the annual report

The Northern Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs operated the Fannie Wall Home until 1941 when it was incorporated as an independent organization. At that time, it was the only home in California that primarily cared for African-American children.

The home was admitted as an agency of the Community Chest-United crusade in 1923

Fannie Wall was elected the first president and served for over twenty years as the head of the 21 board of directors. She succeeded Mrs. Lydia Smith Ward, whom Mrs. Chlora Hayes Sledge followed in the 1940s.

The home was managed by a Board of Directors mainly consisting of members of the Northern Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, a community advisory committee, and an executive director who oversaw its day-to-day operations.

The Board of Directors of the Fanny Wall Home – Chlora Hays Sledge, President, center-left.Courtesy The African American Museum and Library Oakland

The home was the first Community Chest Children’s Agency in the East Bay to employ a trained social worker.

Girls with fans at the Fannie Wall Home in the 1940s.Courtesy The African American Museum and Library Oakland

Fundraising

 The home received funding from various sources, including rent from an apartment in Berkeley donated by Josephine Sutton, Community Chest, and the Dreiser Trust, and fundraising events coordinated by the home.

Ticket to chicken dinner for Fannie Wall Home Benefit-1944 -African American Museum & Library at Oakland (Oakland, Calif.)
Fannie Wall Children’s Home and Day Nursery, Inc. charity ball program – 1946 – African American Museum & Library at Oakland (Oakland, Calif.)- Identifier
MS162_B1_F6_001
Oakland Tribune 1958

The third charity ball was held on January 19, 1948, at the Oakland Auditorium.

In 1959, Slim Jenkins held a fashion show to raise money for the building fund. Models displayed the latest styles.

A Haven For Children

Rodeo artists Schwartz and Grodin entertain children with finger paints at the Fannie Wall Children’s Home and Day Nursery – circa 1947 -African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection.
Oakland Tribune 1949

In 1949, the Fannie Wall home had 30 children who received daycare while their parents worked, Ranging in age from 3 to 14 years. During the summer, the children took swimming lessons at the de Fremery Park pool, enjoyed story hours at the West Oakland Branch Library, and had special excursions to other city parks and playgrounds.

Birthday Party 1946

Monthly parties were held to honor the children whose birthdays occurred during the month. They would dress up for a special dinner or an afternoon party.

Oakland Tribune August 8, 1948
Integrated Playground at the Fanny Wall Home, the 1950s Courtesy The African American Museum and Library Oakland

The Final Location

1964, they purchased a house at 647 55th Street for $19,000. However, they initially struggled to obtain a license from the Social Welfare Department, and the home wasn’t reopened until 1967 as part of a placement program for the Alameda County Welfare Department.

Fannie Wall Children’s Home 55th Street – 3rd site Courtesy The African American Museum and Library Oakland

The home closed again in 1970 for remodeling and reopened in 1978 as a child daycare facility and Head Start Center. It is now called Fannie Wall Head Start.

Group photograph of attendees at Fannie Wall Children’s Home and Day Nursery mortgage burning ceremony (first row, left-right): Annie Mae Smith, Albertine Radford, Silvia Parker, Mildred McNeal, Marge Gibson (second row, left-right): Bessie Watson, Euna Tucker, N. Adams, Lela Posey (third row, left-right): Eugene P. Lasartemay, Roy Blackburn, Kermit Scott, Harold Adams – 1981 -African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection
Fannie Wall Pre-K Program – 647 55th Street Oakland, CA

More Info:

The End

First African American Miss Oakland

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Miss Oakland 1968

Tanya Dennis was crowned Miss Oakland in 1968, becoming the first African-American to wear the crown. She then became one of the early African Americans to compete for the title of Miss California.

Oakland Tribune 1968

Miss Dennis was the first of three (in a row) African-American Miss Oakland.

Oakland Tribune June 1968

In June of 1969, Miss Dennis competed with 36 other girls throughout the state for Miss California.

Miss Dennis won the talent division with an exotic African ballet.

Santa Cruz Sentinel June 1968

Miss Dennis was the third runner-up in the Miss California pageant.

 Miss Oakland 1969

In 1969, Laomia McCoy was crowned Miss Oakland, becoming the second African-American to wear the crown and compete for Miss California’s title.

Miss McCoy sang a selection from “Porgy and Bess” to win the talent category in preliminary judging, and Miss Redlands, Susan Anton, took the swimsuit honor.

The Californian June 20, 1969

Susan Anton won the title of Miss California, and Miss McCoy was one of the runner-ups.

Miss McCoy was 19 at the time of the competition and a student at Merritt College.

Oakland Tribune May 1969

Miss Oakland 1970

Jet Magazine July 30, 1970

In 1970, Theresa Smith was crowned Miss Oakland, the third African-American to wear the crown and compete for Miss California’s title.

Santa Cruz Sentinel June 4, 1970

Smith competed alongside 35 contestants for the title of Miss California.

SF Examiner June 17, 1970

Miss Oakland Theresa Smith was awarded the Miss Congeniality award, which was voted for by the contestants. She was also honored for being the most talented non-finalist dancer in the competition.

Oakland Tribune November 12, 1970

Miss Smith was 20 years old at the time of the competition and a student at the University of California.

The officials at the Miss California State pageant refused to let Miss Smith perform unless she dropped the “offensive” word “Black” from her recitation. It hadn’t been offensive in Oakland.

Oakland Tribune October 8, 1970

Black Beauty Queens Denied Rewards

Laomia McCoy and Theresa Smith, Miss Oakland of 1969 and 1970, held a press conference to discuss how the Miss Oakland beauty pageant’s sponsors treated them unfairly and racially discriminated against them.

“if they had it to do all over again they wouldn’t have competed in the annual pageant.”

Theresa Smith and Laoma McCoy Sept 19, 1970

Negligent

The Oakland Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) sponsored the pageant for 24 years before 1970.

Jet Magazine July 30, 1970

“I feel that they (the Jaycees) have been negligent in communicating with and supporting me and have failed to bestow upon me the full benefits of my title, ” said Miss Smith.

Miss Smith charged that she was promised a $1000.00 scholarship but only received $100, was invited to appear at hardly any civic events, and was denied pay for personal appearances.

SF Examiner 1970

The Jaycee president said her complaints were just a misunderstanding about what the title involves and that she received the same as previous winners.

Theresa received a $100 scholarship that was promised before the start of school. However, the money arrived after her final registration at UC, forcing her “to be faced with an additional fee for being late” in registering.

In 1970, the Jaycees decided to drop their sponsorship of the pageant after 24 years; they said they were over budget by $1500.

More Info:

The End

Delilah Beasley

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Delilah Beasley – undated

Delilah Beasley was the first African American woman to be published regularly as a columnist for the Oakland Tribune in California.

She is most known for her book “The Negro Trail-Blazers of California,” published in 1919 and reprinted in 1968. 

Early Life

Delilah Leontium Beasley was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on September 9, 1871, just after the Civil War, to Daniel Beasley, an engineer, and Margaret Harris.

Beasley began her newspaper career in 1887, writing about church and social activities for the black newspaper, the Cleveland Gazette.

After her parents’ death, she went to Chicago and took a position to learn massage: she desired to become a nurse, which she became a few years later.

She traveled to California to nurse a former patient and stayed.

After moving to Oakland in 1910 at the age of 39, she wrote for the Oakland Sunshine and the Western Outlook.

In 1910, 3,055 African Americans lived in Oakland.

Trail-Blazers

To help her race; to open doors into the arts and sciences for the negro boys and girls, has been the impelling force for Delilah Beasley”

Los Angeles Times Jul 13, 1919
Oakland Tribune April 16, 1915

Beasley spent the first nine years in Oakland researching Black Americans’ history in the west at the University of California at Berkeley. She also would give presentations at local churches.

An early cover of the book

In 1919 she self-published a book called The Negro Trail Blazers of California. The book chronicled African American “firsts” and notable achievements in early California. The book includes diaries, biographical sketches, poetry, photographs, old papers, conversations with old pioneers, and a comprehensive history of early legislation and court cases.

California December 7, 1918

[archiveorg negrotrailblazer00beas width=560 height=384 frameborder=0 webkitallowfullscreen=true mozallowfullscreen=true]

California March 15, 1919

Activities Among Negroes

Her book paved the way for Beasley to become the first African American woman in California to write regularly for a major metropolitan newspaper. She worked for the Oakland Tribune from 1923 to 1934 and wrote a weekly column entitled “Activities Among Negroes.”  The column carried civic and religious news of the black community

Oakland Tribune August 24, 1924

Civic Organizations

Beasley was determined to advance the rights of African Americans and women; she joined many civic clubs, including the NAACP, the Alameda County League of Women Voters, the National Association of Colored Women, the Oakland Council of Church Women, and the Linden Center Young Women’s Christian Association.

She was an honorary League of Nations Association of Northern California member.

Oakland Tribune March 3, 1928

Delilah died at the age of August 18, 1934.  Beasley is buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Oakland Tribune August 19, 1934

She lived for many years at 705- 34th Street.

The exterior of Delilah Beasley’s house, 705 34th Oakland, California – African American Museum & Library at Oakland 

More Info:

The End

The Bancroft Parkway

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This is one of those posts where I had no writing intention, let alone know it existed. Two examples are my most popular post, “The Forgotten Tunnel,” or “The Backyard Fence War” I stumbled across articles on both while researching another post. Sometimes they pan out, and I find many exciting things to share. I wasn’t so lucky with this post, and it ended up being kind of a dud. I thought I would share it anyway.

Groundbreaking

A groundbreaking celebration was held in November of 1956 for the new Bancroft Avenue Parkway, and construction began soon after.

Oakland Tribune November 25, 1956

Bancroft Avenue was to become a major thoroughfare linking San Leandro and Oakland, relieving the traffic on MacArthur, Foothill, and East 14th (now International)

Oakland Mayor Clifford E. Rishell and Alameda County Supervisor operating an enormous earthmover, lifting the first load of earth.   

Construction for the Bancroft Avenue Parkway near 98th Avenue in the city’s Elmhurst district. DATE: 1956 Photographic print Albert “Kayo” Harris & Associates, photographers. The Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

They symbolized joint city-county participation.

Oakland Tribune November 25, 1956

The project’s estimated cost was $4,000,000 and was financed jointly from Oakland and Alameda County’s state gas tax funds.

Needed Relief

California Highways and Public Works Oakland Progress Page 37 – March- April 1958 

The need for this arterial was foreseen as early as 1927 when the major street plan of the city was formulated. Uncontrolled subdivisions in East Oakland’s early history had left a large area with no provision for the essential east-west movement.

California Highways and Public Works Oakland Progress Page 37 – March- April 1958 

The parkway was to provide the much-needed relief of Foothill Boulevard, MacArthur Boulevard, and East 14th Street (now international), as well as a direct connection to an existing major city street, Bancroft Avenue in San Leandro.

Studies for this thoroughfare were commenced in 1941, and protection of the right-of-way started.

The Bancroft Parkway

The parkway was to extend from the San Leandro city limits to East 14th Street(now International) and 46th Avenue.

“The project will convert Bancroft from a rundown noncontinuous street and railroad right-of-way to a major intercity thoroughfare and railroad parkway.”

California Highways and Public Works Oakland Progress Page 37 – March- April 1958 
Corner of Bancroft and 96th Avenues in the Elmhurst district of Oakland, California. 1965 Photographer unidentified. Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

The Design

The parkway had a two-lane section on each side with room for parking. In the center divider was the Southern Pacific railroad spur line to the Chevrolet Assembly Plant, and it was concealed with trees and shrubbery.

California Highways and Public Works Oakland Progress Page 37 – March- April 1958 

The Units 

  • The first unit was 1.17 miles from the San Leandro border to 90th avenue.
  • The second unit was between 90th to 79th Avenues. – June 1957
  • The third unit was 79th Avenue to Havenscourt Blvd – Spring 1958

Total Length: 4.25 miles

Oakland Tribune June 14, 1957
Oakland Tribune August 26, 1961

Removal of Buildings

The City of Oakland acquired property along the route.

  • The east side of Church Street and 68th Avenue.
  • Between 90th Avenue and Parker Street.
  • The western side of Church Street and 73rd Avenue
  • The south side of Bancroft Avenue is east of 74th Avenue.
  • The north side of Bancroft Avenue between 96th and 98th Avenues.

The following is a list of removed structures for the extension of the Bancroft Parkway.

Oakland Tribune

A miscellaneous collection of buildings along Bancroft Avenue between 73rd Avenue and Havenscourt Blvd. were offered for sale by the City of Oakland.  

Oakland Tribune April 16, 1958

The assortment included duplexes, a store, several homes, and garages. They had to be moved or demolished. The minimum bid was $2,850 for the entire group.

Oakland Tribune 1961

The Final Destinatination

Oakland tribune March 27, 1951

Today Bancroft Avenue is down to one lane in each direction with bike lanes.

More:

The End

High Street Park Homes

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In early 1926 J.B. Peepin announced that his company would be building approximately thirty-one in the High Street Park Tract on Culver Street.  Prices averaged $5950 for five rooms, with a down payment of only 10% and 1% of the balance.

Oakland Tribune Nov 14, 1926

Peepin was already well known in Oakland and San Leandro as a builder of Bungalows. 

Living rooms have studio ceilings, and the newest wall treatments. Hooded fireplaces, in latest designs. Each house has a breakfast room, with a hand decorated breakfast set, included in the purchased price.”

Oakland Tribune July 26, 1926

Charming hand stenciled kitchens, with linoleums, and every built-in convenience including kitchen cabinets and refrigerators.”

Oakland Tribune July 26, 1926
Oakland Tribune Aug 22, 1926

Gardens are laid out to suit each home, with lawns, shrubs, patio entrances and fish ponds.”

Oakland Tribune July 26, 1926

Casa Linda

  • 4100 Culver Street
  • Built 1926
  • Price $5950-$6200

Casa Linda opened on July 18, 1926. The home was entirely furnished by Montgomery Wards & Company.

Oakland Tribune 1926

“The Home Beautiful”

Oakland Tribune July 18, 1926

Casa Linda, as the name implies is an unusually beautiful Spanish home, and embodies in its design and ornamentation new and pleasing innovations by our architectural service.   Oakland Tribune July 18, 1926

Orange was the kitchen tile color, the hand-decorated furniture, and wall-paper in the breakfast room. Spanish galleons are the motif of parchment shades.

Oakland Tribune July 18, 1926

 The exterior of “Casa Linda” was enhanced by the patio entrance with stepping stones and a fish pond.

Zillow.com – 4100 Culver St
Zillow.com – 4100 Culver St

Casa Palomar or Palomares

  • 4150 Culver Street
  • Built 1926
  • Price $5950-$6200

Opened in September of 1926 and was furnished by Montgomery Wards and Company.

Oakland Tribune Sept 19, 1926
Oakland Tribune Oct 17, 1926
4150 Culver Street – Google maps

Casa Novia

  • 4157 Culver Street
  • Built 1926
  • Price $5950-$6200

Casa Novia opened to the public on December 5, 1926 it was furnished by Lachman Brothers of San Francisco.

Display Home Is Especially Designed for Newly-Weds, Builder Says”

Oakland Tribune Dec 5, 1926
Oakland Tribune Dec 5, 1926

An arched doorway opens into the front hall affording a glimpse of a large living room with arched windows. The dining room and breakfast room are separated by columns and the kitchen is decorated with orange tiles.

Sold in 2020

In August of 2020 “Casa Novia” was put on the market for $789,000 and sold for $820,000 in October of 2020.

Zillow.com – 4157 Culver Street

Culver House

  • 4132 Culver Street
  • Built 1927
  • Price $6250

The furnished home went on display on April 24, 1927.  

Oakland Tribune May 1, 1927

Large rooms, with plenty of sunshine make this home appeal to the housewife.”

Oakland Tribune Apr 24, 1927
Oakland Tribune April 1927

Sold in 2020

  • Estately.Com – 4132 Culver Street

The was listed for $889,000 in November of 2020 and sold for $955,000 in December.

Villa Romancia

  • 4145 Culver Street
  • Built 1927
  • Price $6775

Villa Romancia opened to the public in January of 1927.

Oakland Tribune 16, 1927

“Castles in Sunny Spain”

ROMANCE! MYSTERY! That is what you think of when you see Villa Romanica.”

Oakland Tribune Feb 13, 1927
Oakland Tribune 1927

Open House 2021

In January of 1921 Villa Romancia is for sale. The listed price is $699,000. An open house was held on January 3, 2021.

Redfin.com – 4145 Culver Street
Redfin.com – 4145 Culver Street

Culver Street Homes

  • 4115 Culver Street
Oakland Tribune Aug 21, 1927

List of Model Homes:

  • 4100 Culver Street – Casa Linda
  • 4132 Culver Street – Culver House
  • 4145 Culver Street – Villa Romancia
  • 4150 Culver Street – Casa Palomar
  • 4157 Culver Street – Casa Novia

More Info:

  • 4157 Culver Street – website
  • The Bungalow Book By J.B. Peppin – flickr

The End

Santa Claus Rides the Bus

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I have been sharing photos of holiday-themed AC Transit Coaches (buses) on Facebook. In researching the tradition, I learned that Nickolas P. Alevizos played Santa Claus for over 40 years. A bit of history here.

Nick P. Alevizos -In front of a 10-seater Model-A Motor Bus, one of the original West Oakland Motor Buses – Updated AC Transit Photo

Santa Claus – St Nick

AC Transit Times December 1961

In December 1960, AC Transit’s new streamlined “Transit Liners” went into service on Christmas Day.

AC Transit Photo – flickr

To introduce the new buses, a colorful parade called the “Travelcade of Progress” was held in downtown Oakland. The parade included all East Bay public transportation forms, including horse and cable cars. 

AC Transit Times December of 1960

Alevizos led the parade as Santa Claus.

Alevizos became a legend by dressing as Santa Claus and wheeling through the East Bay in an AC-Transit holiday-themed decorated bus.  

Oakland Tribune 1964

He started playing Santa Claus in 1933 for the Shrine, Richmond Kiwanis Club, and at the Division 3 Christmas parties.

Oakland Tribune 1975

He also played Abraham Lincoln, Christopher Columbus, and Uncle Sam on the appropriate year dates. However, beginning in 1933, Santa Claus remained his most extended running role.

Oakland’s Early ‘Jitney King’

Oakland Tribune May 23, 1971

A transportation pioneer in the East Bay, Nichols P. Alevizos, 1921 started a jitney bus service. The major Oakland Jitney route was 7th Street from Pine Street to Clay Street. There were 16 jitneys and 16 drivers on the run, with 15 in use each day and the 16th taking the day off.

West Oakland Motor Bus Lines 1928 – AC Transit flickr

Alevizos organized a jitney association in 1924 and became its first and only president. In 1928, the association bought eight Model A Ford buses and named them West Oakland Motor Bus Lines.

Oakland Tribune 1929

In 1935, Alevizos sold the company to the Key System. Part of the deal made by Alfred J. Lundberg, Key System president, was for Alevizos to have a lifetime supervisor job with the company.

Oakland Tribune 1934

He served as superintendent of the Key System and later AC Transits Richmond Division. His career spanned 56 years.

AC Transit Times December 1962

Retirement

AC Transit Times Dec 1977

Alevizos retired at the end of 1977 after a career that spanned over 56 years. He continued as Santa for two more years and passed away in April 2000.

History of the Holiday Bus

In 1963, AC Transit launched its first holiday-themed bus, the “Candy Cane Express,” painted white and decorated with big red bows.

AC Transit Times

In the following years, the Holiday Bus became more elaborate. The vehicles were custom-painted and decorated with handmade wooden ornaments. By the mid-1960s, a full-size sleigh was installed on the roof, where “Santa” would ride.

The 1966 “Santa Claus Express” – AC Transit Flickr. – AC Transit Times December 1966

There have been many versions of the Holiday Bus throughout the years. Decals and full custom vinyl wrap have replaced the custom paint jobs and bolted-on decorations.

Santa’s Toyland – 1969 – AC Transit Times
Santa’s Workshop 1970 – AC Transit Times
Santa’s Express – AC Transit –
Winter Wonderland – 1979 – AC Transit Times
Santa’s Toyland – 1973 – AC Transit Times

This year’s (2020) theme is “Holidays Always Keep Their Sparkle.”

2015 Holiday Bus – ACTransit
2020 Holiday Bus – AC Transit

More Info:

Themes

  • Seasons Greetings – 1965
  • Santa Claus Express – 1966
  • Candy Cane – 1967
  • Happy Holidays – 1968
  • Santa’s Toyland – 1969
  • Santa’s Workshop – 1970
  • Santa’s Toyland – 1971
  • Santa’s Toyland – 1973
  • Happy Holidays – 1974-1975
  • Santa’s Toyland – 1976
  • Santa’s Express – 1977
  • Candy Cane Coach – 1978
  • Winter Wonderland – 1979

The End

Money-Back Smith

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Originally called “The Famous Clothing Company.” Later it was renamed “Smith’s Money-Back Store and Money-Back Smith.”  You probably knew it as Smith’s Department Store.

William Smith founded the first store in Oakland in 1885 (according to the Oakland Tribune)

Unique Nickname

“Money Refunded If Goods Are Not Satisfactory.”

Oakland Tribune

Willam “Money-Back” Smith

His friends, relatives, neighbors, and patrons were so used to the policy of ‘money-back” being associated with William Smith that became his nickname.

First Store

The first store was on Broadway, between 7th and 8th Street, later moving one block to 9th Street.

Brilliant Opening 

Oakland Tribune

The Famous Clothing Company proprietors held a grand opening reception on March 16, 1892, at 909 and 911 Broadway.

The Berkeley Gazette March 18, 1904

In 1896, Smith chose a new location at 10th and Washington, where the firm remained until 1912.

They then moved to 12th and Washington, which was enlarged and modernized several times.

1935-Blake Estate Co. building (the Blake Block) W. F. Woolworth, Money Back Smith inM.L. Cohen Co., photographers, for Downtown Property Owners Association, Inc. :Permission to use this image must be obtained from the Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

Another New Location

Circa 1933 – M. K. Blake building (the Blake Block), southwest corner of 12th Street and Washington Money Back Smith in view. M.L. Cohen Co., photographers, for Downtown Property Owners Association, Inc. Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

By 1912 the store was located at 12th and Washington Streets, and it was called “Money-Back Smith.”

Circa 1935 -M. K. Blake building (the Blake Block),.12th and Washington Money Back Smith in view. Downtown Property Owner’s Association. Volume 4. . M.L. Cohen Co., photographers, for Downtown Property Owners Association, Inc.

“Charge It” Plan

Oakland Tribune 1940

Breaking all precedents, Money-Back Smiths had for 54 years had a “cash only” policy offered a liberal 90-day charge plan. The plan had no downpayment, no interest, and no carrying charge.

More than 10,000 Eastbay residents opened accounts in the first six months. 

“Charge it!”

They made the term “Charge it” a common word in the vocabulary. Smith declared September 27, 1940

55th Anniversary 

“Founded back in 1886 – literally the horse and buggy days of the city, the store has grown with Oakland.”

Oakland Tribune September 27, 1940

“We Couldn’t possibly cut a birthday cake large enough for all the of our customers, and so were cutting prices instead.”

Expansion

Blake Block [ SW corner of 12th and Washington.
Creator/Contributor:Cohen, Moses L., 1884-1975.
Downtown Property Owners Association (Oakland, Calif.).
Date:1944

In 1941 the store embarked on a program of remodeling and expansion that doubled its size. Two additional floors were added, which gave them three floors for selling merchandise.

Oakland Tribune Dec 1951

In 1945, the store acquired 30,000 Sq.Ft. of additional space in the Blake Building on Washington Street.

M. K. Blake Estate Co. building (the Blake Block), southwest corner of 12th and Washington Streets. Smith’s in view. – 1949, Jun. 27 . Camera Corner, photographers, for Downtown Property Owners Association, Inc. RIGHTS:Permission to use this image must be obtained from the Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

First Western Bank Building

Oakland Tribune 1955

In 1955 the old Henshaw Building at 14th and Broadway, built-in 1891, was demolished. The Henshaw building housed the MacDonough Theatre, one of Oakland’s first legitimate showhouses.

The First Western Bank Building was completed in 1958.

Image
Smith’s Downtown Oakland 1965 -https://twitter.com/christreadway

Location : 1330 Broadway Oakland CA

Smith’s Clothiers

Smith’s opened 24 stores throughout Northern California and Nevada.  

In 1988 after 102 years in business, closed its doors.

Press Democrat 1988

More Info:

There is some confusion as to when the store was located where. I tried my best.

The End

Hays School District

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In March 1886, the Board of Supervisors created a new school district. That took from portions of the Piedmont, Peralta, and Fruitvale districts representing about 44 children. 

Hays Canyon Schoolhouse
Students pose with their teacher, in this photo and of the six children sitting down. Walter Wood is 2nd from the left, his brother Alfred Wood is 4th from the left, Harry W. Logan is seated on the far right, and his brother Maurice Logan (the painter) is standing on the far right. The Logans and the Woods lived at Lake Temescal.
c 1900-1910 Oakland History Room

The new district was called the Hays School District in honor of the late Colonel John Coffee Hays. 

The superintendent appointed the following residents of the area as trustees:

  • W.H. Mead
  • J.H. Medau
  • Mrs. Susan Hays

Land Donated

Hetty S. Henshaw gave the district the land for the school. The Montclair Firehouse was built on the spot in 1927, using the front part of the lot.

Hays school -
Oakland Tribune July 16, 1886

New School House Built

Requests for bids to build the school were made in July of 1886.

Oakland Tribune July 1886

The completed school was small at only 32×36 feet,  with just one classroom. It was Gothic in design with a graceful-looking bell tower. It had two entrances, one for the boys and the other for the girls, with each entry having a 6×6 vestibule. The sash bars of the windows are all horizontal, copying the style of European schools. 

Hays School House -
Oakland Tribune July 07, 1886

The construction cost about $2,500 and took about two months to build.

Oakland Tribune December 10, 1887

The architects were Goodrich & Newton.

Dedication

Hays School Dedicated -
Oakland Tribune October 16, 1886

The dedication of the school was held in October 1886. It was attended by most of the families that lived in the area. Judge EM Gibson and W.H Mead made opening remarks. Some of the families in attendance:

The students from the school provided entertainment under the direction of their teacher Miss Lucy Law. The following students performed:

  • Clara Gibson
  • Gussie Gibson
  • Carrie Mead
  • Daisy Mead
  • Susie Mead
  • Mattie Mead
  • Edith Medau
  • Louise Medau
Oakland Tribune February 11, 1888
Oakland Tribune November 23, 1889

Graduation 1901

Hays School was the scene of brightness and beauty on Friday, June 14, 1901. Friends and family gathered to witness the closing exercises. The four graduates were:

  • Jessie Logan
  • Robert Shepherd
  • August Carson
  • Scott Monroe
Oakland Tribune June 1901

School Trustees

In 1904, Mr. S. Morrell and Mr. Johnson were appointed to fill the vacancies caused by George Hunt’s and G.W. Logan’s removal.

Attendance for the year ending 1911 for the Hays School was 11 students.

Oakland Tribune August 01, 1911

School Closes

The school was closed around 1913, and the building was demolished. It was probably due to the Oakland, Antioch, and Eastern Railway construction, later known as the Sacramento Northern.   For more on the Sacramento Northern, please go here. The East Bay Hills Project

Montclair Firehouse

The Montclair firehouse was built on the same site in 1927. The storybook-style building was designed by Eldred E. Edwards of the Oakland Public Works Department.

Storybook firehouse on Moraga Avenue in the
Montclair district of Oakland, California. 1934, ohrphoto.districts.031.
Oakland. Buildings Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

Misc Articles

SF Call September 12, 1891
Oakland Tribune May 14, 1890
Oakland Tribune November 20, 1889

Controversy

SF Examiner July 12, 1891

The End

More Mansions

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More on the mansions that once graced the streets of Oakland

Koa Hall – Bailey Mansion

W. H. Bailey, who owned plantations in Hawaii, hired W.J. Mathews to design his home, costing $70,000 to build circa 1889.

Bailey Mansion on Jackson Street – 1898 Oliver Family Photograph Collections Bancroft Library http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt0n39q1p1

The main hall’s woodwork was made of beautiful koa from the Hawaiian Islands. Koa carvings were also found by the main staircase. The reception room’s woodwork on one side of the hall was bird’ s-eye maple. Antique oak was used in the library and the dining room.

Oakland Tribune May 31, 1891

It was converted into a rooming or boarding house.’

Oakland Tribune March 11, 1916

The old mansion was razed in the late 1920s, and the Hotel Lakehurst was built.

Oakland Tribune Feb 02, 1930

It is now called Lakehurst Hall.

Location: 1369 Jackson St, now 1569 Jackson Street, at the corner of 17th Street.

More Info:

The Old Brown Home.

“The house that watched Oakland grow.”

Oakland Tribune Jan 25, 1956

The three-story, five-bedroom home was built in 1872 by Dr. Samuel Merritt.

In 1874, Roland Geir Brown, a capitalist, purchased the home. Brown was one of the early members of the San Francisco Stock Exchange.

Mr. Brown sold sewing machines for Grover and Baker. The Oakland Tribune reports that Brown was one of the wealthiest men in 19th-century Oakland.

Roland G Brown with two adults – in the carriage. – Courtesy of UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library – http://www.oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt409nc89b/?order=1

The Brown home was less than a block from Lake Merritt, before the lake shore was filled in.

Old Brown Home – undated (maybe 1956)

When President William McKinley was in the Bay Area for a week in May 1901, he visited the Brown home.

Oakland Tribune July 25, 1956

Lilian Brown, Roland’s daughter, lived in the mansion until her death in 1955.

The old Brown home at 1889 Jackson Street was demolished in 1956 to accommodate a parking lot.

Location: 1889 Jackson – between 17th and 19th Streets

More Info:

The Other Brown Mansion

Albert Brown came to Oakland in 1887 from New Jersey. He was an undertaker and a prominent lodgeman.

Albert Brown Home on Alice Street

Boarding Home

The mansion was converted into a boarding house shortly after Brown’s death. The Alice-Lake Apartments are now located there.

Location: 1387 Alice Street

More Info:

Alexander Mansion

“Aloha, nui,” or “Love be unto you.”  It is carved above one of the entrances

Samuel T. Alexander came to Oakland from Hawaii in the early 1880s. He was one of the founders of Alexander & Baldwin, an American company that cultivated sugar cane. 

Oakland Tribune

In 1882, Alexander purchased a lot on the northwest corner of Sixteenth and Filbert for $6,000.

Artistic Homes of California
Artistic Homes of California

The three-story Queen Anne-style home was designed by Clinton Day and was completed in 1883 at the cost of $20.000

Move to Piedmont 

The family lived there until 1912 when Mrs. Alexander moved to Piedmont to be closer to her son, Wallace Alexander. 

Rooming House

Sometime after 1912, the mansion was converted to a rooming house, and rooms were rented out until the mid-1960s.

Oakland Tribune 1919
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Oakland, Alameda County, California – Vol 1 1903

New Life for Old Mansion

In 1967, the once venerable mansion stood deserted, and in despair, its boarded or broken windows were scheduled to be demolished.

The Oak Center Neighborhood Association members decided that the old mansion could be given a facelift and become a community “Neighborhood House.” Thus, demolition was halted.

Oakland Tribune 1967

They visualized a rehabilitated building with office space for the Oak Center Association, a children’s library and study hall, an adult library and reading room, a large all-purpose room for meetings and socials, and a room for individual and group counseling.

Vandals Strike

The group succeeded in saving the old mansion from the wreckers, only to have it nearly demolished anyway –by vandals. The house was broken into, ruined beyond repair, and finally demolished in 1968.

More Info:

Quinn Home

William H. Quinn House, 1425 Castro Street, Oakland, Alameda County, CA – Library of Congress – https://www.loc.gov/item/ca0017/

The William H. Quinn Home at 1425 Castro Street was moved to 1004-06 16th Street to make room for Highway 980.

Location: 1006 – 16th Street

William H. Quinn House – Oakland Local Wiki

Hush Mansion – Etnemere

It was built in 1865, the 14-room house of rococo architecture. The barn had room for ten horses and room for 20 tons of hay.

Oakland Tribune

The house had 14 rooms made of redwood. The barn had room for 10 horses

Oakland Tribune

The mansion had a wood and coal furnace, and the radiators are believed to have been the earliest models of that kind in the country. The rooms were paneled with massive doors 9 feet high. Beautiful mirrors adorned the wall.

Oakland Tribune

It was reported that Susan B. Anthony once slept there.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Oakland, Alameda County, California – Vol 2 1903

The house and barn property were purchased by Marston Campbell, Jr, as an investment. It was torn down in 1948.

The Hush Mansion Today – Google Maps

Location: 1401 28th Avenue on East 14th.

More Info:

Once owned by Merritt

In 1877, Dr. Samuel Merritt built a three-story home on Jackson Street. The house had bay windows, a front porch, and cone-shaped peaked.

The lot is part of the 45-acre parcel, which Merritt paid $4,000 in 1852.

Oakland Tribune 1963

John A Stanley purchased the house from Dr. Merritt in 1880 for $12,050. as a wedding gift for his daughter and her husband, Thomas Coghill.

The Coghill family lived there until 1920 when they sold it to John C. Money. After Mr. Money died in 1944, it served as a rooming house.

By 1963, it was the last old mansion on the block and was demolished to make way for a 32-unit apartment building.

Oakland Tribune Jan 05, 1964

Location: 1514 Jackson Street

More Info:

Orange Street Mansion

Edward P. Flint, a land developer and San Francisco businessman, moved to Oakland in 1860. He lived at 13th and Clay before moving to this house.

Oakland Tribune 1964

The site where he built the house at 447 Orange Street was part of a larger parcel he subdivided in Adams Point.

After Flint died, Admiral Thomas S. Phelps, a veteran of the Spanish-American War, purchased the property. In 1939, M.A. Marquard purchased the property and lived in the house until 1964.

The house was demolished in 1964 and replaced with a “modern 28-unit apartment building.

The new structure has 15 two-bedroom and 12 one-bedroom apartments, plus a penthouse. Al Colossi designed the building. It is located at 447 Orange Street.

 Mr. and Mrs. Marquard lived in the penthouse of the new apartment.

More Info:

The End

Rock Blown from Quarry

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The heavy missile, which neighbors said had hurled through the air like a

“shell from a cannon.”

Oakland Tribune October 28, 1931

A 40-pound rock, blasted from the hills above Millsmont, was hurled half a mile and crashed through the roof and dining room ceiling at the home of Fred Bailey, 4017 Altamont Avenue.

The rock was blasted from the nearby Heafey-Moore quarry.

“There is little doubt the rock came from the quarry, where men were blasting.”

John Heafey, President of the Heafey-Moore
Oakland Tribune October 28, 1931

A “strange-urge” told Mrs. Bailey to leave their home, and she did go. She left the house at 4:30 with her daughter and went downtown.

“every time I went into the dining room, something told me I shouldn’t be there.” Mrs. Bailey said

Oakland Tribune October 28, 1931

They returned home to find it in shambles. There was an eight-foot hole in the ceiling of the dining room. The rock landed on the couch/bed that their daughter used.

SF Examiner October 28, 1931
4017 Altamont Avenue – Today – Google Maps
4017 Altamont Ave and the Quarry – google maps

The End