A Log Cabin in Pinehaven

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Dorothy Londagin

Growing up, I heard stories about Montclair having summer homes that belonged to the rich people of San Francisco and a few cabins that belonged to hunters. This is what I found.

In 1922, few people outside the hikers of the Contra Costa Hills Club knew much about Pinehaven and its beautiful canyon. Pinehaven has all the characteristics of the most picturesque parts of Marin County. Roads have now been opened up. The property was initially laid out as Upper Piedmont, but the owners changed the plans and decided to put it on the market for those who want summer home cabins close to downtown and transportation.

Pinehaven is located in Montclair.

Lawrence Block of the Villa Site Sales Company was in charge of the sale of the property, and Block said:

“Pinehaven is a summer home colony with its pretty cottages and cabin homes nestling in the side-hills, overlooking canyons and within twenty minutes from City Hall. You awaken in the morning to the song of the birds refreshed and full of vigor and imagine you have traveled a hundred miles to the wilds of some distant state.“

This was Villa Site Sales Company’s first big sale, offering it at mortgage prices. The sale price was as low as $175.00. More than 50 cabins and cottages were being planned. Pinehaven went on sale on April 9, 1922.

Lots of Building

Building Bungalows in Foothill Canyons

Cabin Sites of 1/4 acre each sold for $85 to $385 each with payments of $2.00 a month.

John’s Family

Pitch a TeePee

Pinehaven Colony

“In a rustic setting of ferns and pines and little streams among rolling hills is located Pinehaven” Oakland Tribune

Log Cabins

6466 Pinehaven Road was advertised as a “Log Cabin” in 1946, 1956, and 1980. There is no picture avaiable online for this home. I will have to venture into the world and check it out myself.

I believe this is one of the Log Cabins. It is advertised as being built in 1890, but I doubt it. It is located at 7135 Pinehaven Rd, close to Broadway Terrace.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7135-Pinehaven-Rd-Oakland-CA-94611/24818860_zpid/

Another possibility might be this log cabin on Heather Ridge Way. Built in 1922, it is in the correct time frame.

“The log cabin harmonizes seamlessly with the natural surroundings, inviting you to step into a world where old-world charm meets modern comfort. The rustic, cozy living/dining room has preserved the cabin’s historic appeal.” Redfin.com

More Info:

Pinehaven Goes On Sale – Oakland Tribune April 8, 1922
Summer Homes in City Limits – Oakland Tribune April 9, 1922
Pinehaven Looms As Summer Colony – The Oakland Post Enquirer April 29, 1922

The End

I did a blog on this before, but it was messed up when transferring my site.

Montclair is…

Posted on April 17, 2022 by Dorothy Londagin

The Birth of Montclair

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.

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

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

Oakland_Tribune_Wed__Jun_30__1920_ — **1920**

They sold $460,000 worth of property in Montclair during the first year.

Her First Birthday

Where is Montclair?

Oakland_Tribune_Sun__Jun_7__1925_ — **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.

Teaser Ads

What is Montclair?

Armistice Day 1920 in Montclair

Oakland_Tribune_Wed__Nov_10__1920_ — **Oakland Tribune**

The End

On Moraga Avenue

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Dorothy Londagin

An Enterprising Family and Their New Home in the Montclair District. – Oakland Tribune

Mr. and Mrs. John W Martinsen’s like many others in the area took on the task of building their own home.

Mrs. Martinsen would serve a hot lunch for them from a cabin they had built in the back of the lot.

The home is located on the corner of Moraga Avenue and Estates Drive.

1923

1930

They lived there until sometime in the mid-1940s.

She dresses in a regulation feminine hiking costume, and is able and effective assistant to her husband.
Oakland Tribune

Photos

**Intersection with Estates Drive c 1950**
**Public Works Photo,**
**Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department**

**intersection with Estates Drive, this east image from 1951**
**Public Works Photo,**
**Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department**

Location

5901 Moraga Avenue at the corner of Estates Drive
John W. Martinsen – builder and owner
$10,000
1922

More…

The End

HopkinsTown – in the Dimond District

Posted on June 9, 2019 by Dorothy Londagin

“Quit paying rent; by build and live in HopkinsTown, Oakland’s newest subdivision”

HopkinsTown is located at Hopkins St (now MacArthur Blvd), Georgia, Maple, Peralta Ave (now Coolidge), and Carmel and Morgan Streets.

California Subdivision Company handled the sales. It opened in September 1922.

Josiah Rose Farm

HopkinsTown was once the farm of Josiah Rose, who settled there in 1864. When Rose lived on his farm, Antonia Mario Peralta was his neighbor.

Josiah died on August 25, 1894.

In 1922, Rose’s daughter Mary Mulrooney (Mulroony) and her son James still lived on a small piece of the farm on Peralta Street (now Coolidge). I found that in 1933, Mary lived at 2844 Georgia Street, part of a small commercial area where Loard’s Ice Cream is today. Mary died in 1933. – Oakland Tribune Aug 19, 1922

From 1933 Directory

“Hopkinstown Like City Within a City ;In Oakland”

Oakland Tribune August 14, 1922

“Get a Home — Your Own Buy — Build –Live In Hopkinstown All for $49 First Payment”

**The Oakland Post Enquirer Sept 2, 1922**

“The fastest growing “small home” community in the state.”

Oakland Tribune 1922

“Every lot is a GOOD lot, and NO HILLSIDES!”

**His home was on Georgia Street – Oakland Tribune Aug 20, 1922**

“From Bare Ground to Housekeeping in Two Days”

Free Home Plans

California Subdivision Company prepared plans to construct an ideal one-room home economically.

The one-room bungalow included every convenience needed in a modern home, including bathroom, built-in features, kitchen sink, etc.

Church for Hopkinstown

I didn’t find many homes built in HopkinsTown, at least not advertised. This is the area I live in now. I drove around the area, trying to locate some of the homes. I did notice small homes on deep lots.

In the late 1950s, the unsold Hopkins Town lots were being rezoned for duplexes or apartment buildings. The large lots zoned for single-family homes have long caused problems for the planning department.

I have noticed a lot of construction around Morgan Street. They are converting a few of the Hopkins Town Tract “lots” into duplexes or triplexes.

More Info:

Estate of Josiah Rose – Oakland Enquirer October 12, 1894
Early History of HopkinsTown – Oakland Tribune August 17, 1922
HopkinsTown Attract Buyers – The Oakland Post Enquirer September 02. 1922
From Bare Ground to Housekeeping in Two Days – Oakland Tribune September 14, 1922
HopkinsTown Draws Many Buyers – Oakland Tribune September 16, 1922

The End

The Boyd Log Cabin

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Dorothy Londagin

This log cabin located across the street from the entrance to Joaquin Miller Park at 3551 Joaquin Miller Road. It was built in 1922 by Thomas”Hal” Boyd.

**3551 Joaquin Miller Road – Back of the cabin**

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

**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.

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
Ask Art – Thomas Hal Boyd – Biography
An Architectural Guidebook to San Francisco and the Bay Area – page 277

The First Bus Lines in Oakland

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Dorothy Londagin

New Service to Montclair — **From Ac Transit Time Sept 1961**

In May 1921, The Key System began operating a motorcoach service. The first line opened to Mills College on May 16, 1921; a week later, on May 21, service to Montclair began.

**Montclair Coach –** **AC Tranist Photo**

The Realty Syndicate purchased and paid the bills for the motor coaches to provide transportation for potential customers to Montclair. The coaches were painted to match the streetcars.

There is a little dispute about which line was first, the Montclair or the Mills College lines. I think it’s a tie – they both started in May 1921.

The first tract office was a tent; later, it became a small building. The tract office was then moved to the triangle land at Mountain Blvd, Antioch St, and Antioch Ct. The building later became the offices of Winder Gahan, real estate agents dealing with Montclair. The photo shows that the original site was on the opposite side of Moraga Rd (at LaSalle), now in the middle of the Warren Freeway (Hwy 13).

The Schedule

During the commuting hours, 6 am-9 am and 5 to 7 pm every 20 minutes. During the remainder of the day, a 40-minute service. The fare was 6¢ with transfer privileges to streetcars. In 1924 they offered a service to run until midnight. Before this, bus transportation had been confined to the out-of-town service along the highway.

New Terminal – October 1928

In 1928 a new $18,000 Terminal was built in Montclair. It was located at the corner of Mountain Blvd and La Salle, a short walk to the Sacramento Northern station. Local architect Hamilton Murdock designed the Spanish Style building, the first building structure in Montclair. An Architectural Guide – Pg. 276

The building is still standing and is located at 6206 La Salle Ave.

A Reunion

In September 1961, a forty-year-old photo led a reunion between two former drivers who pioneered local motorcoach service in the East Bay.

J.L. “Marty” Martin started working in May 1921, and C.E. Pehrson began in September of that same year. They met in Montclair at the approximate site of the first terminal and discussed new verses or coaches and how much things had changed.

Various from the Oakland Tribune

More Info:

Historical Photo of Early Bus Found Transit Times April 1975
Reunion of early drivers Transit Times September 1961
More on A.C. Transit – Transit Times September 1963

Lots of Building

Building Bungalows in Foothill Canyons

John’s Family

Pitch a TeePee

Pinehaven Colony

Log Cabins

More Info:

The End

Share this:

Like this:

The Birth of Montclair

Moraga Road District

Montclair Opens

Her First Birthday

Where is Montclair?

Teaser Ads

What is Montclair?

Armistice Day 1920 in Montclair

The End

Share this:

Like this:

Photos

Location

More…

The End

Share this:

Like this:

Josiah Rose Farm

“Get a Home — Your Own Buy — Build –Live In Hopkinstown All for $49 First Payment”

“From Bare Ground to Housekeeping in Two Days”

Free Home Plans

Church for Hopkinstown

More Info:

The End

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

The Schedule

New Terminal – October 1928

A Reunion

Various from the Oakland Tribune

More Info:

The End

Share this:

Like this: