William Watts was known in Oakland for having a tract of land named for him.
Watts Tract from 1911 Map – black dot shows the location of the Watts’ Home.
The land was 158 acres running from Chestnut to the Bay, and from 28th to 38th Streets. Looks like it now considered Clawson.
Family History
William Watts was born in Chelsea, Mass, in 1808. In 1831 he married Maria Francis Rollins. They had a son William Augustus Watts born in 1833.
Oakland Tribune 1949
In 1850 Watts traveled to California, via the “Horn.” After mining in Tuolumne County, he returned to San Francisco.
On May 04, 1858, William Watts took the title of 158 acres from Francisco Sanjurjo, who had acquired the property from the daughter of Domingo Peralta. Mr. Watts paid $5000 for the land and built a large ranch home at what is now the corner of 34th and Chestnut Streets. He farmed the property until 1876.
Oakland Tribune November 12, 1949
Oakland City Directory 1874
William Watts passed away on January 16, 1878, and the ranch was passed on to his son William.
The family also owned a Tannery that was a close to their ranch.
Subdivided
Oakland Daily Evening Tribune 1874
In 1874, 60 acres were subdivided, and a map of the Watts Tract was drawn up.
Oakland Tribune December 09, 1874
Watts’ Tract Auction Sale
In December of 1876, an auction sale was held at the Watts’ station, on the Berkeley Branch Railroad. Two hundred twenty-eight lots were sold in two and one-half hours.
Oakland Tribune November 12, 1949
Streets Named For
Four streets in the “Watts Tract” are named for the daughters of George Washington Dam. A friend of the family.
Eleanor Street
Louise Street
Hannah Street
Ettie (Henrietta) Street
Residence of G. W. Dam, Webster Street, Oakland, Alameda County. The Lawrence & Houseworth Albums, 1860-1870 California Views Society of California Pioneers Photography Collection
I hope to show Then and Now images of Oakland Schools in this series of posts. Along with a bit of the history of each school, I highlight. Some photos are in the form of drawings, postcards, or from the pages of history books.
Note: Piecing together the history of some of the older schools is sometimes tricky. I do this all at home and online — a work in progress for some. I have been updating my posts when I find something new. Let me know of any mistakes or additions.
Updated September 20, 2020
Golden Gate Elementary/Junior HighSchool
Bay Public School was the first school in the Bay School District, now the Golden Gate District. The 2-room schoolhouse was built in about 1875.
Bay Public School. Built-in 1875. glass plate negative ca. 1890 Gift of Fred L. Klinkner H77.57.43
In 1885, they added two rooms. In 1892, the school was replaced by a new building.
Oakland Tribune November 19, 1892
New Bay Public School (built 1892) Gift of Fred L. Klinkner H76.295.65A
Bay Public School Building with students posed on the front steps. Gift of Women’s Board, Oakland Museum Association. Circa 1885-1895 – H77.55.10
More to come on the transformation from Bay School to Golden Gate School.
New School
Preliminary plans for the second unit of the new Golden Gate Junior High. The plans came a week after the residents of the Golden Gate district complained at a school board meeting that the
“the old school is now so rickety that it is becoming dangerous“
Residents Golden Gate District Dec 1926
Oakland Tribune August 10, 1927
The new school building was completed in November of 1928 for $119,232 and had space for 700 students.
A new shop building was added to the school for about $30,000. It was located at 63rd and San Pablo, including auto and machine shops.
Plans for the new Clawson-Longfellow Junior High School were drawn in 1928. Hoover was the last school built using the 1924 bond issue of $9,600,000.
Oakland Tribune August 29, 1928
The school’s cornerstone was laid on March 04, 1929, the same date as President Hoover‘s inauguration as the nation’s 31st president.
Oakland Tribune March 05, 1929
Herbert Hoover Junior High School, located at Thirty-third and West Streets, opened on August 12, 1929. The school was formerly known as the Clawson-Longfellow Junior High School.
The Tudor-style building was designed by John L. Easterly, an Oakland architect, and cost $460,000.
The school had a large assembly hall that could seat 1200. At one end, there was a stage that could hold 200 people. There were dressing rooms on each side of the stage. There was also a moving picture booth with the latest equipment.
The administration suite with the principal. Vice-principal and attendance offices. Next on the first floor was a textbook room, library, faculty cafeteria, a student cafeteria, and a quick lunch counter.
On the second and third floors, there were more than 25 classrooms.
Dedication
The official dedication events for the school were held during American Book Week, November 11-17, 1929.
Oakland Tribune November 07, 1929
Herbert Hoover Junior High School (1929–1974) is at 3263 West Street.
School Unsafe
In 1972, the School board approved the replacement of three schools. The schools were deemed unsafe in an earthquake.
The schools were Clawson and DurantElementary and Hoover Jr. High. A new K-4th grade school was built on the Hoover site, and a 5th – 8th at the Durant site.
The school was demolished in 1974 to be replaced with a more earthquake-safe lower school.
I haven’t had much luck finding any photos of the old Longfellow School.
Longfellow Elementary School was opened in 1907 and was located at 39th and Market Street.
In March of 1907, a couple of the school board members questioned the name of Longfellow for the school. One thought it was too close to the Berkeley school with the same name. The other questioned the school, being named after a dead poet who never did anything for the city. The name stayed with only one dissent.
New School
In 1957, plans were drawn up by the firm of Alexander and Mackenzie. The plans call for 16 classrooms, a kindergarten, a library, a special education room, a multipurpose room, and administrative offices for $ 623,600.
The new Longfellow Elementary School was formally dedicated in November of 1959. The new school replaced the multi-storied building built after the 1906 earthquake. It Cost $595,000.
Just Say No to Drugs!
First Lady Nancy Reagan met with a group of elementary school students and their parents Wednesday to discuss ways to fight drug abuse, one of the biggest problems facing the city of Oakland. UPI – July 1984
Today
Longfellow Today – Google Maps
Today, the Oakland Military Institute is using the Longfellow School site.
Lowell Junior High, which most people will remember, opened in January 1928.
Oakland Tribune 1927
The new building cost between $288,000 and $ 320,000 (depending on what I read). The building is fronted on Myrtle Street at 14th Street.
Groundbreaking – 1927
Cornerstone laid – 1927
Dedicated Jan 1928
Howard Schroder noted Oakland architect designed the school.
Name Change
Oakland Tribune August 14, 1927
Before Lowell’s opening in 1928, the school was called Market Street Junior High.
Oakland Tribune 1928
Oakland Tribune June 10, 1926
In 1937, the old McCymonds High School was abandoned, the students joined Lowell, and then it was known as Lowell-McClymonds. A year later, the name changed to McClymonds-Lowell. The Lowell students were moved to Prescot Junior High in 1938.
Oakland Tribune Oct 1955
When the new McClymonds High opened on Myrtle Street, it again became Lowell Junior High School.
Historic Site
The new building replaced an old historic wood-framed building that had the distinction of being the “most named” school.
Oakland Tribune Oct 1955
Earthquake – 1955
Oakland Tribune Oct 1955
Oakland Tribune Oct 1955
The building was damaged during an earthquake on October 23, 1955.
Oakland Tribune Oct 1955
Oakland Tribune Oct 1956
The formal dedication for the new Lowell Junior High was in November 1959.
Oakland Tribune Nov 1959
The new school was located at 1330 Filbert Street, cost about $1,656,083, and was designed by Warnecke and Warnecke.
The new building had 18 general classrooms, five for Special Ed, three Art rooms, and three homemaking rooms.
I hope to show Then and Now images of Oakland Schools in this series of posts. Along with a bit of the history of each school, I highlight. Some photos are in the form of drawings or postcards or from the pages of history books.
Note: Piecing together the history of some of the older schools is sometimes tricky. I do this all at home and online — a work in progress for some. I have been updating my posts when I find something new. Let me know of any mistakes or additions.
Brookfield Village School
Brookfield Village school opened for the new school year in September of 1944, the latest of Oakland’s 77 schools.
“Brookfield Village Elementary School opened without the benefit of bells.”
Brookfield was Oakland’s newest public school, which opened under wartime handicaps. Money and supplies were tight. Classes were being held in 19 portables that arrived three weeks before school started.
767 boys and girls were enrolled, just 33 less than anticipated in that first year.
New School
In February 1950, they held a groundbreaking ceremony for Unit 1 of the new Brookfield Village School.
Oakland Tribune Mar 13, 1949
The school unit was designed byConfer and Willis. The new building had 11 classrooms, a library, and an auditorium. It was a one-story building of wood frame construction.
Oakland Tribune Apr 24,1951
New Addition
Oakland Tribune Oct 23, 1957
Oakland Tribune Nov 26, 1957
In November of 1957, they broke ground for new addition costing $286,680. The new building will include a cafeteria, ten classrooms, a kindergarten, plus two special classrooms.
Brookfield Today
Brookfield Lions: Learning and Thriving with Pride.
Google Maps
The school is located at 401 Jones Ave., Oakland, CA 94603
Clawson School dates back to the 1880s, as seen in the image below.
Clawson in 1895
Clawson Elementary School was built in 1915. This Neo-Classical design had two stories and utilized extensive terracotta ornamentation. The ornamentation around its front doors. The building was designed by
School Architecture: Principles and Practices
By John Joseph Donovan 1921
The Clawson Elementary School was listed as standing near the intersection of 32nd Street and Magnolia Street in Polk-Husted’s Oakland, California, City Directory, 1918
Kindergarten
Entrance to the Kindergarten Classroom Clawson School pergola, Oakland, California (1916) 1
Principal’s Office
Auditorium
School Architecture: Principles and Practices
By John Joseph Donovan 1921
Bathrooms Boys and Girls
Clawson Closed
The building functioned as a school until it was closed sometime between 1971-1973. OUSD closed three schools in 1973 rather than spend the money needed to retrofit them, including Clawson School. Clawson couldn’t meet the new stricter seismic standards that went into effect in 1973.
New Life
Clawson Lofts Today Google Maps
After extensive remodeling and structural upgrading, the building reopened as The West Clawson Lofts in 1999.
Emerson School 1912 John Galen Howard collection of progress photographs, ca. 1905-1910
The Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley
Emerson Elementary School was built in 1913. It was designed by John J Donovan and John Galen Howard. The total cost of the school was $163,879. It was located at 49th and Shafter Avenue.
Oakland Tribune Jan 28, 1912
Oakland tribune Sept 20, 1912
Oakland Tribune Mar 29, 1914
School Architecture: Principles and Practices
By John Joseph Donovan 1921
School Architecture: Principles and Practices
By John Joseph Donovan 1921
Emerson Now
The address is 4803 Lawton Avenue. In 1978, it was torn down because it was considered seismically unsafe.
