Development - A Bit of History

Central Terrace – 55th and Foothill

Posted on May 22, 2019 by Dorothy Londagin

It is located where Foothill Blvd meets Trask Street and 55th Avenue. 55th Avenue was formally called Central Avenue, and Foothill Blvd was often referred to as the Scenic Boulevard. Central Terrace also includes Ruth Avenue, Laverne Avenue, El Camille Avenue, and Kingsland Avenue. The area now is considered to be an extension of Maxwell Park or the Fairfax District, depending on who you talk to.

Mutual Realty Co.’s Central Terrace office,
Foothill Boulevard at 55th Avenue and Trask Street looking north
Cheney Photo Adv. Co., photographers. C 1912
Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

Brochure for Central Terrace

The Mutual Realty Company put the Central Terrace Subdivision on sale in April of 1912. The agent was Fred T. Wood, who later took over the project. Then they added the Central Terrace Extension and Scenic Park Knoll

Earth Sciences and Map Library,
The University of California, Berkeley -Cadastral map. Historic Maps of Bay Area

“Central Terrace is surrounded by modern schools and educational institutions of the very highest standard, the John C. Fremont high erected at the cost of $140,000, the Melrose School, the W.P. Frick School and the Lockwood Grammar School and the famous Mills Seminary for young ladies, all are within short walking distance from any part of Central Terrace”

See brochure below

Central Terr 1915_side — Earth Sciences and Map Library,
University of California, Berkeley –
Historic Maps of Bay Area

centarl-terrace-brochure-front — Earth Sciences and Map Library,
University of California, Berkeley –
Historic Maps of Bay Area

Foothill Blvd at 55th Avenue
Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912
Previously Sold on eBay

**Laverne from 55th Ave**
**Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912**
**Previously Sold on eBay**

**Ruth Ave from 55th Ave**
**Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912**
**Previously Sold on eBay**

**Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912**
**Previously Sold on eBay**

**Ruth Ave**
**Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912**
**Previously Sold on eBay**

More to come –

History, Model/Display Homes, Tract or Subdivisions

Oakmore Highland Model Homes

Posted on September 8, 2018 by Dorothy Londagin

Breuner-Tribune Home June 1934

Oakland_Tribune_Sun__Jan_21__1934_ — Oakland Tribune Jun 1934

1774 Liedmet — 1774 Leimert Blvd – Google maps

Display Homes of 1934

New homes at 1746 Leimert, 1808 Leimert and 1816 Leimert – Sept 1934

1746 Leimert, 1808 Leimert and 1816 Leimert

Just a few of the homes in the Oakmore Highlands Neighborhood.

The End

Tract or Subdivisions

Havenscourt

Posted on August 25, 2018March 22, 2025 by Dorothy Londagin

Wickman Havens Real Estate Company opened Havenscourt in 1912. Within the 170 acres of Havenscourt are 21 miles of streets and sidewalks.¹

The official entrance was at Havenscourt Blvd and East 14th Street, with a pergola and a gazebo. The Havenscourt station and business district were located on Havenscourt Blvd and Bancroft.².

ohrphoto.districts.040 — **Photo by Cheney Photo Advertising – Oakland History Room**

1920Havenscourt Station East 14th St. & Havenscourt Blvd. — **Havenscourt Blvd at Bancroft looking towards Frick School**

Two Schools, 17 Acres Playground, a Civic Center, and a train station

**67th Avenue between Arthur St and Avenal Ave**

Then and Now – Above and Below

HAVENSCOURT-BUNGALOWS-66th-AVENUE-1912 — **Looking south on 66th Street from Arthur St**

HAVENSCOURT-HOMES-65th-AVE-ARTHUR-ST-VIEW-OAKLAND-1914- — Looking south on 65th Ave from Arthur St

Cheney Photo Advertising Company took all the photos, and they are from the Oakland History Room or OMCA.

Story of Havenscourt – SF Call Nov 29, 1913
The Home Place Beautiful – Oakland Tribune Jun 1, 1912
Showing 6712 Flora St circa 1912-1916 OMCA – Havenscourt Tract Block 3

The End

Updated Dec 16, 2019

Tract or Subdivisions

Oakmore Highlands

Posted on July 21, 2018 by Dorothy Londagin

OakmoreRollingHIlls — Rolling Hills of Oakmore circa 1920’s – Oakland History Room

Natural beauty abounds in the 150 acres of wooded, rolling hills that comprise the Oakmore District or Oakmore Highlands. The Walter H. Leimert Company laid out the subdivision with wide streets and ample sidewalks. See Oakmore Highland History

The Leimert Bridge was designed in 1926, by George A. Posey, to safely accommodate vehicle traffic, Park Boulevard Streetcars, and pedestrians.

The Leimert Bridge during construction and in 1926, Photo by Cheney Photo Advertising

The original subdivision was bordered by Sausal Creek and Dimond Canyon. During the initial sales period, sound design was promoted through a model open house program called the ‘Oakmore Home Ideal’ where buyers could visit a custom home designed by local architects Miller & Warnecke.

Later, in 1934, The Leimert Company teamed with the Oakland Tribune and Breuner’s Furniture Company to furnish a demonstration model home that drew 8,000 visitors in three weeks.

Oakland_Tribune_Sun__Jan_28__1934_ — Oakland Tribune June 28, 1934

The following year another Breuner’s furnished house was nicknamed “Golden Windows” to highlight the extensive use of glass on the view side of the home and the commanding views from the subdivision.

Oakland_Tribune_Sun__Aug_4__1935_ — Oakland Tribune August 1934

Real Estate Developer: Walter H. Leimert Company
Contractors: Park Boulevard Company
Property Managers: Mitchell & Austin
150 Acres, 4 tracts 440 lots
Sales began in October 1926

Photos

ohrphoto.districts.124 — Aerial view of upper Dimond Canyon and surrounding, still mostly undeveloped, neighborhoods, Leimert Bridge visible in the foreground. – 1926-1936 Oakland History Room

ohrphoto.districts.125 — Aerial view of Dimond Canyon – 1926-1936 – Oakland History Room

Various Articles

Oakland_Tribune_Sun__Jun_5__1927_ (6) — Oakland Tribune Jan 05, 1927

Tract or Subdivisions

College Pines

Posted on June 19, 2018August 20, 2022 by Dorothy Londagin

ohrphoto.districts.109 — Broadway Terrace @ Ostrander St. Photo from Oakland History Room.

College Pines is located at the corner of Broadway Terrace and Harbord Drive location(formally Edith), just past the Claremont Country Club. The name of College Pines was chosen because of the close proximity to the College of the Sisters of Holy Names, a new High School.

The sales office was located at the corner of Broadway Terrace and Ostrander Road, as seen above.

Oakland_Tribune_Sun__Jun_12__1932_ — Oakland Tribune June 12, 1932

Below are pictures of Broadway Terrace and Chetwoood and Broadway Terrace, and Harbord Drive. They were taken in 1933 and are from the Oakland Public Library History Room.

ohrphoto.districts.111 — Harbord Drive and Broadway Terrace in 1933 – Oakland History Room Photo

ohrphoto.districts.110 — Broadway Terrace and Clarewood Drive in 1933 – Oakland History Room photo

The homesites front on along Harbord Drive for about a half-mile or more. The lots were priced at $27.00 per foot. A forty-foot lot would cost $1075.00, with a low down payment and easy terms. Sold by the Claremont Pines Corporation and later Michell & Austin.

Oakland Tribune June 1932

Holy Names Central High School was built on Harbord Drive and opened in 1934.

Display Homes

In December of 1933, the first display home opened at 4339 Harbord Drive. The house had eight rooms with two baths and a 14 x 32-foot rumpus room, and

“pleasing features galore.”
Oakland Tribune Dec 1933

The house was priced at $6850 and was recently sold in 2016 for $1,360,000.

Oakland_Tribune_Sun__Dec_31__1933_ (2) — Oakland Tribune Dec 1933

In September of 1934, another display home was opened at 4347 Harbord Drive. The green and white wood and brick cottage and two bedrooms and a den or nursery, and a large playroom. The house was priced at $6500, with just a $75 down payment and $75 a month. The home recently sold for $825,000 in 2012.

Oakland_Tribune_Sun__Sep_30__1934_ (1) — Oakland Tribune Sept 1934

Misc. ads for homes

Update:

The stone pillar is still there at the corner of Broadway Terrace and Ostrander Street.

**Broadway Terrace and Ostrander St 2018 – Photo from Google Maps**

The End

Early Montclair, History, Transportation

The First Bus Lines in Oakland

Posted on February 13, 2018July 30, 2023 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

The End

Tract or Subdivisions

Casa Altadena

Posted on November 9, 2017May 4, 2025 by Dorothy Londagin

In Smith Reserve

“Atop one of the knolls, commanding full advantage of the ever-changing vistas, is Casa Altadena, the distinctive exhibition home of Realty Syndicate. Company”
SF Examiner February 11, 1928

Casa Altadena is of Spanish architecture. It occupies a knoll overlooking beautiful wooded vistas and canyons on one side and a panorama of the bay on the other.

Opening Day

Over 500 people attended the opening on January 29, 1929.

Casa Altadena reflects the discerning taste of its decorators, who sought to incorporate the romance of the Peraltas into its furnishings.

**One of the rooms in Casa Altadena – Oakland Tribune January 29, 1928**

Details include its tiled roof, arched doorways, decorative tiles, wood trims, antique wall sconces, and decorative wrought-iron work.

Casa Altadena Today

Casa Altadena
Smith Reserve (Piedmont Pines)
Open January 29, 1928
Spanish design
Realty Syndicate
Still there
6401 Chelton Drive

Location on Google Maps

More Info:

House Looks Over Vista of Bay and Hills – SF Examiner February 11, 1928

Updated July 17, 2020

Tag: Development

Central Terrace – 55th and Foothill

Brochure for Central Terrace

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Oakmore Highland Model Homes

Breuner-Tribune Home June 1934

Display Homes of 1934

The End

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Havenscourt

Then and Now – Above and Below

Related

The End

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Oakmore Highlands

The Leimert Bridge during construction and in 1926, Photo by Cheney Photo Advertising

Photos

Various Articles

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College Pines

Display Homes

Misc. ads for homes

Update:

The End

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The First Bus Lines in Oakland

The Schedule

New Terminal – October 1928

A Reunion

Various from the Oakland Tribune

More Info:

The End

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Casa Altadena

In Smith Reserve

Opening Day

Casa Altadena Today

More Info:

The End

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Brochure for Central Terrace

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Breuner-Tribune Home June 1934

Display Homes of 1934

The End

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Then and Now – Above and Below

Related

The End

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The Leimert Bridge during construction and in 1926, Photo by Cheney Photo Advertising

Photos

Various Articles

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Display Homes

Misc. ads for homes

Update:

The End

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The Schedule

New Terminal – October 1928

A Reunion

Various from the Oakland Tribune

More Info:

The End

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In Smith Reserve

Opening Day

Casa Altadena Today

More Info:

The End

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