Ostrich farming was promoted as a sound investment over a century ago. The farms, well documented on postcards, and were tourist attractions.
Ostriches were brought to the United States in the early 1880s from Africa. In the wild, they lived in warm, dry climates. Southern California seemed to have conditions similar to their natural African environment. By the late 1890s, there were eight locations in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Deigo counties.
The popularity of feathers in women’s fashion made raising the birds an attractive investment.
Farm in Oakland
In the fall of 1907, San Francisco newspapers ran an ad campaign for stock investment in an ostrich farm in Oakland.
In July of 1908, W.H.” Harvey” Bentley of the Bentley Ostrich Farm in San Diego County announced the opening of a branch in the Elmhurst District (sometimes Fruitvale) of Oakland at East 14th and High Street.
Bentley Ostrich Farm East 14th (now International Blvd) and High Streets Oakland, California Photographer: Cheney Photo Advertising Company c 1913
It opened on August 30th of 1908. It featured birds named Mr. and Mrs “George Dewey” (Admiral at the battle of Manila Bay) and the other Spanish American War hero from the Cuba campaign, “Fighting Bob” Evans commander of the Great White Fleet.
Forty-six birds compromised the original herd.
Could this be George or Bob?
In 1910 it was announced that the addition of a factory to their local salesroom and yards. Which meant the hats were made in Oakland and not San Diego. For the years 1907 to 1911, ostrich plumage on women’s hats was at its peak and all the rage.
Bentley Ostrich Farm East 14th (now International Blvd) and High Streets Oakland, California Photographer: Cheney Photo Advertising Company c 1911
New Name
In January of 1912, the owner of the Bently Ostrich Farm, was killed in an auto accident near the San Diego farm.
Oakland Tribune Sep 21, 1913
His son sold the farm to a group of Oakland investors.
View of main entrance to the Golden State Ostrich Farm; Souvenir Publishing Co 1915
The name was changed to Golden State Ostrich Farm in 1913.
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The farm had spacious ground floor offices and salesroom. In the sales there was a magnificent display of plumes in all sizes, prices and colors.
Title: Salesroom and office [picture] : Golden State Ostrich Farm, East 14th and High streets 1910 Collection: Selections from the Collections of the Oakland History Room and the Maps Division of the Oakland Public Library Date of access: May 31 2020 10:32 Permalink: https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/13030/kt0p3022h1/
With the coming of World War I, as American and European women entered the workforce, utilitarian clothing replaced the flamboyant fashions of the early 1900s. Broader hats were pinned up with a broach or artificial flower.
Oakland Tribune 1909
Plucking is Painless”
Oakland Tribune May 01, 1952
The bird is shoved into a corner by several men. A hood is placed over the birds head. The plume is cut leaving about an inch of quill in the flesh. The quill would soon fall out.
Bankruptcy
Golden State Ostrich Farm in Oakland filed for bankruptcy in early 1915.
“Whole Ostrich for the Price of a Feather”
The press announcement said it was now cheaper to buy the entire ostrich than the amount once paid for the feathers to adorn a hat.
The ostrich farms in northern California had all but failed by 1915. The “industry” had a brief heyday, and in the end, defeat by war and a significant fashion change in hats.
The schools were single-story buildings with integrated gardens and pavilion-like classrooms, which increased children’s access to the outdoors, fresh air, and sunlight. They were primarily built in areas away from city centers, sometimes in rural locations, to provide a space free from pollution and overcrowding.
The first open-air school in Oakland was established at Fruitvale School No. 2 (now Hawthorne School) on Tallent Street (now East 17th). When it opened, forty students from grades third through seventh were enrolled. Miss Lulu Beeler was selected as the teacher because she had prior experience working in an open-air school in the East.
The school was designed to help cure ill and tubercular children. Its focus was on improving physical health through the infusion of fresh air into the classrooms and into the children’s lungs. The school was established as a medical experiment. It was reserved for children judged to be of “weak” disposition.
It was constructed at the rear of the playground, one hundred feet from the existing main building.
“Fruitvale School. The Fresh Air School, 5-18-13.” The negative shows a group of children, boys and girls, posing in front of what looks like an enclosed porch on the back of the building. Two adult women and a man are standing with the children on a set of stairs leading up to this room. OMCA
The square, the wood-framed building, was raised to prevent underfloor dampness.
Fruitvale School. Saluting the flag, 5-18-13.” Negative shows a group of children with their right hands to their foreheads. One girl is standing in front of them, holding an American flag on a pole. OMCA
Each side had a different treatment to reflect the sun. The southern side had tall windows that, when open, didn’t seem enclosed. The east side was opened to the elements with only half of a wall. A screen protected them from insects. In case of storms, awnings could be pulled down to protect the students.
Fruitvale School.” The negative shows schoolchildren hanging out the school’s windows, posing for the photo. A male teacher is standing on the ground outside the windows, looking up at the first-floor windows filled with students. OMCA
The school was to be the first in a series of open-air schools installed on the grounds of Oakland’s existing city schools.
Objections
Fruitvale School. The outdoors brought indoors 5-18-13.” OMCA
There were some objections to opening the school, both from the parents of the selected children and the children themselves. The parents did not want their children singled out; the children worried they would be teased as being “sick.” These fears were realized, and the teachers struggled with how to deal with the repeated taunts
The open-air classroom idea was incorporated into many of the new schools built in the 1920s. I don’t know how long the Fruitvale Open Air School was open. I will update you if I find more information.
Eight charming five-room homes of Spanish and Mission architecture were built by Willis F. Lynn on Nicol Avenue. Five of the houses were sold before they were completed. The last three went on sale on June 14, 1925.
Oakland Tribune June 14, 1925
Each house has:
Breakfast room or nook
Dining room with built-in buffet
laundry room
Hardwood floors throughout
Automatic water heaters
Separate garage
Priced at $5950.00 in 1925.
Oakland Tribune June 14, 1925Lynn Homes Nicol Ave today – GoogleMapsNicole Avenue today – Google maps2639 Nicol Avenue – today Google Maps
Lynn Homes on Best Avenue
Oakland Tribune Nov 15, 1925
Another group of homes went on sale on November 15, 1925. Located on Best Avenue between Brookdale and Trask. The houses have an attractive and varied style of architecture.
Each of the homes has six-rooms, a garage, and a laundry room.
I hope to show Then and Now images of Oakland Schools in this series of posts. I highlight a bit of the history of each school. 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 can be 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 if I make any mistakes or add anything.
Fruitvale Schools 1-3
UPDATED AUGUST 2024
“Fruit vale Public School” – LatterFruitvale No. 1
Fruitvale School, in the early 1880s, was situated on the field. Circa 1880s OMCA H97.1.48
Oakland Tribune Jan 07, 1880
From what I can tell, the school was in the exact general location of Fruitvale Elementary School today, at the corner of Boston Street and School Street.
New Life as Church
1896, after Fruitvale No. 1 was built, the old school was moved and remodeled for use as a church. It was re-dedicated as the Higgins Methodist Episcopal Church in March of 1896.
SF Call Mar 09, 1886
SF Examiner March 1896
The Fruit Vale (as it was sometimes spelled) School district was formed in 1889 to build a new schoolhouse.
SF Examiner June 4, 1889
Fruitvale No. 1 – FruitvaleElementary School
In 1894, in the Fruitvale School district, the trustees were forced to meet the demand and take steps to build a larger school. The new school replaced the old Fruitvale School building from the 1880s.
SF Call Aug 27, 1895
The plans called for a $13,000 2-story building with a concrete basement. Each floor was to have four large classrooms and lunchrooms for the teachers. The principal’s office was on the first floor, and a space was reserved for a library. The basement had separate playrooms for the boys and girls, janitor rooms, and a heating apparatus.
“The building cost was $16,000, and it is located in the healthiest spots of this healthy locality.”
SF Call August 27, 1895
The style of the new building was the Italian Renaissance. The architects were Cunningham Bros. of Oakland.
SF Call Aug 27, 1895
Oakland Tribune Jul 26, 1889
The pastures of the Empire Dairy surrounded the school from 1880-1901
Oakland Tribune Dec 13, 1970
Fruitvale School circa 1901
In 1913, Fruitvale School No. 1 was changed to just Fruitvale School.
New School Built
The new Fruitvale School was dedicated on December 1, 1950. It has 14 classrooms, a library, a cafeteria, a kindergarten, and an auditorium. The school was designed by Ponsford and Price Architects and cost $497,700. It can accommodate 569 students.
Oakland Tribune Nov 09, 1949
The dedication was attended by William Taylor, a long-time resident of the Fruitvale District; he was a student at the “old Fruitvale School “in the 1880s. Oakland Tribune June 1962
In 1913, the name of Fruitvale School No. 2 was changed to Hawthorne School. The school was on Fruitvale at East 17th (Tallant Street)
Hawthorne School Circa 1900 – Cheney Photo Advertising
1923, a concrete culvert was built, and Sausal Creek was filled in.
School Destroyed by Fire in 1923
Oakland Tribune Apr 30, 1923
On the morning of April 30, 1923, 750 pupils, teachers, and staff of the Hawthorne School were evacuated from their classrooms while the entire upper portion of the building was being destroyed by fire. The fire was believed to have started from sparks that fell from the chimney.
Oakland Tribune Apr 30, 1923
Three alarms were sounded, and all available firefighting apparatus rushed to the scene. Two firemen were hurt when a portion of the burning roof gave way.
New School Built
The district purchased the property fronting on East 17th Street, adjoining the playground. The new school was built away from the noise and traffic of Fruitvale Ave.
Oakland Tribune Sept 21, 1924
In September 1924, they laid the cornerstone of the new school building, which John J. Donovandesigned. The two-story building, which cost $102,000, contained ten classrooms, offices, and a room for the PTA.
The new school is located at 28th Avenue at East 17th Street, across from the old Fruitvale School No 2. The old school building was destroyed by fire the year before.
Oakland Tribune Sept 21, 1924
The following items were put into the sealed cornerstone:
Minutes of Board of Education May 1924
Minutes of Board of Education June 1924
Outline of the school plans
Program from Cornerstone ceremony
History of the PTA
Names of all the pupils enrolled
Group photos of all the classes.
School Directory
The new school opened in January 1925.
Oakland Tribune Jan 24, 1925
The school is located at 1700 28th Ave, Oakland, CA 94601
Achieve Academy (TK-5) serves students in the Fruitvale neighborhood and is one of Oakland’s highest-performing elementary campuses.
Hawthorne School -photo by Richard A. Walker Creative Commons 2023
Fruitvale No. 3 – Allendale School
Before 1904, children living along High Street had to walk to Fruitvale School No. 1 on School Street. The Allendale District was chosen because of its central location for the children from Laurel Grove District (Laurel District) to High Street and Foothill Blvd, then known as Old County Road.
Fruitvale School No. 3 was built in the Allendale neighborhood in 1904.
The 1904 school building cost $107,437 to build. The first year’s enrollment was 809. A four-room addition was added in 1910, and another four rooms, costing $49,458, were added in 1928.
Oakland Tribune July 19, 1910
Miss Alice V. Baxley was the first principal of Allendale School from 1904 to 1913.
Fruitvale No 3 – Renamed Allendale 1913
In 1913 Fruitvale No. 3 was renamed Allendale School.
Oakland Tribune Mar 1913
Oakland Tribuine Mar 1914
Dangerous and a Hazard
The school was deemed unsafe and closed in 1953. At the time, it was one of the oldest school buildings; two others from the pre-1906 era were still standing. The old school building withstood the 1906 earthquake.
San Francisco Examiner Dec 1953
SF Examiner Dec 20, 1953
Seventeen portables were placed on the site to house the students until the fall of 1959.
The Old Allendale School Just Before Demolition – From the Family of Doss Welsh
OaklandnTribune June 21, 1957
The day of reckoning has come for the old Allendale School building which has been razed”
The new school, Allendale-Fruitvale Junior High, was constructed at Hopkins (MacArthur Blvd) and Coolidge Avenue.
Oakland Tribune Oct 10, 1928
Oakland Tribune Nov 9, 1928
The Allendale-Fruitvale Junior High was changed to Bret Harte Junior High at a school board meeting in 1929; the other name under consideration was Dimond Junior High.
The school was named after Bret Harte, an American author and poet best known for his somewhat romanticized accounts of pioneer life in California. He lived in Oakland from about 1854 to 1857 at the home of his stepfather, Colonel Andrew F. Williams, who was later Oakland’s fourth mayor.
Oakland Tribune Nov 16, 1930
The school was the last to the new school to be built out of the 1924 Bond issue. It was constructed at the cost of $120,000.
The building contained 22 classrooms, and on opening day in 1930, 699 pupils enrolled. The school graduated students from Fruitvale, Allendale, Sequoia, and Laurel Schools.
The school opened in 1930.
The Oakland Post Enquirer Jan10, 1930
The school’s auditorium gymnasium building was constructed in 1950.
The Oakland Post Enquirer Aug 2, 1950
Oakland Tribune Aug 29, 1950
In 1957, the school district opened bids for a new building at Bret Harte.
Oakland Tribune July 7, 1957
The new building was built on campus in 1959, and another major expansion occurred in 1979.
The 1930 time capsule in a copper box found during the 1979 construction was never opened and has since been lost.
The school is located at 3700 Coolidge Avenue, Oakland, CA 94602
Fifty “Cameron Built” Modern Spanish Home in the Fruitvale District. Real Spanish Type Stucco. Priced at $5500 to $65.00. Built to CAMERON standards. (whatever that means). Each home contains five rooms and a breakfast room, hardwood floors throughout, a tile bath, a tile sink, a Hoyt water heater, a fireplace for coal, wood, or gas, the latest style electric fixtures, and base plugs in every room. Russwin solid brass hardware with glass knobs. All of the large lots with fences, garages, and cement walks.
Oakland Tribune Nov 16, 1924
The tract was designed by W. A. Doctor and built by H.C. Cameron with furnishings provided by Lachman Brothers. Chas. A. Neal was the exclusive agent for “Cameron Built Homes” on Maple and School Streets. The tract office was located at Pleitner and School streets.
The 1st unit started in 1923 on Maple and School Streets.
The 2nd unit was started in 1925 at Texas and Pleitner Streets.
Oakland Tribune Nov 23, 1923
The first ten homes were completed and ready in November 1923.
By October 1924, twenty-two homes were complete.
Oakland Tribune Nov 16, 1924
The corner of Texas Street and Curran Ave – Google Maps
Some time ago, I found this picture on the Oakland History Room online site.
Homes near Fruitvale Avenue and Hopkins Street (later MacArthur Boulevard) in the Dimond district of Oakland, California. A large vegetable garden dominates the foreground, and Higgins Church on Hopkins Street is in view towards the back. DATE: [circa 1905] Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.
I love to try and figure out the who, what and where. I would instead try to figure it out all by myself before asking for help. That is the fun part for me. Sometimes it is effortless. Other times it is not.
The biggest clue to this photo was the Higgins Church on Hopkins, which is now MacArthur Blvd. I started there.
I started looking into the Higgins Church. The church in 1898 was located near Fruitvale Ave and Hopkins in the old Fruitvale School building. It had some connection to the Fred Finch Orphanage.
Oakland Tribune Mar 1896
Oakland Tribune Mar 1896
In 1907 they laid the cornerstone for a new church at the corner of School St and Boston. The church was renamed Fruitvale ME Church. Joaquin Miller read a poem at the groundbreaking. The church building was dedicated in 1908.
A couple days ago, I found a Knave article “Memories linger for Dimond District Pioneers” in the Oakland Tribune in November 1970. The 2nd page of the article included this same picture with some new clues.
Oakland Tribune Nov 1970
I now have clues for the house and a different church. So off I went to find out more.
The house is located at 3231 Boston Ave at Harold Street.
From Google maps – 3231 Boston Ave today from Goggle maps -2460 Palmetto – todayThe church is located at 2464 Palmetto St. While it is no longer a church, I believe this is the same building. See below
The Church today
I think the location has been solved. I thought the house was moved or demolished due to building the freeway, and it almost was. I am so glad it is still there.
