Tag Archives: Hays Canyon

Living on the Shore of Lake Temescal

Posted on by
6

In researching Montclair (a district in Oakland), I have come across many interesting stories. Here is one of them.

“Montclair was wild as a hawk,”

Walter Wood

In a 1976 article in The Montclarion entitled “Old Timer Reminisces,” Walter Wood talks about growing up along the shores of Lake Temescal.

Walter was born in 1887 in a small four-room house near the corner of 51st and Broadway, built by his father and torn down to make room for the widening of 51st. His father died in 1886 before Walter was born.

When Walter was attending school, he lived with his mother and stepfather, George W. Logan.   They lived on a farm alongside Lake Temescal, where Logan was the caretaker/superintendent for Contra Costa Water Company’s filtering plant that supplied Oakland’s drinking water.

Oakland Directory 1889-90

Walter started school at the age of 8 in North Oakland. Wood attended Peralta until fourth grade. From 1899 to 1904, he went to Hays Canyon School for the fifth through ninth grades.

Walter and his seven brothers and sisters walked from Lake Temescal to Peralta School in North Oakland.

Walter Wood’s Report Card – The Montclarion 1976

The Hays Canyon School (where the old Montclair firehouse is) was located two miles from the lake when they walked there in the early 1900s. Sometimes, remember Wood, they rowed a boat to the other end of the lake and walked from there.

The Montclarion 1976

The school was a beautiful Victorian one-room building with a bell and cupola. There was room for forty students and one teacher.

When Walter was 11, he was a mule driver with the crew that dug the first tunnel(Kennedy Tunnel) from Oakland to Contra Costa County. He spent a summer working on the project, earning him the honor of being the first person through the tunnel. He was near the front when they broke through, and a man who looked after Walter gave him a shove and pushed him through.

The Montclaron 1976

A Day in the Life

On a typical Day in 1899, Walter Wood would wake up on the farm and, after breakfast, do an hour’s worth of chores.   

Lake Temescal in 1898 – The Monclarion 1976

In addition to their regular chores, the Wood and Logan children were assigned the duty of weed-pulling on the Temescal dam. If weeds grew on the side of the dam, squirrels would dig into the barrier and cause damage.

Oakland Tribune Nov 1902

Playtime came on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. Wood and his siblings had run the area, as it was completely undeveloped except for a few farms.

One of the few farms was the Medau Dairy, where Montclair park is today.

Medau Dairy– Alameda County: The Eden of the Pacific

Superintendent Logan

Oakland Tribune Feb 1889

George W. Logan started working for the Contra Costa Water Company (now EBMUD) as the Superintendent of the Lake Temescal dam in 1888.

Oakland Tribune 1889

Logan worked at Lake Temescal for 18 years; he transferred to Lake Chabot in 1904 and retired from the company in 1916.

Bubbles Vol. II July 1918

George William Logan (1842-1928)was born in Canada in 1848. He came to California in the late 1880s.

Logan was married twice, first to Elizabeth Robinson (1845-1886)in 1884, and they had two children a daughter, Jessie, and a son Maurice. Elizabeth died in about 1886 or 87.

Oakland Tribune Feb 1906

His second wife was Mary Jane Hayden Wood (1860-1958); they raised eight children, her five children, his two and their one together.

  • Jesse Logan (1884-1961)
  • Maurice Logan (1886-1977)
  • Harry Logan (1889-1959)
  • Ann Wood (1880- ?)
  • Josephine Wood(1882-1970)
  • Juanita Wood(1883-1934)
  • Alfred Wood (1885-1920)
  • Walter Wood (1887-1990)
Oakland Tribune 1913

Maurice Logan

Maurice (1886 -1977) was an American watercolorist, commercial artist, arts educator, a member of the Society of Six, and a professor at the California College of the Arts in Oakland.

Oakland Tribune 1977

Logan grew up on the shores of Lake Temescal, his father, George Logan, stepmother, and brothers and sisters.

The Logan Family – The Society of Six

Later in life, he lived on Chabot Road, close to Lake Temescal.

SF Examiner Oct 28. 1991

More Info:

The End

Early Residents of Montclair – Before 1920

Posted on by
7

In the mid-1980s, I started looking into the history of Montclair in Oakland Hills. I discovered that Montclair had residents as early as 1865. Here is “A bit of History” of them.

I will also be doing a piece about the residents from 1900-1920.

Colonel John C. Hays – Fernwood

In the late 1850s, retired Texas Ranger Colonel John “Jack” Coffee Hays purchased about 800 acres of land in the hills of Oakland, behind what is now Piedmont. His beautiful country estate was Fernwood, and he lived there with his wife Susan and their children.

Residence of Col. John C. Hays, Oakland, Alameda County, California.”
(Published by Thompson & West, Oakland, Cal., 1878)
from Oakland History Room

His home was near today’s Mountain Boulevard and Thornhill Drive in Montclair. The area was frequently referred to as Hays (Hayes) Canyon or “Jack Hays Canyon.” The main road to his property from downtown Oakland would later be Moraga Avenue.

Hays died at home on April 22, 1883, at 66.   After his death, Fernwood was sold to William J. Dingee.

William J. Dingee – Fernwood

William Dingee, water magnate and competitor of Anthony Chabot. Dingee enlarged and embellished the gardens, adding fountains, terraces, and statues. The improvements were said to have cost a quarter-million dollars.

Athens of the Pacific 1896 – Google Books

Dingee built an opulent 19-room Queen-Anne-style mansion with additional landscaping, gardens, terraces, and waterfalls. He also added such features as a deer park and an elk paddock.

“Athens of the Pacific” 1896

Sadly, the home and countless artworks were destroyed in a fire in 1899. Oakland Tribune Oct 19, 1899

Sometime after 1915, Dr. and Mrs. Nelson M. Percy of Chicago, Illinois, purchased the former W.J. DIngee home “Fernwood” for an undisclosed amount.

Oakland Tribune March 12, 1916
Oakland Tribune Aug 19, 1923

Gibson and Fields

Map showing the locations of the Gibson and Fields

Cote Brilliant

Judge E.M. Gibson owned the property just beyond Thornhill School. Gibson built a beautiful home called “Cote Brilliant, ” later owned by E.M Boggs. The house burned down in 1910. Dr. Mark Emerson bought the land in the mid-1920s, built a lovely home, and lived there until the late 1950s. St John’s Episcopal Church is now there.

Oakland Directory 1889
Oakland Tribune April 23, 1887

Oakland Tribune 1891

J. B. Fields

Joseph B. Fields was born in England. Before moving to Hays Canyon, he was an Oakland Police officer for 12 years.

Oakland Tribune Apr 16, 1890

He owned 25 acres of farming land next to the property of Judge Gibson. His farm was in the general location of Aspinwall Road today.

Fields died at his farm in 1891.

SF Chronicle Jan 25, 1891

Glen Kohler

Glen Kohler, the home of Mrs. C.A. Kohler, was located about where Thornhill Drive, Pinehaven Road, and Woodhaven Way meet.

Oakland Tribune Oct 17, 1885

Cordelia A. (“CA”) Kohler was the widow of Andrew Kohler (1819-1885) of Kohler & Chase Pianos.

Oakland Tribune Nov 14, 1885

Glen Kohler was designed by architects Samuel and Joseph C. Newsom (Newsom Brothers) in 1885. The residence was 18 rooms in what was known as a “freestyle.” It cost about $10,000.

Picturesque California Homes, Issue 2 Circa 1890
Picturesque California Homes, Issue 2 Circa 1890

She died at her home in Hays Canyon on November 27, 1894.  Her funeral was attended mainly by the old settlers of the county and was held at her home on November 30, 1894.  She is buried at Mountain View Cemetery alongside her husband Andrew and her daughter Louisa (1849-1854), who died at age 5.

1894

More Info:

I don’t know what happened to Glen Kohler after Mrs. Kohler died.

The End

Hays School District

Posted on by
2

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

A Hermit’s Companion

Posted on by
3

Oakland Tribune

“One month before his death, Charles Kruse was leaving for the county hospital, which he never expected to return.” Kruse gave G.W. Brusseau a package with a few intimate belongings, the key to his house, and the note.

Oakland, March 15 (?)

“This is my gift of Deed all is in my possession to Mr. G.W. Brusseau after my daet”

“Chas. Kruse”

Only Man He Trusted

According to Brusseau’s attorney, Kruse only had one trusted friend. Kruse helped care for the hermit for 13 years. He never had the money to pay Brusseau for his labor but intended to see that he ultimately received his property.

Brusseau saved the 10-acre plot from being sold for taxes and paid off the mortgage. It was claimed.

In March of 1923, Kruse applied for admission to the county infirmary on the grounds he was penniless. He had cancer.

Oakland Tribune 1923


Following Kruse’s death at the county hospital, preparations were being made to bury him in the potter’s field. Brusseau stepped in and said he would pay for his funeral.

Mountain View Cemetery – plot 48 Photo by REHM – Find A Grave

Brusseau purchased a plot in Mountain View cemetery that bordered his property.

He could see the grave from his porch.

Oakland Tribune 1923

Fight for Estate

Judge George Samuels was informed of the case when Brusseau filed a petition for probate of the paper as the last will, Kruse.

 Because the completed date was omitted, Judge Samuels refused probate and granted administration letters to Albert E. Hill, a Public Administrator.

Thrown Out As A Will Upheld As Deed

In June 1923, a petition was submitted to the Almeda superior to record the scrap of paper as a gift deed. In this claim, Judge James G. Quinn decided that Kruse never intended the piece of paper as a will but intended to constitute an immediate conveyance of land as a deed.

In the meantime, Brusseau had lost a third suit filed against the estate for reimbursement for his unpaid labor.

The Recorder 1927

The public administrator appealed to the California Supreme Court for a decision on the title to the property.

Dying Hermit’s Note Valid

In May 1927, the Supreme Court affirmed Judge JG Quinn’s decision that the note given to Brusseau from Kruse constituted a deed to the 10 acres of land.

Oakland Tribune 1926

A Bit of History

Hays Canyon

David Rumsey Historical Map Collection -William J. Dingee’s Map of Oakland and vicinity. Compiled from Official Surveys and Records 1899 https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~275209~90048562

Charles Kruse owned and lived on 10 acres of land in Hayes Canyon since 1888.

Oakland Tribune 1888

 The property bordered William J. Dingee’s land, and in 1888, Dingee sued Kruse for $93 to cover the cost of a fence.  

Kruse peddled flowers to florists’ shops in the Eastbay for many years.

After his death, it was discovered that he owned one of the largest nurseries in Alameda County. The nursery and the tiny shack where he lived were hidden behind a high fence and tall cypress hedges.

Oakland Tribune Apr 10, 1923

The 10 acres were valued at more than $10,000 in 1923.

In 1898, George Washington Brusseau purchased a 2-acre lot at 3200 Edith Street (now 4901 Harbord Drive).

Oakland Tribune 1895
Oakland Tribune 1895
Oakland Tribune 1896
1910 Directory

In 1926, Brusseau lived in a cottage called the “Bat House” because of the number of animal skins tanned and nailed to the outside walls.

Oakland Tribune 1926

He farmed the land with the help of Jimmy, his faithful plow horse. He also had many dogs.

He intended to restore the rose gardens, which brought fame to his friend Charles Kruse and Oakland.

Oakland Tribune 1940

Brusseau lived there until he died in 1953

Oakland Tribune Apr 1953
1953 Directory

And now this…

Oakland Tribune Apr 15, 1948

This changes the whole story, or is it just wrong?

Oakland Tribune Apr 15, 1948

Please Note: The dates and addresses vary from article to article. I tried my best to get it right, but oh well.

More Info:

The End

A Murder in Hays Canyon

Posted on by
Reply

Hays Canyon or sometimes called “Jack Hayes Canyon,” was the area in hills behind Piedmont. Now known as Thornhill Canyon, Thornhill Drive, and Moraga Avenue. For more info, please see here – Oakland Local Wiki – Hays Canyon

San Francisco Examiner June 07, 1894

On June 6th, 1894, Manuel Souza Quadros was murdered on the old Thorn Road in the “Jack Hayes Canyon” (Hays Canyon) by an unknown man while returning home. “The assassin did his work well and left no trace behind him.” Quadros had a wife and three children. He had a very “good reputation as a sober and industrious fellow.” He was returning home after delivering milk to the Oakland Creamery.

To reach the Moss Ranch (not sure where this was will have to research more), he had to pass through the canyon pass Blair Park. When found, he was lying on the seat of his wagon “in a lonely place” in the canyon. He was shot in the breast. He was killed instantly by a 44 caliber pistol.

Theodore Medau, a rancher, gives an only clue to the murder. He says, “a middle-aged man, who was very excited,” stopped him and said that a man was dead down the road. The man said he had 15 miles to drive, and he was in a hurry. Medau went down the road a few hundred yards and found the deceased. San Francisco Chronicle June 07, 1984

Was He Assassinated?

 
San Francisco Examiner June 08, 1984

Suspected in Murder

Quadros Suspected Slayer – Before Grand Jury

 
Oakland Tribune July 19, 1894

Miller Indicted

 
San Francisco Examiner July 26, 1894

Miller Trial to Start

 
San Francisco Call Sep 03, 1894
 
San Francisco Call Sep 03, 1894

Miller does not seem to be frightened at the prospect of a noose.

 
San Francisco Call Nov 14, 1894

Acquitted of Murder

Frank Miller Will Not Have to Stand a Trial

The moment Miller walked out of the courtroom, he said he was going to “start to walk East at once.”

 
San Francisco Chronicle Nov 21, 1894

Discharged and Rearrested

 
San Francisco Chronicle Nov 21, 1894

Murdered Man’s Estate

 
San Francisco Chronicle Nov 24, 1894

Cold Case

Now the question is who killed Manuel Quadros? I can’t find anything on it…yet.

Is this considered a “cold case”?

Is it still on the books?

Does the modern-day Oakland Police Department even know about this murder?

Was he murdered for his estate?

Inquiring minds want to know.

More to come, I hope.

Update

In January of 1886, a man by the name of John Schneider (the name he gave them) was arrested for a stagecoach robbery in Ukiah. When he was arrested, the SF Call published a picture of him. See Below

 
San Francisco Call – Jan 22, 1886
 
San Francisco Call – Jan 29, 1896

Attorney Tom Garrity recognized the man as Frank Miller. Garrity was Miller’s attorney during the Manuel Quadros’s murder case. Two other men also identified Schneider as Miller.

 
April 18, 1886
 
San Francisco Examiner Feb 01, 1896

The End