Watts Hospital was the first and only Black hospital in Oakland. It was established in 1926 by Dr. William Watts, a Black physician from Houston, Texas.

Portrait of William Watts c 1910 – Watts (William M.) Papers African American Museum & Library at Oakland

William M. Watts (1885-1980) was born on February 15, 1885, in Lodi, Texas, to Perry and Jane Watts. He earned a medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1915. Watts died in 1980 while living in Arkansas.

Dr. Watts arrived in Oakland in 1924 after living in Fresno, CA.

William Watts standing next to car c 1920s – Watts (William M.) Papers African American Museum & Library at Oakland

Watts Hospital functioned as a hospital, sanitarium, and training school for Black nurses. At the time, local hospitals refused to train Black nurses.

The modern 22-bed located at 3437 Harlen Street in North Oakland,

Dr. William Watts and three nurses standing before Watt’s Private Hospital, Oakland, California – Watts (William M.) Papers African American Museum & Library at Oakland

“Expert diagnois, expert surgery, expert treatment and expert nursing with good will to all.”

Western American Dec 17, 1926

Dr. Watts also had a private practice on 36th Street and wrote a column entitled “How to Keep Well” for the Western American, a local Black newspaper.

Watts Hospital was only in business for two years. Dr. Watts returned to Texas (c1928) to manage a hospital there.

Marshall News Messenger November 7, 1933

In 1928, Highland Hospital integrated its nurses’ training program.

More Info:

Photos from the African American Library Oakland CA – William Watts Papers

William M. Watts – Oakland Local Wiki
Sheppard-Watts Hospital – East Texas History
Moves to Oakland – California Eagle February 29, 1924
Watts Obiturary –Marshall News Messenger October 27, 1980
Cass County native a pioneering physician – Texarkana Gazette March 21, 2018

The End

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.

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.

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

In 1874, 60 acres were subdivided, and a map of the Watts Tract was drawn up.

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.