Polk's Oakland (California) city directory, 1938, Part 1

Author: R.L. Polk & Co
Publication date: 1928
Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : R.L. Polk & Co.
Number of Pages: 1142

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MAIN LIBRARY

LITERIS OR

50 917.94 0121

568731

NOT TO BE TAKEN FROM THE LIBRARY

Form 3427

SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1223 04590 1320

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TRUMAN

There is no better service than TRUMAN Service ... notwithstanding Truman's lower prices.

THE TRUMAN CO. 1

funeral Directors

TELEGRAPH AVE. AT 30th STREET . OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA Telephone HIGATE 5700

₹ AND ALAMEDA DIRECTORY (1988)

Competent Office Help Recommended Free

Stenographers Secretaries Bookkeepers Machine Operators Cashiers Accountants

The BUSINESS FIELD

OPPORTUNITIES ...

Of all the vocations open to people in this country, more are to be found in the field of Business than in any other. Salesmen, saleswomen, clerks, stenographers, secretaries, bookkeepers, accountants, office managers, tellers, typists, operators of office appliances - these people are needed by the thousands to take care of the daily routine of Business.

TRAINING

In no other field is Training more essential for the greatest success. The finest rewards come to those who are well prepared. Business Education and technical skill not only assure opportunity of employment, but make possible advancement and greater earning power.

74 YEARS OF SERVICE

Heald College has been preparing men and women for almost three-quarters of a century in Business Education - Practical, thorough and comprehensive. It specializes in the fine development of business skills, which coupled with a broad knowledge of commerce, assure successful careers for its graduates.

Announcement of Courses is sent upon request.

Heald College OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

518 17th Street

Phone H1-0201 1.

3 1223 04590 1320

GENERAL INDEX

Abbreviations

Advertising Department

Alphabetical List of Names

1008

Apartment Houses

1012

Bank Department

1022

Buildings, Blocks and Halls

1023

Business and Commercial Associations

1007

Business Directory

opposite 1006

Buyers' Guide

1023

Cemeteries

1024

Churches

City Government-Alameda

113

Berkeley

687

Oakland

1007

Classified Business Directory

1029

Clubs

1030

Colleges and Private Schools

County Government

Directory Library

312

Federal Government Officers

Fire Department-Alameda Berkeley

687

Oakland

1038

Fraternal Organizations

1047

Hospitals, Homes and Sanitariums

Introduction

Justice Courts

1052

Labor Organizations

1055

Libraries and Reading Rooms

312

Military

1065

Parks and Playgrounds

1067

Piers

Police Department-Alameda

112

Berkeley

688

Oakland

Population

743

Postoffice Department

1055

Public Library

1077

Schools and Colleges

1076

Schools-Public

1079

Societies-Secret and Fraternal

872

State Officers and Boards

Street and Avenue Guide

Superior Courts

1052

Trade and Labor Organizations

United States Courts and Officers

Wharves

Page 44

opposite 1006

Associations, Clubs and Societies

Buyers' Guide 5

112

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

Page numbers below refer to Buyers' Guide opposite page 1006

Page

Alameda County-East Bay Title Insurance Co front cover and 38

Alcosta Credit Adjustment Co

American Trust Co

Anglo California National Bank 6

Anthony Earle C Inc.

left side lines and

Bank of America

Boulevard Furniture & Upholstery Co

right top lines and 39

Brandon's Collection and Credit Service back cover and 15

Breuner's

Brown Albert Undertaking Co 23

Brush P R

Bullmann Collection Service 15

California Adjusters

California College of Arts & Crafts .. right top lines and 36

California College of Business ..

right top lines and 37

California Crematorium and Columbarium

front cover and 19

California Marble & Granite Works .. left side lines and 31 Capwell H C Co left top lines and 20

Capwell Sullivan & Furth 22

Cavalier Wm & Co

right top lines and 11

Central Bank

front cover and 8

Chambers Frank D Co

front cover and 34

Coast Agency Inc

left side lines and 28

Coldwell Cornwall & Banker

Columbia The

Cooper Clarence N

Co-Operative Adjustment Bureau 16

Cowell Henry Lime & Cement Co back cover and 12

Dean Witter & Co

left side lines and 11

Diamond Collection & Adjustment Service 16

East Bay Credit Service 16

East Bay Municipal Utility District 40

Evergreen Cemetery Assn

Fageol Truck & Coach Co 3

Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank .. left top lines and 9

Field E B Co bottom edge and 35

Fink George B

Firen. In's Fund Insurance Co

Fong Wan

back cover, right top lines and 25

left top lines and 13

Frederick L B Co Inc

left side lines and 36

eman & Cox-Roach & Kenney Inc 21

r W P & Co right top lines and 32

1 Metals Corporation

right top lin

And 23

'ate Co Ltd

left side lin

and 31

dustries of Oakland

and 37

"? Service-

Hink J F & Son

Holmes Collection Agency

Howard Automobile Co

right side lines and

Insurance Building

Inter-City Adjustment Co Inc

Inter-City Express

Jewelry Nook The

right side lines and 29

Kling-Dawers Stationery Co

Laufer F W Inc

right top lines and 32

Local Loan Co

Magnin I & Co

Market Laundry Co

left side lines and 29

Mason Brothers

back cover and 11

McCormick Chas R Lumber Co

left side lines and 30

Mercantile Collection Service

Monteverde & Parodi

Classified Tab Insert

Montgomery Ward & Co

back cover and 21

Munro Neil E & Sons

National Mill & Lumber Co

right side lines and 23

Northwestern Mutual Fire Assn

right top lines and 27

Oakland California Towel Co

Inside Front Cover

Oakland Crematorium-Columbarium 20

Oakland Real Estate Board

left top lines and 33

Oakland Title Insurance & Guaranty Co

left top lines and 39

Pacific Bond & Mortgage Co

left side lines and 30

Pearl Assurance Co .... front cover, right top lines and 26

Phillips- Mercantile Agency

right side lines and 18

Piedmont Memorial Co

Classified Tab Insert

Polytechnic College of Engineering

Opposite Page 44 and 37

Porter F F Co

front edge

Poswa H James

Professional Credit Assn 18

Ramsey R J

Read's Bonded Adjustment Bureau

.. left top lines and 14

Federal Outfitting Co

Retailers Credit Assn

backbone and 19

Rhodes & Jamieson Ltd

back cover and 14

Roos Bros

Schroeter & White

Signature Loan Corporation left top lines

Simpson John

right top lines and 27

Spencer Collection Service

Stephenson Leydecker & Co

left top lines and 11

Street & Costello

Tilden Lumber & Mill Co

right side lines and 23

Truman Co The

Opposite Inside Front Cover and 24

Watson D D

top edges, left side lines and 35

Whitthorne & Swan

' Bill Motor Co

right top lines and

M Co

front cover and 36

Page

Inter-City Printing Co

Loyalty Group

INTRODUCTION

R. L. Polk & Co. (publishers of more than 700 other city, county, state and national directories) presents to its subscribers and to the general public this 1938 edition of the Oakland Directory (which also includes Alameda, Berkeley, Emeryville and Piedmont).

Confidence in the growth of Oakland and its wealth, industry and population, as well as in the advancement of its municipal and social activities, will be created as sections of this directory are con- sulted, for truly the directory is a mirror reflecting Oakland to the world.

The enviable place occupied by Polk's directories in offices, stores, libraries and homes throughout our country causes the publishers to forecast the belief that the Oakland directory will fulfill its mission as a source of authentic information of any and every kind pertaining to our city. With an unrivaled organization having the courteous and hearty cooperation of the business and professional residents, the publishers feel that the results of their labor will meet with the approval of every resident of the city.

POPULATION

The estimated population of the East Bay is 562,015, based on the number of individual names in the alphabetical section of the Directory, with due allowance for women and children, whose names are not included. Territory immediately adjacent, which is part of the city, as far as business and social life are concerned, is included in the Directory.

FOUR MAJOR DEPARTMENTS

The several essential departments are arranged in the following order:

The Street and Avenue Guide of Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley covers pages 19 to 42. In this section the names of the streets and avenues are arranged in alphabetical order.

The Alphabetical List of Names of residents, business firms and corporations is included in pages 45 to 1006.

The Buyers' Guide, opposite page 1006, printed on tinted paper, contains the advertisements of the leading manufacturing, business and professional interests of Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley. These pages will be found particularly interesting and instructive to the substantial elements of the city. The advertisements have been carefully grouped by departments and are indexed under headings de- scriptive of the business represented. This is reference advertising at its best, and as such, merits a survey by all buyers keen to prime themselves on source of supply. The city's activities, in many inter- esting phases, are interestingly pictured to reveal what it has in its show window. In an ambitious and progressive community like Oakland the need of this kind of information readily at hand is very great and frequently pressing. General appreciation of this fact is evidenced by the liberal patronage the City Directory enjoys in the many fields which it serves.

The Classified Business Directory is included in pages 1007 to 1086. This department lists the vari- ous manufacturing, mercantile and professional interests in alphabetical order under appropriate head- ings. This feature constitutes an invaluable and indispensable epitome of the business interests of the community. "The Directory is the common intermediary between Buyer and Seller." As such it plays no small part in the daily doings of the business world. "More goods are bought and sold through the Classified Business Directory Section than through any other medium.'

MUNICIPAL PUBLICITY

The Directory reflects the achievements and ambitions of the city, depicting in truthful terms what it has to offer as a place of residence, as a business location, as an industrial site, and as an educational center. To give emphasis to their desire to broadcast this information over the country, the publishers have placed copies of this issue of the Directory in Directory Libraries, which are maintained in all the larger cities of the country, where they are readily available for free public reference and serve as perpetual advertisements of Oakland. Alameda andBerkeley, for business men the country over realize that the City Directory represents the community as it really is.

THE R. L. POLK & CO. DIRECTORY LIBRARY

There are over 450 of these Directory Libraries in the chain. One of them is maintained at the Oakland Chamber of Commerce. The publishers invite use of it by the public whenever in need of information on other cities.

The publishers appreciatively acknowledge the patronage of those progressive business and pro- fessional men who have expressed their confidence in the city Directory as an advertising medium with assurance that it will bring a commensurate return.

R. L. POLK & CO.

OAKLAND

Metropolis of the East Bay Empire

. OAKLAND, third largest city of California, is pleasantly situated on the east shore of San Francisco Bay, almost directly opposite the entrance to the Golden Gate, which is clearly in sight although some miles distant. With its ocean-going commerce and its fine Inner Harbor, Oakland has been described as the place "where rail, air and water meet." It is both a city of industry and a city of homes, with an attractive residential section occupying in part the hills which form its picturesque background.

Of its many attractions, Lake Merritt, the only tidal lake in the heart of an American city, is pre-eminent. This lake, one mile long and four miles around, has a beautiful setting and its waters are often scenes of aquatic sports and regattas.

Among tourists attractions are: Motor outings along Highland Drive and Skyline Boulevard with vistas of the great bay and surrounding terrain; the home of Joaquin Miller, poet of the Sierra, situated on "The Heights" at the head of Dimond Canyon; Chabot Observatory; the Oakland Public Museum and the Henry A. Snow South African collection of animals and birds, and many other places of interest.

Modern Engineering has been to the forefront in developing Oakland. The Posey Vehicular Tube, 4,436 feet long, laid on the bottom of Oakland Estuary, connects Oak- land with Alameda its sister city on the south; and the new Broadway low-level tunnel through the hills to the northeast expedites travel to Contra Costa County and the inter- ior; and, most stupendous of all, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, one of the wonders of the modern world, was opened for vehicular traffic in November, 1936.

On the cultural side, Oakland is famed as the home of Mills College, which was founded nearly 85 years ago and which is the greatest college exclusively for women in the West. St. Mary's College, conducted by the Christian Brothers, is not far distant. And, adjoining Oakland on the north, is Berkeley, site of the great University of Cali- fornia.

For Further Information About OAKLAND

CALIFORNIA Communicate with the Oakland Chamber of Commerce

OAKLAND

"Industrial Capitol of the West"

STATISTICAL REVIEW

Council-Manager Form of Government

Area-60.25 square miles.

Altitude-Zero to 1800 feet.

Assessed valuation-$255,213,700 with 197 mill tax.

Parks-47, with acreage of 635.

White population-281,095.

Colored population-7,885.

Males-149,688.

Females-148,842.

Native-born population-79.3 per cent.

Predominating nationalities-German, Italian, English, Portuguese, Canadian, Irish, Swedish, Scotch and Danish.

City's bonded debt is $9,778,215.00.

Financial: 57 banks, 7 trust companies.

Churches-190.

Building and construction: Value of building permits 1936, $8,560,526, with 6,536 permits.

Real estate transfers total 14,168, valued at $55,348,398. About 48.6 per cent of homes owned. Dwell- ings-total number 78,650.

Industry: Metropolitan Oakland-Number of establishments-6,350 manufacturers employing 21,930, paying wages of $27,920,000 annually and having products valued at $209,458,550 annually.

Trade: Territory (retail) contains 1,420,000 people within the trading area covering a radius of 20 miles. Jobbing territory contains 1,730,000 people within a radius of 40 miles.

Hotels: There are 44 hotels, with 15 rooms or more, and 95 with less than 15 rooms.

City is the physical terminus of three transcontinental railroads.

Amusements: Largest auditorium seats 10,000 people. There are 41 theatres, with a total seating capacity of 46,700 people.

Hospitals number 25, with 2,100 beds.

Education: 3 colleges, 73 schools, including 10 high schools. Number of pupils in public schools, 62,114. Total of teachers, 2,400.

There are 172,000 volumes in the libraries of the city.

City Statistics: Total street mileage, 709, with 509 miles paved; 660 miles of sewers. Capacity of water works (public) 125,000,000 gallons daily, with 1,500 miles of mains and value of plant estimated at $55,000,000.

Miscellaneous: Oakland is one of a group of nine contiguous cities which had a combined population of 487,839 on January 1, 1930. During the year 1936, Oakland enjoyed 240 full days of sunshine. The United States Census Bureau states that 94.1 per cent of Oakland's population is white and 76.7 per cent of it native white. There are over 8 miles of berthing space in Oakland Harbor, 121 national industries have chosen Metropolitan Oakland for the base of their Pacific Coast operations. California's two greatest poultry producing centers are located within 20 miles of Oakland.

OAKLAND

Oakland, situated on the continental side of San Francisco Bay, is the third largest city in Cali- fornia, the fifth largest on the Pacific Coast, and the fastest growing industrial city in the West.

Though it has grown with tremendous rapidity, both from the standpoint of population and the standpoint of industry, Oakland is a city of homes. Stretching away from the bay there is ample room for a city of several million population before reaching the sloping hills which have become the exclusive residential section of each of the several cities along the eastern shore of the bay.

It is only in comparatively recent years that industries, recognizing the advantages offered by Oak- land, began to claim the excellent factory sites along the bay shore. Today there are 1,350 plants, making a total of more than 2,300 different products in this great east bay district.

THE HARBOR

Oakland has 27 miles of deep water frontage on the greatest land-locked harbor in the world. Improved freight docking facilities have been installed by municipal and private interests, and repair facilities, superior to any on the Pacific Coast, are available here for the fleets of the world. Oakland lays claim to the largest floating dry docks in the world and the largest marine railroad. It has numerous other dry docks and marine roilroads of lesser size.

A majority of the leading steamship lines carrying either coastwise or trans-Pacific freight, have made Oakland a regular port of call, and the volume handled on Oakland docks is growing with great rapidity. 1

United States Government engineers recently recommended the expenditure of more than a million and one-half dollars on the Oakland harbor.

INDUSTRIES

The year 1937 is the Fifth year of a major construction program that will result in the expenditure of $133,000,000 within a radius of 20 miles of Oakland. Oakland and San Francisco are connected by a $75,000,000 bridge, and a new $5,000,000 tunnel provides fast transportation bewteen Oakland and the rich central valleys. Near San Rafael, 15 miles from Oakland, the Government has just completed building a bombing base, at a cost of $4,000,000, which will be used by the air service. The Naval Air Base, now contemplated across Oakland's inner harbor in Alameda, will cost $13,500,000, and on Government Island in the estuary separating the two cities, headquarters for the Coast Guard Serv- ice, U. S. Bureau of Public Roads, and U. S. Forest service have just been completed at a cost of $3,000,000. A $15,000,000 Naval supply base is being planned for Oakland's inner harbor.

The Golden Gate is spanned by a bridge costing $35,000,000.

This vast expenditure is certain to reflect itself in industrial conditions and add to Oakland's stra- tegic location in the geographic industrial center of the Pacific Coast states, its immediate access to sea lanes leading to the Orient, its unusual transportation facilities, and the availability of raw materials, power, water and fuel.

CLIMATE

Oakland's climate is extremely equable. The average temperature for the twelve months is 56.8 'rees. The days are never too hot for comfort and the nights are always cool. Seldom, even in the

so-called winter months, does the mercury drop to 32 degrees F. It is due to this ideal working climate that Oakland shipyards-and incidentally Oakland is one of the largest shipbuilding centers in the world-were the ones to set one building record after another during the World War.

HEALTH CONDITIONS

In point of health, Oakland has consistently ranked among the first cities of the nation for a long period of years, and statistics show that it has become an increasingly more healthful place for residents during the last fifteen years.

The death rate in Oakland in 1936 was 11.8 per thousand residents. During the past thirteen years Oakland has made a phenomenal improvement in its infant mortality rate. In 1920, seventy-one babies died out of every 1,000 born, while in 1936, the rate of infant mortality was reduced to only 44. 1 deaths in 1,000 births.

POPULATION

The population of Oakland in 1910 was 150, 174, in 1920, 216,261, a gain of approximately 44 per cent in a ten-year period. In 1930, 284,063, a gain of 31.4 per cent over 1920.

The cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Albany, Richmond and El Cerrito have now grown together into one compact whole. It is these nine cities which are referred to as Metropolitan Oakland, with a population of about 505,000.

SCHOOLS

Few cities in the United States can boast of a more perfect school system than Oakland, or more attractive school buildings. Noted educators from every section of the world have praised Oakland's educational facilities. The present school enrollment is in excess of 60,000. In Berkeley, which adjoins Oakland on the north, is the great University of California, the largest in the United States in point of enrollment and incidentally one of the richest in the matter of endowment.

Oakland has 50 primary and grammar schools, 13 junior high schools and 10 high schools.

PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS

Oakland's new park and playground development-a noteworthy feature of which was the acquisition of extensive municipal golf links-undoubtedly will be conducive to a still higher level of health and well-being among residents of this favored city. Among the Oakland parks which have attracted the attention of tourists from all parts of the world is beautiful Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park. Lake Merritt, situated in the center of the city, comprises 160 acres, and is surrounded by wonderful lawns and beyond these by beautiful, modern homes and apartments. On one side of the lake is situated Oakland's million-dollar auditorium.

The waters of Lake Merritt are dotted the year around with canoes and launches and during the so-called winter months many thousands of wild ducks make Lake Merritt their home. Spring finds these traditional wild birds almost as tame as barnyard fowls. They walk on the lawns and among the sightseers, apparently recognizing that their safety is assured.

The annual visit of these ducks that have adopted this spot in sunny California as their home has been made the occasion for pageants on the part of the people, and each January the now nationally known Wild Duck Pageant is held on the lake shore.

Possessed as it is of all these things considered essential for a great metropolis, with three trans- continental railways, its position on one of the world's greatest land-locked harbors and with ample room in which to make a tremendous expansion, Oakland's future is assured.

BERKELEY

"A Finer Place to Live"

STATISTICAL REVIEW

Name of City-Berkeley.

Altitude-0 to 1300 feet.

Area-17 square miles, 9 land and 8 water.

Population-Census of 1930-82,109; estimated total 1937-99,000; White, 1930 Census-77,508; Other, 1930 Census-4,601.

Education-16 elementary public schools, 3 junior high schools, 2 high schools; 4 divinity schools; 7 commercial; 7 private; 3 parochial; 7 small children; 1 trade; 1 blind; 1 deaf; and the University of California. Number of pupils in public schools, June, 1937-12,421; Number of teachers in public schools, June, 1937-475.

Public Library and branches contain 155,645 volumes as of July, 1937.

Two transcontinental steam railroads serve the city.

Hotels-18 with combined total of more than 1500 rooms.

Churches-81 congregations.

Amusements-9 theaters with total seating capacity of 12,264.

Hospitals-2.

Parks-24 with combined area of 217 acres.

Attendance at Berkeley recreation centers for 1936-1,488,716.

Trade-1, 155 retail stores, 497 service establishments, and 36 wholesale houses; with 4,871 proprietors and employees; producing an annual volume of $30,750,000.00 in sales and services.

Industry-142 major plants; employing 2,723 persons; producing $33,759,461.00 worth of goods. Financial-2 banks (12 branches) ; clearings in 1936-$222,964,809.00; 3 building and loan associa- tions.

Building and Construction-In 1936-37 were 11,002 permits of value of $2,774,006.00.

Post Office receipts-In 1936 were $585,023.34. -

Form of Government-Council-Manager instituted in 1923.

Assessed valuation-$85,542,440.00.

Tax rate-City, $1.42.

Bonded Debt-July 1937-$906,525.00.

Miscellaneous City Statistics-Total street mileage is 197.9 of which 190.3 miles are paved; 225 miles of sewers; fire loss, 1936-37-$24,480.00; Infant mortality rate, 46.8 per 1,000 live births (cor- rected).

BERKELEY

Berkeley is situated on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay directly opposite the famous Golden Gate, upon land which rises gently to a range of low-lying hills. From these hills may be had a surpassing view which encompasses most of San Francisco Bay, the East Bay cities, San Francisco, and the Golden Gate, and the beautiful Marin peninsula topped by Mt. Tamalpais. Builders of homes in Berkeley have been able to take advantage of many architectural possibilities presented by hillside home-sites and as a result Berkeley has become noted as one of the most beautiful home cities in the nation. The city enjoys a moderate climate with few frosty days in the winter and rarely a hot day in the summer. Winter rains produce colorful gardens and beautiful lawns. The air, tempered by sea breezes and frequent morning and evening fogs makes for an ideal working climate. Splendid schools, numerous church organizations, a distinguished University faculty, and a conservative, civic-minded citizenry have worked together to build a city that is one of the cultural centers of the West.

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Polk's Oakland (California) city directory, 1938, Part 1

Author: R.L. Polk & Co Publication date: 1928 Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : R.L. Polk & Co. Number of Pages: 1142

Author: R.L. Polk & Co
Publication date: 1928
Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : R.L. Polk & Co.
Number of Pages: 1142