Polk's Oakland (California) city directory, 1939, Part 1

Author: R.L. Polk & Co
Publication date: 1928
Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : R.L. Polk & Co.
Number of Pages: 1120

USA > California > Alameda County > Oakland > Polk's Oakland (California) city directory, 1939 > Part 1

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.

CHOOSE A BANK

Qual gives COMPLETE SERVICE

...

CENTRAL BANK

Pearl Assurance Company. Lidl.

BUSINESS PEOPLETY

Talay 1: Higate 3400; TEmptel. 22701 QL

- RI ALTOR-CHARLES M. WOOD-APPS

SPENCER COLLECTION SERVICE

124 FOUND DAITH STRENT

SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1223 04590 1338

DATE DUE

Printed In USA

HIGHSMITH #45230

POLK'S

OAKLAND

CALIFORNIA City Directory 1939 XLVI

VOL.

INCLUDING

ALAMEDA, BERKELEY, EMERYVILLE AND PIEDMONT CONTAINING AN ALPHABETICAL DIRECTORY OF BUSINESS CONCERNS AND PRIVATE CITIZENS, À STREET AND AVENUE GUIDE AND MUCH INFORMATION OF A MISCELLANEOUS CHARACTER Also a Buyers' Guide

and a Complete

Classified Business Directory For Detailed Contents See General Index

"The

DIRECTORY

IS THE COMMON

INTERMEDIARY

BETWEEN

BUYER ... SELLER"

Nº 1104 1

Publishers Note

The information in this Directory is gathered by an actual canvass and is compiled in a way to insure maxi- mum accuracy.

The publishers cannot and do not guarantee the cor- rectness of all information furnished them nor the complete absence of errors and omissions, hence no responsibility for same can be or is assumed.

The publishers earnestly request the bringing to their attention of any inaccuracy so that it may be corrected in the next Directory.

R. L. POLK & CO. Publishers

GENERAL INDEX

Abbreviations

opposite .. 988

Advertising Department

Alphabetical List of Names

990

Apartment Houses

993

Bank Department

Buyers' Guide

Buildings, Blocks and Halls

1004

Business and Commercial Associations.

989

Buyers' Guide

1005

Cemeteries

1006

Churches

City Government-Alameda

109

Berkeley

670

Oakland

989

Clubs

1011

Colleges and Private Schools

County Government

Federal Government Officers

Berkeley

670

Fraternal Organizations

Hospitals, Homes and Sanitarium; -.

1029

Introduction

Justice Courts

Labor Organizations

1034

Libraries and Reading Rooms

1037

Military

304

Parks and Playgrounds

1047

Piers

1050

Police Department-Alameda

Berkeley

109

Oakland

671

Population

Postoffice Department

726

Public Library

1037

Schools and Colleges

1060

Schools-Public

1059

Societies-Secret and Fraternal

1062

State Officers and Boards

855

Street and Avenue Guide

Superior Courts

Trade and Labor Organizations 1034

United States Courts and Officers

304

Wharves

1050

Associations, Clubs and Societies

1003

Business Directory

opposite 988

Classified Business Directory

1010

Directory Library

304

Fire Department-Alameda

109

Oakland

1019

---

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS 1

(Page numbers below refer to Buyers' Guide opposite page 988)

Page

Alameda County-East Bay Title Insurance Co front cover and 39

Alcosta Credit Adjustment Co 14

American Trust Co. 4

Anglo California National Bank

Art Rattan Works .. left top lines and Classified Tab Insert

Bank of America 6

Bekins Van & Storage Co

right side lines and 38

Beneficial Finance Co

right top lines and 30

Berger, llollidge & Conley .. left top lines and 27

Brent's Credit Jewelers right side lines and 28

Breuner John Co.

left side lines and 23

Broadway Brake Service

right top lines and

Brown Albert Undertaking Co

California Adjusters 14

California College of Arts & Crafts

.right top lines and 37

California Crematorium and Columbarium front cover and 17 California-Western States Life Insurance Co

right side lines and 27

Capwell H C Co.

left top lines and 18

Capwell Sullivan & Furth .right top lines and 19

Cavalier Wm & Co. right top lines and 10

Central Bank

front cover and 7

Chambers Frank D Co. back cover and 34

Coldwell Cornwall & Banker 35

Columbia Outfitting Co .. right side lines and 12

Cooper Clarence N Mortuary left side lines and 22

Co-operative Adjustment Bureau 15

Cowell Henry Lime & Cement Co.

back cover and 10

Dean Witter & Co left side lines and 10

Diamond Collection & Adjustment Service 15

East Bay Municipal Utility District.

Evergreen Cemetery Assn 12

Farmers Automobile Inter-Insurance Exchange

right side lines and 27

Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank left top lines and 8 Federal Outfitting Co 19

Field E B Co. bottom edge and 34

Fireman's Fund Insurance Co

back cover, right top lines and 24

Fong Wan

left top lines and 12

Frederick L B Co top edge, left side lines and 35 Freeman & Cox-Roach & Kenney Inc left top lines and 22 Fuller W P & Co. right top lines and 32

General Metals Corporation

right top lines and 21

Golden State Co

left side lines and 31

Goodwill Industries of Oakland left top lines and 38

Gring Pest Control. back cover and 21

Guy's Drug Stores. left top lines and 21

Heald College C

Hink J F & Son

Holmes Collection Agency 15

Page

Howard Automobile Co.

.right side lines and

Insurance Building

Inter-City Adjustment Co. 15

Inter-City Express

Inter-City Printing Co

Jackson Furniture Co.

right top lines and 23

Jewelry Nook The.

right side lines and 29

Johnson Fred L.

back cover and 35

Kahn's

.right top lines and 20

Kling-Dawers Stationery Co.

Laufer F W Inc

right top lines and 32

Local Loan Co

Loyalty Group

Magnin I & Co.

Market Laundry Co

left side lines and

Mason Bros

Mason-McDuffie Co Inc.

McCormick Steamship Co.

left side lines and 31

Mercantile Collection Service

Miller Grant D Mortuaries Inc.

Monteverde & Parodi Inc.

Classified Tab Insert

Montgomery Ward & Co.

back cover and 19

Munoz John Collection Agency ..

.right side lines and 16

Northwestern Mutual Fire Assn .... right top lines and 26 Oakland California Towel Co. A

Oakland Crematorium-Columbarium 18

Oakland Real Estate Board.

.left top lines and 33

Oakland Title Insurance & Guaranty Co

left top lines and 39

Office Equipment Co of Oakland

left top lines and 32

Pacific Bond & Mortgage Co.

left side lines and 30

Packard-Weaver Co. left side lines and 3 Pearl Assurance Co .. front cover and right top lines and 25 Phillips Mercantile Agency.

Polytechnic College of Engineering

opposite page 44 and 37

Pope & Talbot Lumber Co

Porter F F Co.

front edge and 36

Porter F F. Phillips & Co 28

Professional Collection Service

Read's Bonded Adjustment Bureau .. left top lines and 14 Retailers Credit Assn backbone and 17

Rhodes & Jamieson Ltd.

back cover and 12

Schroeter & White

Signature Loan Corp 30

Simpson John

right top lines and 26

Spencer Collection Service.

front cover and 13

Truman Co.

B and 23

Watkins Charles N Detective Service

Western Camera Works.

left top lines and 11

Whitthorne & Swan

left top lines and 20

Willis College of Business.

left top lines and 37

Wood Charles M Co.

front cover and 36

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 1939 edition of the Oakland City 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 City 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 561,085, 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 988.

The Buyers' Guide, opposite page 988, 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 989 to 1068. 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 City 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 edu- cational 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 and Berkeley, 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-61.6 square miles. Altitude-Zero to 1800 feet.

Assessed valuation-$260,842,657.00-1938-1939.

Parks-47, with acreage of 634.

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 $ 10,659,900.00.

Financial: 57 banks, 7 trust companies.

Churches -- 190.

Building and construction: Value of building permits 1937, $8,396,095, with 6,881 permits.

Real estate transfers (trust deeds recorded) total 14,812, valued at $75,665,000 (1937). About 48.6 per cent of homes owned. Dwellings-total numb 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 4'l 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, 57,447. 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 1937, Oakland enjoyed 214 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 railroads 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.

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

WORLD'S FAIR FACTS

WHERE: The Golden Gate International Exposition . .. on man-made Treasure Island in the center of San Francisco Bay, linked by the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to the 2,000,000 pop- ulation of the Bay communities.

WHEN: Opens on February 18, 1939, and stays open for 288 days until December 2 of the same year.

HOW LARGE: Physically, 400 acres spreading a mile long and two-thirds of a mile wide; finan- cially, representing up to $50,000,000; culturally, as broad as the civilizations of the Western States and nations of the Pacific.

ATTENDANCE: 6,000,000 Californians live within ten hours' ride of Treasure Island, 4,000.000 out-of-state visitors are expected individually or with 1,500 conventions ... totaling estimated admis- sions of 20,000,000 for Exposition year.

LANDSCAPING AND ILLUMINATION: Treasure Island will be a garden by day, a jewel by night. Thousands of trees and plants, millions of flowers, patterned by arbors, boulevards and rain- bow-colored Magie Carpets will give way at night to the mystery and gayety of multi-colored lighting. These are the jewels set about an architectural plan that combines the ancient design of Mayan, Incan, Cambodian and other Pacific cultures into a unique, modern scheme.

CLIMATE

Oakland's climate is extremely equable. The average temperature for the twelve months is 56.8 degrees. 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 1937 was 11.8 per thousand residents. During the past fourteen years Oakland has made a phenomenal improvement in its infant mortality rate. In 1920, seventyone babies died out of every 1.000 born, while in 1937, the rate of infant mortality was reduced to only 44. ] 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 514,000.

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 1938-100,000; 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; I trade; 1 blind; 1 deaf; and the University of California. Number of pupils in public schools, June, 1938-12,338; Number of teachers in public schools, June, 1938-465.

Public Library and branches contain 160,393 volumes as of August, 1938.

Two transcontinental steam railroads serve the city.

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

Churches-81 congregations.

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

Hospitals-2.

Parks-24 with combined area of 217 acres.

Attendance at Berkeley recreation centers from June 1937 to June 1938-1,629,656.

Trade-1, 155 retail stores, 497 service establishments, and 36 wholesale houses; with 4,871 proprie- tors 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 1937-$170,844,696.00; 3 building and loan asso- ciations.

Building and Construction-In 1937-38 were 10,636 permits of value in excess of $1,900,000.00. Post Office receipts-In 1937 were $645,063.91.

Form of Government-Council-Manager instituted in 1923.

Assessed valuation-$86,247,995.00 as of March, 1937.

Tax rate-City, $1.42.

Bonded Debt-June 1938-$853,072.00.

Miscellaneous City Statistics-Total street mileage is 205 of which 198 miles are paved; 227 miles of sewers; fire loss, 1937-38-$33,520.00; Infant mortality rate, 22.5 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.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Polk's Oakland (California) city directory, 1939, Part 1

Author: R.L. Polk & Co Publication date: 1928 Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : R.L. Polk & Co. Number of Pages: 1120

Author: R.L. Polk & Co
Publication date: 1928
Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : R.L. Polk & Co.
Number of Pages: 1120