USA > California > Alameda County > History of Alameda County, California. Volume I > Part 51
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Another vice probe was commenced on May 20, this time involv- ing Emeryville, when the district attorney's office summoned a grand jury to convene on the 25th of the month. Mayor W. H. Christie and Chief of Police Ed. Carey were also legally requested to be present to testify as to alleged bootlegging and gambling conditions. City Man- ager John N. Edy, of Berkeley, had but recently demanded a "clean-up" of Emeryville following an automobile accident in which a University
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of California co-ed was killed in an auto accident after a drinking party.
THE WHITNEY CASE REAPPEARS
The famous Charlotte Anita Whitney case, which first opened seven and a-half years previously, again made its appearance before the public May 16, with the news that she had lost her last appeal. Growing out of her attendance and remarks at a Communist party con- vention in Oakland, November 9, 1919, her arrest followed on a charge of criminal syndicalism, under a law passed by many states during the World war. She had been convicted before Superior Judge Quinn, and sentenced to a term of from one to fourteen years in the penitentiary. The case was bitterly fought; appeal followed appeal; and every step was taken to set aside the conviction. However, the Supreme Court of the United States, the last tribunal to review the case, affirmed the sen- tence. At the time this court announced the final decision five of those involved in the first proceedings over seven years previously had passed from the scene. Thomas M. O'Connor, chief council for Mrs. Whit- ney, died during the trial. J. W. McClymonds, former superintendent of schools, and foreman of the jury that convicted her, was also dead. Mrs. Lucile Stegeman, a member of the jury; Judge George E. Sam- uels, the police judge before whom she had been arraigned; and Chief of Police Fenton Thompson, the arresting officer, had also passed away. However, the passing of time and the changed circumstances and in- terests were considerably altered from the enthusiastic days of the World war, and much had been forgotten and forgiven by the time the court of last resort had handed down its opinion; and a pardon was given to the woman who had been so much in the lime-light.
James D. Dole, the Hawaiian "Pineapple King," offered his prizes of $35,000, May 25 for the first two aviators to fly from the mainland to Honolulu within a year following August 15. The late Commander John Rodgers almost accomplished this feet in August, 1925, when his plane had exhausted its gasoline supply about one hundred miles from the goal, and the brave naval officer was compelled to alight in the ocean. The Dole flight is treated in a separate chapter.
Another pioneer of Berkeley and the Bay region passed away on May 30, when Joseph R. Mason, aged eighty-three, died. He had re- sided in Berkeley for forty years, and was the founder of the Mason- McDuffie Company of San Francisco. He came to that city in 1875,
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and in 1887 settled in Berkeley, engaging in the real estate business with an office at Dwight Way and Shattuck Avenue. He helped develop the Claremont, Northbrae and other tracts.
Thirty swimmers from various points of California answered the starter's gun in a fourteen-mile marathon swimming race around Ala- meda on May 30, for prizes aggregating several hundred dollars offered by R. C. Strehlow. Only three finished. Byron Summers won the race with about an hour to spare over "Happy Jack" Wolynin of Long Beach. Arthur Compton, also of Long Beach, and but fourteen years of age finished third in nine hours, two minutes and twenty seconds. The prize offered for the woman to come in first went unclaimed, as none of those who started was able to make the distance.
COURT CLEARS WAY FOR WAR MEMORIAL
On June 2 the Supreme Court of California rendered a decision clearing the way for the early erection of the war memorial on the site desired on the shores of Lake Merritt. The judicial tribunal granted a writ of mandate to compel the Board of Supervisors to sign contracts for the lease of the site to the city. The erection of the memorial had been delayed when a question arose regarding the title to the site se- lected. The property, a part of Lakeside Park, was given to the city by the Adams family with the provision that it should be used for park purposes only. The Board of Supervisors had been willing to start im- mediate construction of the building under the plans and specifications which they had had prepared, when the title of the county was ques- tioned. Acting Chairman W. J. Hamilton of the board forced the issue by refusing to sign the lease, and the mandamus proceedings were in- stituted to settle the dispute. The decision held that the city could lease the ground for the intended memorial. The action was brought by former city attorney Eugene K. Sturgis and attorneys Bestor Robin- son and Markell Baer, representing the veterans. The contract for the erection of the memorial was let December 20, 1926, to Schuler & Mc- Donald upon a bid of $248,130; but work had been delayed until the Supreme Court handed down its opinion in the matter. Funds for this building were provided through county taxation by a recent act of the legislature. The site is located at the head of Lake Merritt, at Harrison and Grand avenues.
Nearly four thousand five hundred students graduated from the Oakland public schools June 10. The number promoted from the ele-
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mentary institutions was 2,073. The Fremont, Technical, University, Oakland, McClymonds and Roosevelt High schools presented 1,075 diplomas to graduating seniors. The fourteen junior high schools (Clawson, Elmhurst, Frick, Garfield, Glenview, Golden Gate, Alexan- der Hamilton, Lakeview, Lockwood, Lowell, Prescott, Tompkins, Woodrow Wilson and Claremont) gave out a total of 1,323 diplomas. Three days later graduating exercises were held at Mills College, mark- ing the 75th anniversary of the founding of that institution. Sheep- skins were given out to 112 graduates, representing sixty-four cities and towns of thirteen states and territories. John Duncan Spaeth, pro- fessor of English at Princeton, was the speaker of the day at the ex- ercises held in Lisser Hall. Pres. Aurelia Henry Reinhardt presented the diplomas.
PUBLIC PROPERTY OF OAKLAND WORTH $26,813,173.64
State Controller Ray L. Riley published statistics in June showing the vested wealth of California's principal cities. His figures gave the vested wealth of Oakland at $26,813,173.64. The City Hall was valued at $2,823,236.53; parks at $7,484,440.05; fire department, $1,435,- 107.82; police department, $274,011.79; street department and equip- ment, $2,422,074.43 ; municipal service enterprises, $4,887,055.11; and miscellaneous city property at $6,602,854.99. According to his state- ment the vested wealth of Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Pasadena exceeded that of Oakland. The assessed valuation of the county was placed at $433,045,954. The bonded indebtedness of Ala- meda County was shown to be $18,651,500. During 1926 the county spent $10,344,037.08 to educate its children. Of this sum, $6,897,- 067.66 was for elementary schools, and $3,382,405.21 was for high schools. General government functioning of the county during 1926 was done at a cost of $1,031,764.45 to the taxpayers.
CORNER-STONE OF SCOTTISH RITE TEMPLE LAID
The corner-stone of the West's finest Scottish Rite Temple was laid on June 11. Masonic leaders from many northern and central Califor- nia cities and towns came to Oakland to take part in the ceremonies which marked the progress in the erection of this classic Greek struc- ture on the shores of Lake Merritt. George L. Jones, of Nevada City,
ELKS CLUB BUILDING, OAKLAND
SCOTTISH RITE TEMPLE, OAKLAND
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grand master of the Grand Lodge of California, Free and Accepted Masons, wielded the trowel which sealed in place the corner-stone of this new and magnificient monument to Eastbay Masonry. Preceding the ceremonies a parade, participated in by all Masonic bodies in the Bay district, was held on down-town streets and then to the new temple, with Col. C. G. Lawrence officiating as grand marshal assisted by Harry G. Williams and George Gatley.
An important industrial announcement was made on June 14, with the news of the sale of the Union Construction Company's plant on the western water-front to the California Co-Operative Producers, a newly formed state-wide growers' manufacturing and marketing organiza- tion. This transaction marked the passing of a famous war-time in- dustry into a permanent peace-time enterprise. Walter Johnson, presi- dent of the first named concern, became president of the new company ; and work was started for the converting of the former shipyard into a plant for drying, canning and processing of California fruits. A large building program was announced. The property comprises sixty-five acres of municipally owned water-front land under lease from the city for a twenty-five-year period, and a location with 4,000 feet of dock- age frontage.
On June 14 City-Manager John N. Edy of Berkeley submitted his proposed municipal budget for the fiscal year of 1927-28, with a pro- posed total expenditures of $1,222,450. The school department showed the heaviest demands, asking for $330,000 from the city treasury. This was a third of the school total of $1,100,667, the remainder to come from county and state funds. The fire department asked $241,349; police department, $141,290; and public library, $92,085. These were the principal items of the budget.
On June 15 an order permitting the Key System Transit Company to abandon its tracks on East Sixteenth Street, between Second and Fourteenth avenues, was entered by the State Railroad Commission. This order permitted the franchise granted to the traction company on May 19 by the City Council, to operate cars on Fourteenth Avenue, between East Sixteenth and East Eighteenth, to become operative. The company was thus given the right to remove its tracks from East Six- teenth, and re-route cars over East Eighteenth Street to Fourteenth Avenue, thence south to East Sixteenth Street.
On the same day the Golden Gate Ferry Company's new automobile service between Berkeley and San Francisco was formally dedicated, and service was inaugurated the day following. Boats commenced to
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run at 4:30 A. M., and ran every half hour until 7:30, when the serv- ice became effective in fifteen-minute intervals. At 7:30 P. M. it again became half-hour service, until 9:30; and then hourly until 4:30 A. M. Four new boats were put in service. The three-and-one-half mile pier on the Berkeley side of the Bay is a straight paved causeway. The distance from there to the San Francisco terminal at Hyde Street is three and one-eighth miles requiring twenty-seven minutes. The ships were built in Oakland by the Pacific Coast Engineering Company.
MANY CHANGES IN OAKLAND'S OFFICIAL FAMILY
The new city government organized on July 1, 1927, and on July 11th Frank Colbourn was assigned as commissioner of public works; Eugene K. Sturgis, revenue and finance; C. C. Young, public health and safety; and W. H. Parker, commissioner of streets. Frank Conard was dismissed as city treasurer, and Jake Croter named as his suc- cessor. Tom Carney was named as a civil service commissioner to fill the vacancy caused by the expiration of the term of Sophus Nelson. George N. Randle was named to succeed W. W. Harmon as city en- gineer. Dr. C. C. Wing was relieved of his official duties as city veter- inarian and deputy health officer; and Joseph S. Biven was also dis- missed as chief sanitary inspector. Herbert Elder, license inspector, also had his term of office cut short. Eli M. Moody, chief deputy city clerk was replaced by Charles Don; and Clyde K. Wallace named in place of John K. Ritter as street proceedings clerk. Ordinance No. 3601, N. S., providing for the purchase of MacDermot Park, was re- scinded by the new administration. On July 11, after much speculation, Donald L. Marshall, of the district attorney's office, was appointed the new chief of police, succeeding James T. Drew, and he was immediately sworn into office by City Clerk Frank C. Merritt. Drew resumed his rank as an inspector. Marshall was named by Commissioner C. C. Young. William G. Lutkey, who was then assistant fire chief, was promoted to chief of the fire department, to succeed Chief Sam H. Short. Short joined the Oakland fire department in 1893 as an extra man. He had risen to assistant chief in 1917, and to chief in July, 1921. The noteworthy Oakland fires during his term as a fireman in- cluded the Tubbs Hotel fire of 1893, both fires of St. Mary's College, the Dewey Theatre fire, the Hall warehouse fire in 1906, the May's stable holocaust, and the disastrous $300,000 fire of the Union Con- struction Company's plant.
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Dr. Charles R. Fancher was named to succeed Dr. John F. Slavich as city bacteriologist and physician. Harry C. Smith drew the ap- pointment as chief market and food inspector; Ernest J. Engler as chief sanitary inspector; and Joseph E. Francis, plumbing inspector.
PIONEERS DIE
West Berkeley lost one of its respected pioneers July 15, in the death of Charles Hadlen, who was one of Berkeley's first business men, hav- ing established a grocery store there fifty years previously. He was a member of the commission which framed the city charter, served as a member of the Board of Trustees, as a member of the Library Board, as a member of the city planning committee, and had also been a deputy county clerk. A pioneer physician of Oakland also passed away August 1, when Dr. George H. Derrick died. He had practiced for thirty-two years in this city. On the third of the month Berkeley lost a promi- nent citizen in the death of Howard H. Hart, wealthy mining and stock broker, who owned one of the show places of the Eastbay region at 60 Alvarado Road, built by him in 1900. The same day witnessed the death of John W. Dickie, aged eighty-six, in Alameda. Dickie built the first steam ferry boat on the Bay, and helped build the famous cutter Bear. Wigginton E. Creed, one of the foremost public utility figures in California and a financial leader of the West, also passed away at his home, 128 Indian Road, Piedmont, following a stroke of apoplexy. He was president of the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, and had been a lawyer and teacher before becoming prominent as a financier.
On July 27, Miss Helen Jacobs, the eighteen-year old Berkeley tennis sensation of 1927, defeated Mrs. Molla Mallory, national women's champion, in the quarter finals of the Essex Country Club invitation tournament at Manchester, Mass.
TRAFFIC COMMITTEE GIVES RECOMMENDATIONS
The Major Highway and Traffic Committee of One Hundred made five chief recommendations in a report given to citizens of Oakland who gathered at the Elks' Club on August 10. The report recommended these five major projects to be such that they "warrant immediate con- sideration." They were: First, the widening and opening of Twenty- second Street from Harrison Boulevard to the western water-front.
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Second, a cross-town street uniting Hopkins and the Brookdale-East Fourteenth Street route in East Oakland with Mather and Forty- second streets, the Fuller Street route to Berkeley and other thorough- fares. Third, relief of the Twelfth Street dam situation by paving East Tenth Street, by the construction of traffic circles, and by the re- moval of car tracks. Fourth, a superhighway paralleling the water- front from Berkeley to San Leandro. Fifth, widening and extension of the Skyline Boulevard. The report was prepared by Harland Bar- tholomew, the St. Louis city planning and landscape engineer who had been working for several months for the committee.
ALAMEDA'S NEW HOTEL OPENED
The new Alameda Community Hotel on Central Avenue was opened to the public with an appropriate celebration on August 11 and 12. This enterprise was fostered by the Alameda Chamber of Commerce, and ground had been broken in September, 1926. The new hostelry con- tains 170 rooms, consisting of nineteen three-room apartments, thirty- six two-room apartments, and forty single rooms for transients. The project was incorporated as the Alameda Community Hotel Corpora- tion, and a committee was appointed to take charge of raising the funds for the needed venture, consisting of Frank W. Halley, since dead; J. S. McDowell, C. L. Traver, H. R. Morris, and George Noble. J. Sherman McDowell was chairman of the committee in charge of the official opening. Mayor Frank Otis delivered the address of welcome. Clarence L. Traver, president of the Alameda Chamber of Commerce; George H. Noble, president of the hotel corporation; and Charles B. Hamilton, president of the Hamilton chain of hotels, as operator of the hotel, were among those who also spoke. The new hotel contains two dining rooms, a ballroom, a coffee shop, a tea room, and a beautiful lobby. It fills the need of hotel facilities long desired in Alameda and is a credit to the enterprising spirit of those active in the city's growth and advancement.
Another of West Berkeley's landmarks became a thing of the past during the early part of August, when the old Sisterna Hall was razed. It was built in 1878 on the northwest corner of Sixth Street and University Avenue. The two-story frame structure was the first large hall to be erected in that section of town, and was dedicated September 28, 1878. A dance and special program comprised the dedicatory exer-
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cises. It was the home of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and Knights of Honor, the mecca of road shows, church entertainments, minstrel shows, old-fashioned dances, and political meetings of all sorts. The lower floor was used as the post office when I. M. Wentworth was postmaster. Postmasters W. R. Dickerson and Katherine Teague also maintained the office there. It changed ownership a number of times, and its name did likewise. In 1903 it became "Fraternal Block." In 1913 a new maple floor was put down as an improvement, and it became "Maple Hall." When it became the property of the late George Schmidt, it became the "Schmidt Block." During the later years of its existence it was condemned for meeting purposes.
The new St. Mary's College High school, at Peralta Park, Berkeley, near Sacramento and Hopkins streets, was opened August 16 for the autumn semester.
The new Rockridge Masonic Temple, at 5449 College Avenue, was dedicated August 20, with all Masonic bodies in the Rockridge district participating. The Rockridge Masonic lodge was organized in 1917, and numbered 370 members at the time its new three-story home was dedicated.
City Auditor Harry G. Williams signed the check for the final payment on Oakland's airport site the middle of August. It was for $560,000, and made out in favor of G. C. and Louis Stephens and Frank L. and Mildred H. Taylor.
Plans for a new six-story hotel for Berkeley, to be erected on the southeast corner of Durant Avenue and Bowditch Street, were an- nounced August 21, by the Berkeley Hotel Corporation.
The Holy Names College, located on Lake Merritt at Twenty-first and Webster streets, announced on August 24, the purchase of the famous show place of Senator Stanford, near Mission San Jose, for the sum of $150,000. Joseph McGushin, real estate broker, represented the college in the acquisition of this 1,220-acre farm for a new college site. It was purchased from Lawrence A. Kelley, of San Jose. The sale of the Oakland site was now made possible at an early date. In 1922 the college had acquired thirty-seven acres in Piedmont for a college site, but this, also, had been sold recently. The new location chosen is on the Oakland-San Jose highway, and about half way be- tween the Mission San Jose and Warm Springs.
The new Capwell Central Market, at Telegraph Avenue and Nine- teenth Street, was opened to the public August 26.
DOORWAY TO PROPOSED CITY HALL, SAN LEANDRO
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TAX LEVIES FIXED
The Oakland tax rate for the fiscal year 1927-28 was set on August 29 at $1.99. It provided for the raising of $6,418,674.90. This was a reduction of 51 cents in the city levy over the previous year, the $2.50 levy of that year having produced $7,270,129.38. The levy received its final vote by the city commissioners September 6. The Berkeley city tax rate was set at $1.59 by the officials of that city, a reduction of one cent under the previous year. The Albany rate was raised 43 cents, bringing it to $1.56. The San Leandro rate was established at 95 cents in the original townsite and 96 cents in the annexed portions, a slight increase in both portions. On September 7 the county supervisors decided upon the following levies within Alameda County cities : Oak- land, $3.17 ; Berkeley, $3.28; Alameda, $3.30; Emeryville, $2.50; Pied- mont, $3.47 ; San Leandro, $3.16; Pleasanton, $2.58; Hayward, $3.19; and Livermore, $2.76. The Oakland tax levy was the subject of much discussion and argument before finally adopted by the city commis- sioners.
On September 20 the Bank of Italy announced the merger of the First National Bank of Hayward with its banking institution. A short time prior to that the Bank of Italy had also taken over the State Bank, with offices in San Leandro, Hayward and Newark.
The Oakland school board accepted plans for the new Lockwood School annex, East Seventeenth and Sixty-second Avenue, on Septem- ber 20. The addition called for an expenditure estimated at $124,000.
Miles Doody, age eighty-six, and former chief of the Oakland fire department, died September 8. He came to Oakland in the sixties and opened a paint shop at the northeast corner of Twelfth and Broad- way. He had been connected with the fire department for thirty years. He became chief in 1870.
The corner-stone of the new Trinity Methodist Episcopal church in Berkeley was dedicated September 11, by Bishop Charles Wesley Burns, of San Francisco. The new structure was built to seat 1,100 persons and at a cost of $160,000, at Dana and Durant streets. Three of the original organizers of the church were present at these exer- cises-Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Gleason and Miss Mary Dutch. The church was organized in July, 1883, and was incorporated in Decem- ber, 1887.
Memorial services for the late President Benjamin Ide Wheeler
ap.
OAKLAND SKYLINE FROM ESTUARY
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of the University of California were held on the campus at Berkeley October 3.
On October 10, President W. W. Campbell, of the University of California, announced a gift of $1,750,000 from John D. Rockefeller, Jr., for the erection of a dormitory and social center building. A few days prior the board of regents had acquired a site on the east side of Piedmont Avenue, between Bancroft Way and the California Mem- orial stadium. "The International Home" was given as the name for the new structure.
On October 1 a Supreme Court decision was handed down to the effect that twelve deputy sheriffs of Alameda County were not entitled to hold their positions. The ruling grew out of the provisions of the new county charter requiring deputies to be selected from the civil service list; and those involved in this incident were held to have served without pay for several months. On the 4th ten of those involved were replaced by new deputies.
On October 2 ground was broken for the new $150,000 veterans' memorial in Berkeley, located on Center Street near Milvia Street. The members of the committee in charge were D. E. N. Johnson, Joseph Honer, William Kuhn, A. M. Kanzler and E. J. Hardy. Mayor M. B. Driver, County Supervisor Edmund C. Staats, Councilwoman Mrs. Carrie Hoyt, and Rev. E. R. Dille spoke during the ceremonies. Build- ing operations were commenced the day following, thus ending a six years' campaign for a building on the part of the veterans. The funds were made possible through a special lax levy on the part of the county supervisors.
The historic landmark known as the Piedmont bathhouse, owned by William A. Boole, was swept by a fire on the fourth, doing damage to the extent of $100,000.
Alameda County was given its ninth Superior Court judge on Octo- ber 3, when Homer R. Spence, former private secretary of Gov. C. C. Young, was duly sworn into office. Presiding Judge T. W. Harris presided. The entire personnel of the county's judges were there to witness the ceremonies, including Judges J. J. Allen, Fred V. Wood, James G. Quinn, Lincoln S. Church, E. C. Robinson, J. D. Murphey and Leon E. Gray.
FOURTEENTH STREET WHARF COMPLETED
Oakland's new Fourteenth Street wharf was completed in October, opening to shippers facilities for handling a quarter of a million tons of
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cargo annually. It stands as a link between deep water ships and trans- continental freight trains. The wharf is served on the land side by a spur track from the main line of the Southern Pacific, and on the ocean side fronts a channel that will accommodate the world's largest freighters. It is intended to become the transfer point for foreign cargoes, and has been especially designed and equipped for that pur- pose. There is berthage sufficient for two ships of the first class, or for three smaller boats; and facilities for handling freight are equal to those found in any port on the Pacific Coast. The wharf is 1,020 feet in length, and one-half of its length is covered by a transit shed with 90,000 square feet of floor space. This will be used for cargoes of canned fruits and products that must be kept under cover, and thus ending the necessity for warehouse storage at other points awaiting shipment. Port Manager G. B. Hegardt has estimated that 150,000 tons of such cargo can be moved annually through this transit shed. The remaining half of the wharf is open, for handling lumber, coal and other bulk materials which can be stored outside without damage. Another 100,000 tons can be handled annually from that part of the wharf. This unit represents an expenditure of about $500,000, and it is the first project of the harbor development program financed by the 1925 bond issue of $9,960,000 to be completed. When the Fourteenth Street wharf is fully developed according to plans it will be about double its present size and have facilities for handling freight about twice as extensive as at present.
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