USA > California > Alameda County > Past and present of Alameda County, California, Volume I > Part 10
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 (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60
The little locomotive "J. G. Kellogg" was the second built on the Pacific coast; it was constructed in Alameda in 1865, by A. J. Stevens, who at that date was master mechanic of the little San Francisco and Alameda railroad of which A. A. Cohen was president. It was built on the open Encinal. This was before the Central Pacific absorbed the Cohen road. After various uses, it was finally disused, but in 1891 was resurrected, fixed up, painted and sold to the Shasta Lumber Company and again put into service.
On August 24, 1867, the council granted permission to the San Francisco and Oakland Railroad Company to erect a station at the Point. In 1863, the Western Pacific Railroad Company was formed, its route being from Sacramento via Stockton and Livermore to Oakland, and in the same year the Central Pacific Railroad Company was established. On August 24, 1868, an ordinance granting to the Western Pacific the right of way through certain streets in the city of Oak- land, was passed; and on September 25, 1869, Leland Stanford, president of that company, petitioned the city council that it would be more convenient for the company, and beneficial to the public interests if the council would amend the ordinance granting the right of way through Fifth street so that the same should
75
76
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
read Third and West Third streets. In October, 1869, the Western Pacific and San Francisco Bay railroad companies were consolidated into a new company, with Leland Stanford, C. P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, Charles Crocker, E. B. Crocker, E. H. Miller, Jr., and A. P. Stanford as directors, the capital being $10,000,000.
Subsequently the Western Pacific Railroad Company took formal possession of the local line and ferry. Extensive additions were at once made to the Ala- meda wharf for the temporary accommodation of the overland and interior freight, which was discharged upon lighters, towed across the bay and delivered to consignees at the Second and King street wharf, at which point freight for shipment on the road was also received, thus making San Francisco practically the terminus of the overland road as soon as the rails were laid to the eastern shore of the bay. With the constantly increasing overland, as well as local freight, the necessity for some more expeditious method of handling it soon became apparent, and the steamer Oakland was accordingly fitted up as the first car ferry-boat, carrying five loaded cars. Suitable slips were provided at Alameda and Second street wharves and freight was thus landed in San Francisco with but little delay and without breaking bulk. Meantime, work had been commenced at Oakland wharf with the view of extending it to ships channel, and providing suitable slips for the reception of the largest sea-going vessels, as well as for the boats in the regular passenger and freight ferry service. The length of this wharf when it came into the possession of the Central Pacific Railroad Company was about six thousand nine hundred feet, with a width sufficient for a railroad track and a roadway for teams, having at the terminus a single slip for the ferry- boat El Capitan.
Communication with San Francisco was at a very early day kept up by means of whale-boats, one of which, the Pirourette, plied regularly as a ferry-boat between the embarcadero at San Antonio and San Francisco. On August 4, 1851, the court of sessions of Contra Costa county granted a license to H. W. Carpentier and A. Moon to run a ferry "from Contra Costa (Oakland) in the township of San Antonio, to the city of San Francisco," and fixed the tariff as follows : For one person, $1 ; one horse, $3; one wagon, $3; one two-horse wagon, $5; meat cattle, per head, $3; each hundred weight, 50 cents; each sheep, $1; each hog, $1.
In 1850 the Kangaroo was put on the route, but made only two trips per week, her point of departure being San Antonio (afterward East Oakland). A small steamer ran from Oakland in 1851 and in 1852, the Boston, and the Caleb Cope, Thomas Gray, master, commenced to ply. Towards the end of the year the Kate Hayes, the Red Jacket, and other boats were put on the route, until finally the Contra Costa Steam Navigation Company was established, with two steamers, making regular daily trips, and charging $1 for each passage. In 1852 San Antonio creek was declared navigable by the Legislature.
As early as 1852 a steam-ferry was established between Brooklyn and San Francisco, the pioneer steamers being the Kangaroo, Hector and Red Jacket ; they were followed by the Contra Costa (which was afterwards blown up and several lives lost) and the Clinton of the Minturn line. In the year 1857 James B. Larue, believing that the rates of fare then charged were excessive and detri- mental to the interests of the residents of Alameda county, became associated
77
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
with several others and established an opposition ferry line between Brooklyn, Oakland and San Francisco, under the style of the "Oakland and San Antonio Steam Navigation Company," its originator becoming president. Having pur- chased the steamer Confidence, from her was built the San Antonio, which made her initial trip in April, 1858. A general reduction in the rates of fare and freight ensued, one-half in the case of the former, and two or three hundred per cent in the latter. In the fall of the same year the Oakland was launched and placed on the line, and during the summer of 1859 a lively opposition was kept up by the rival boats. The enterprise did not pay as well as its promoters anticipated and a great majority of them were anxious to sell out. The California Steam Navigation Company purchased a large amount of the stock, and tried very hard to get the supremacy, thus Mr. Larue was forced to buy a sufficient amount to control the entire business or allow the whole scheme to fail; and, in doing so, he became largely involved. In 1862 the Oakland and San Francisco Railroad and Ferry Line was established, and the steamers were sold to them. But fre- quent and rapid communication with San Francisco and low fares and freights were established, which naturally increased the value of property.
In time several steamers were used on the creek route. One of these was the Express. She was run by Wingate, and made trips from San Francisco to Oak- land and Brooklyn. The Chi-du-Wan was another stern-wheeler of small ca- pacity, which was on the creek route in opposition to the regular ferry and to two small side-wheelers, the Louise and another, run by the Central Pacific railroad, all three making their landings at the old wharf at the foot of Broad- way. The Chi-du-Wan carried passengers across for ten cents. The S. M. Whipple, also a stern-wheeler, did service on the creek route for a while.
In the month of March, 1865, the Contra Costa, or Minturn, ferry line of steamers was sold to the San Francisco and Oakland Railroad Company, and on April Ist that line was extended to Brooklyn.
In 1869 there was formed the Oakland and Encinal Turnpike and Ferry Company, an association of residents of Alameda, who were desirous of some cheap and expeditious communication with Oakland, so that they could make their purchases there instead of in San Francisco, and in order that they could have the benefit of the Oakland day and night boats. They proposed a turnpike to the edge of the creek and a ferry across. E. B. Mastick, Charles Baum, Thomas Davenport, H. H. Haight, Charles Meinecke, Charles Minturn, B. H. Ramsdell, Henry Vrooman and C. H. King, were interested in this project. It finally became a law on June 21, 1869.
In 1865 the contract for the construction of the Western Pacific railroad, from San Jose to Stockton, was let to Cox & Meyers, and work commenced in the Alameda canyon in the month of June; while the grading of the San Fran- cisco and Alameda railroad was completed to San Leandro in January, and the laying of the track finished in March, the first trip being made from San Fran- cisco, by boat and cars, to San Leandro in an hour and a quarter. In April the contract for the completion of the road to Haywards was let to C. D. Bates and an opening excursion, free, was had August 25, 1865. On the 22d of March the Contra Costa railroad, to connect the San Francisco and Alameda railroad with Oakland and San Pablo was incorporated, but no work was done on the
78
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
proposed line. It was afterward carried out by the Central Pacific Railroad Company.
In 1869 the great Overland railroad joined the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and all the country rejoiced in the accomplishment of this great feat. A most frightful railroad accident occurred on November 14, 1869 between the Alameda- bound train on the Alameda railroad and the eastern-bound train on the West- ern Pacific railroad, about three miles below San Leandro. The Alameda train consisted of a locomotive, one box car, three passenger cars, smoking car, and one express and baggage car. The Western Pacific train consisted of a locomotive, two express and baggage cars, smoking car, two passenger cars, and one sleep- ing car. Two cars were "telescoped" on each train. The telescoped cars of the Western Pacific train exhibited a more terrible sight. In one end of the car were about sixteen men, most of them dead, all injured, jammed and tangled with a mass of sticks, splinters, and iron. But two persons were killed on the Alameda train-the fireman and one passenger. On receipt of the news Oak- land was thrown into a state of the most intense excitement. On Tuesday, the 16th, several of the dead were buried in Oakland. The funeral of Judge Bald- win took place from the residence of his brother-in-law, the Hon. J. B. Felton, and was attended by the Masonic fraternity and members of the bar.
A new freight ferry-boat, with a capacity for eighteen loaded cars, and addi- tional room for sixteen car-loads of loose stock was built and ready for use as soon as the new wharf was completed in January, 1871, when the freight and passenger business of the company's roads was concentrated at that point. On March 24, 1870, an ordinance to authorize the San Francisco and Oakland rail- road and the Western Pacific railroad companies to erect and maintain bridges across the estuary between the city of Oakland and Brooklyn was passed. In 1873 an addition of 3.79 miles to the Oakland and Alameda branch, con- sisting of a second tract through Railroad avenue and Seventh street, Oak- land, from Bay street to Harrison street, and a branch thence to Mastick Station, Alameda, was built. Two new steamers designed for the ferry line -one for passenger and one for freight service-were built in this year, the Oakland being launched in 1874, and the Transit in July, 1875. In this year, too, the construction of new ferry-slips was undertaken by the harbor commissioners of San Francisco, on East street, between Market and Clay streets. In 1875 a new wharf and slip for the ferry-boat running between San Francisco and Oakland via San Antonio creek (the creek route) was com- menced, and completed in July of the following year, the steamer Capital being entirely refitted for service on the line. In 1878 a new wharf and slip for the car ferry-steamers were constructed near the mouth of the estuary of San An- tonio. In June, 1879, was commenced, and in 1881 was completed the Oak- land pier, or mole.
On May 2, 1870, the right of way was granted to F. K. Shattuck and others for a street railway on Twelfth street; thence to Broadway; thence to Eighth street ; thence to Wood street; thence to Railroad avenue. Another franchise was at the same time granted to them for a line on Adeline street and thence to the charter line. On August 29th an ordinance granting a franchise for con- structing a street railroad from San Antonio creek along the center of Market street to the northern charter line of the city, was passed. On May 22, 1871,
SONOMANE
NAPA
FAIRFIELD SUISUN
PETALUMA
NAYA JUNE
VALLEJO
NOVATO
MARE IS. NAVY YARD
IGNACIO SE
BENÍCIA
AtLØY
AVCH
Artikel
MARTINEZI
SANTIOCI
SAN RAFAEL
LISE TOP AND SANTA FE AY
It CONCORD
ICHMOND
S CLAYTON
MILL VALLEY
LAFAYETTE
MAL NUT CREEK
THẦNTRỌN
BERKELEY
BRYANT
PHLAYVILLE Y
TRAMO
OAKLAND
DANIELLE
Pt. Labos
NO .. RACION
ALAMEDA
SAN FRANCISC
SAN LEANDRO
BAY SHORE
VISITACION
HAYWARAS
LIVERMOREZ RADIUM SOLL
Mi York
OCEAN SHORE
CENTRIAN
SAN BRUNO
HALVERN
PECOTO
SUMOL
BURONAHT EN
ALVARADO Z WILLS
SAN MATEO
NEWARK FARMINGTON
Pillar
REDWO
HALEM DON BAPTISTALO ALTO
Parts
&PURISINA
ALVISO
MOUNTAIN VIEW
CAN
SANTA CLARAY
SAN JOSE
PESCADERO
ŠALLLAS
Page a: Pt.
NEW LMADY
MAP OF OAKLAND AND THE BAY REGION
FRANCISCO
ACIF.
nd Europe
S. San Francisco
Mt Diablo
PINOLI
-
JOUT
NORTH SHORE A.P
79
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
an ordinance granting to Edward Tomkins, Thomas J. Murphy, and others the right to lay an iron railway in certain streets and, June 2d, another, giving a like privilege to J. S. Emery and others for a steam railroad through Peralta street, were passed. The latter was again granted a franchise in 1872. June 24, 1872, an ordinance granting to the Oakland Central Railroad Company a franchise for a line on Second and Franklin streets was passed, and, on Decem- ber 9th, a like privilege was granted to H. F. Shepardson, Theodore Meets, H. S. Slicer, and J. E. Whitcher. This last was the Alameda road. On March 9, 1874, the Oakland Railroad Company was authorized to lay down an addi- tional track from Fourteenth to Durant streets. On September 21, 1874, an ordi- nance granting to the Alameda, Oakland & Piedmont Railroad Company the right to lay down an iron railroad on certain streets was passed. On April 12, 1875, the right to lay a track in certain streets was granted to C. T. Hopkins and others. On February 7, 1876, the same privilege was granted to the North- ern Railroad Company on Cedar street. On March 13, 1876, the right to con- struct a. street railroad for horse cars was granted to the East Oakland, Fruit Vale and Mills' Seminary Railroad Company. On March 20, 1876, the same right was given to Grant I. Taggart and others for a line extending from West Oak- land to the eastern limits of the city. On April 24, 1876, the right to construct a railroad on Market street was granted to the Oakland, Berkeley and Contra Costa Railroad Company, and, on June 26th, a franchise was given to the Broad- way and Piedmont Railroad Company. On November 12, 1877, E. C. Sessions and others were granted like privileges on East Eleventh street. On February 17, 1879, an ordinance granting to A. C. Dietz and associates the right to lay a steam railroad in the city was passed. On April 3, 1882, an ordinance was passed granting to the California and Nevada Railroad Company the like privileges.
In 1875 quick transit between Berkeley and San Francisco was dead-locked by the lack of two miles of street railroad to connect the University district with the wharf. There was an omnibus connection, but it was unsatisfactory-only a temporary makeshift. At this time the Central Pacific talked of building their Bantas extension or branch. The Central Pacific agreed to go to Berkeley for $50,000 and the right of way. Oakland desired that Berkeley should go to San Francisco via Oakland Point, but this was deemed a roundabout route and was rejected from serious consideration.
In 1875 trains ran on double tracks every half hour to the ferry-landing and the steam ferry-boats carried in 1874 a daily average of 9,600 persons. The transportation was so excellent that San Francisco was as accessible from Oak- land as from any of its outer suburbs. New ferry-boats were being built and trains at fifteen-minute intervals were contemplated; single fare 15 cents; monthly tickets $3. A passenger boat on the estuary with a landing at the foot of Broadway was contemplated. Oakland was bound to continue to be the rail- way terminus of San Francisco, owing to the location of the latter on a penin- sula. Already large sums of money had been spent by the government for the improvement of the harbor which when finished was to be land-locked with a frontage of twelve miles and a sufficient depth of water to admit all sea-going vessels at any tide.
It was not until about 1875 that the real industrial development of the country around San Francisco bay had its commencement. In that year the great rail- Vol. 1- 6
80
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
road syndicate which found it expensive to move all its trains over the heavy grades of the Coast range began building its water level line around the bay shores. The road was opened to Martinez in January, 1878, and remained in control until the Santa Fe system was constructed. The combination of trans-con- tinental railroad and deep water navigation had a wonderful effect on the whole bay region-an effect which neither alone could ever have exercised. The com- ing of the railroads made the water front valuable by bringing vessels here, and conversely the vessels made business for the railroads. These surroundings attracted manufactures which came here late in the seventies and early in the eighties. The first blow at Oakland was when the industries began to locate at Port Costa instead of in this city or vicinity. It was believed that this was caused by the contention over the water front and to the lack of a suitable har- bor at Oakland. As time passed other railroads and other industries sought Port Costa and vicinity, much to the surprise and disappointment of this city. When the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley railroad, the predecessor of the Santa Fe, was built and its terminus was established at Point Richmond the city was again disappointed. The managers of the valley road stated that Point Richmond was selected because it possessed good deep water facilities, was nearer to San Francisco and gave the railway immediate connection with the deep draught vessels of the ocean-in other words that the lack of deep water harbor at Oakland caused the terminus to be located at Point Richmond, where the depth though not sufficient was better than at Oakland. Also that the valleys of Contra Costa county afforded direct rail lines to deep water while such could not be secured at Oakland. Five different surveys through the hills and valleys were made before the route to Point Richmond was selected-one with a maximum grade of only one per cent.
In January, 1877, Oakland had five street railroad companies occupying cer- tain streets. The capital invested was about $282,000 and the total length of the lines was 211/2 miles. Several were profitable, though all were built for the purpose of bringing real estate tracts into market and making them acces- sible. The real estate dealers should be credited with this improvement. Many franchises were granted, which were not acted upon, and it was demanded at this time that they should be nullified or put into effect. The franchise holders, in more than one instance, wanted large bonuses for the franchises which had cost them nothing and were a free gift from the city. It was insisted that this state of affairs should be summarily terminated.
Late in April, 1877, the trustees of Alameda granted to the Dumbarton Point Narrow Gauge Railroad Company the right of way for a steam railroad through any avenue south of Central avenue so as to reach the bay near the foot of Central avenue. That company's new ferry-boat was launched at this time.
The Alameda, Oakland and Piedmont horse cars were running on regular time early in May, 1877, from Park street, Alameda, to Seventh street, Oakland. It was stated by the press in May, 1877, that 175 buildings were erected within the corporate limits of Alameda since the previous December. Others were com- menced or contemplated.
C. F. Delger and associates in 1877 were granted a provisional franchise to build a street railroad on San Pablo avenue. A franchise on this street had been previously granted to the Oakland Street Railroad Company.
81
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
The enormous increase in travel between San Francisco and points on the east side of the bay became so marked in 1877 that additional trips per day were called for from all. To meet this demand the local railway lines between Alameda, East Oakland, San Leandro, Haywards, Niles, Berkeley and Oakland proper on this side and San Francisco on the other put a new time table in oper- ation with six additional trains per day and several additional boats. Between San Francisco and Berkeley there were under the new schedule nine trips daily instead of five as before. This arrangement proved satisfactory for some time.
In his message of February 2, 1880, the mayor used the following words: The last year has been characterized by an unusual activity in railroad enter- prises, and there is a prospect that at no distant day the Southern Road, pro- jected by Boston capitalists, will connect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The great prosperity that has resulted from the location of the terminus of the Central Pacific in this city, is a proper guide for estimating the benefits that may follow the construction of other railroads. The city must have open gates for all railway companies that are willing and able to extend to us their lines. The interests of the city will be best promoted by the location of depots and stations in a central part, and it is a proper time now for the council to outline a railroad policy that will serve in future contingencies. The Central Pacific extends through the city from east to west. It is proposed that another road shall pass through the city from north to south. It will double our ferry facilities, and thus greatly increase the desirability of Oakland as a place of residence for persons whose business is in San Francisco. It will give to Oakland merchants the trade and traffic of an extensive territory not otherwise reached by rail. It is of prime importance to the people of Oakland that some strong corporation should have an apparent and powerful interest in the improvement of the Oakland harbor. A railway company whose road terminates at docks inside of the estuary could not fail to be a powerful ally of the city in securing from the Federal Government the aid that is needed for the improvement of navigation.
From September 1, 1870, to August, 1883, there were granted and approved thirty franchises for the construction of street railroads in Oakland and not one of these franchises became operative by construction and use. It was an excep- tion to find a street not covered by one of these grants, in fact recovered by them. A tracery of the lines contemplated showed "a wonderful co-mingling of rails." A special committee found in August, 1883, that, in view of the fact that these thirty franchises were sought and obtained and then allowed to become inoperative through lack of construction, it was a fair deduction that the grantees had, obtained the concessions for speculative purposes. Recognizing fully the value and importance of street railroads, the committee recommended that no franchise should be granted except under conditions that would warrant an early construction of the line. It was at this time that a cable road franchise was asked for over Webster and Broadway streets and another for a belt road along Alice, Jackson, Adeline and others. The council took action to secure bonds from all grantees who were given franchises for street railroads, and to require an early commencement of the work or the forfeiture of the franchises.
At a meeting of the board of trade on October 29, 1886, it was decided to open negotiations with the Southern Pacific and the South Pacific Coast railroad companies for the purpose of securing the following improvements, changes,
82
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
etc .: Water front and improvements thereon; direct communication with Berke- ley; direct communication with Alameda; proper recognition of Oakland in all advertising schedules; round trip tickets to Oakland from interior points and tickets at proportionate rates as those charged to San Francisco; representatives in Congress to be required to advocate increased appropriations for Oakland harbor. Leland Stanford and James G. Fair were particularly addressed for assistance in securing the advancement of the foregoing measures.
The proposition to construct a cable railroad to Piedmont was pushed early in 1888. Eighteen years before that date James Gamble made the first improve- ments in that suburb. Now in order to get the railroad he was assisted by F. M. Smith, A. S. Gamble, A. N. Towne, H. Watkinson, A. S. McDonald, I. S. Requa, F. C. Myers, Du Ray Smith and B. E. Handy. A meeting of the citizens was called to consider the question. In the spring of 1888 the people of Livermore valley asked the Southern Pacific Company to put on another daily train between Livermore and Oakland. There were at this date two trains daily each way between the two points-one the Sacramento passenger via Niles and the other the Livermore local.
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.