USA > California > Alameda County > Past and present of Alameda County, California, Volume I > Part 15
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667,400
Livermore
550,525
Pleasanton
322,025
Total
$81,403,400
In October, 1898, the grand jury reprimanded the county board for its slip- shod methods of handling its accounts. A considerable sum of money had been
114
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
lost through raised warrants. In the spring of 1899 Alameda county had no debt and its buildings were valued at $2,469,44I.
The movement to light the public highway between Haywards and Oakland like a city street received strong impulse at San Leandro in July, 1899. The Board of Trade and Merchants' Exchange of Oakland, the Board of Trade of San Leandro, the Fruit Vale and Elmhurst Improvement clubs and the board of trustees of Hay- wards favored the improvement. All sent representatives to a big meeting in San Leandro which was presided over by J. M. Frank of that town. While there the delegates visited the large new cannery where 420 persons were then employed. Who should build the lamps and maintain them, was the all important question. All agreed that it would be a splendid and desirable improvement. It was a sug- gestion for improvement that encountered no opposition.
In the fall of 1900 the salt plants near Alvarado numbered nearly thirty and produced all the salt used on the coast except about thirty thousand tons of refined product imported from Liverpool. New York business men tried to buy all the plants at this time, in the interests of a combine or monopoly. They tried to con- trol the output by securing an option on all the product for $2 per ton ; the output at this time was about one hundred thousand tons of the crude article annually. They succeeded in securing a five-year option on this product, and at once raised the price from 95 cents to $2 per bag. The new concern took the name Fed- eral Salt Company. The Union Pacific Salt Works controlled 1,100 acres of salt marsh near Alvarado and was organized in 1872 and produced about fourteen thousand tons annually. The oldest works were those of Plummer & Sons, at Newark, who began operations in 1864, and Turk Island Works founded in 1869. Salt works extended along the bay from Mount Eden to Newark.
In 1900-01 Alameda county produced more coal than all the other coal pro- ducing counties of the state combined; the total output of the state in 1899 was 160,941 tons. Previous to 1897 the coal output of this county did not amount to much, but in that year the Tesla mine operated by the San Francisco and San Joaquin Coal Company put on the market 21,900 tons ; in 1898, 70,500 tons, and in 1899, 80,703 tons. Tesla was twelve miles by wagon road southwest of Liver- more and there the company owned 4,600 acres under which there were ten coal veins, limestones, gravel, and glass sand. In 1896 the company constructed a rail- road thirty-six miles long from Tesla to Stockton where its distributing bunkers were situated. It at once began briquetting its products and soon received large orders; all the screenings, slack, waste and oily products were thus utilized for domestic consumption. In 1900 Oakland was the distributing point for about six hundred thousand tons of coal, of which the Southern Pacific imported 378,000 tons. About two hundred thousand tons were received and distributed by James P. Taylor, Charles R. Allen, Pacific Coal Company, the Howard Coal Company and others. Already large quantities of California fuel oil were substituted for coal proper by manufacturers, railroads and steamships.
On February 25, 1901, the county board voted an appropriation of $300 for an Alameda county exhibit at the Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo. At the same time they voted against a proposition to appropriate $10,000 for the Contra Costa Tunnel road.
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
TOTAL ASSESSMENT OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
1894
$92,814,821 1897
94,057,417
1895
93,434,774
1898
83,549,470
1896
94,267,840 1899
84.136,668
The assessments were reduced by omitting railroad property. In September, 1899, the county board fixed the inside tax rate for state and county at $1.34 and added 35 cents for roads. The amounts to be raised by taxation were as follows for the years named, omitting cents :
1890-I $ 829,721
1895-6
1,174.850
1891-2
777,425
1896-7
1,023,633
1892-3
737,252
1897-8
1,020,774
1893-4
994,125 1898-9
1,064,015
1894-5
996,390
1899-1900 1,201,895
In September the county board passed a resolution calling for bids for light- ing the public highway from the eastern boundary of Oakland to the western boundary of San Leandro and from the eastern boundary of San Leandro to the western boundary of Haywards.
On August 4, 1902, the whole county was redivided into townships, and at this time the new township of Pleasanton made its appearance on the map.
The county was now composed of the following townships: Alameda, Brook- lyn, Eden, Murray, Oakland, Pleasanton and Washington.
Alameda county is well supplied with building rock-macadam, dimension stone, rock for concrete, cement and ballast rubble and a red quartz suitable for fluxing iron. Perhaps the most famous quarries are situated in Shephard's canyon and in Niles canyon. Immense ledges of red quartz are situated three or four miles south of Oakland. 1
In 1902 the Oakland Board of Trade asked the county board for a suitable appropriation for an exhibit of Alameda county products at the St. Louis Exposition of 1904. The following medals were awarded Alameda county at the World's Fair: Hunt Brothers, Haywards, canned fruit, gold medal; Pacific Vinegar and Pickle Works, pickles, gold medal; Alameda Sugar Company, beet sugar, gold medal; E. A. Wright, vinegar, gold medal; Pleasanton Hop Com- pany, hops, gold medal; California Fruit Cannery Association, preserves, gold medal; J. M. Doty, olive oil, gold medal; August Hagerman, barley, gold medal; F. J. Lea & Company, olive oil, gold medal; University of California, seeds, gold medal; Cresta Blanca Vineyard, wine, gold medal; Mountain Range Vineyard, wine, gold medal. The county received the gold medal for the best general dis- play out of twenty-two counties that made exhibits at the World's Fair in 1904.
In July, 1903 the county board bought fifty ballot machines of the Dean Machine Company, one-half to be delivered May 1, 1906, and one-half in August of the same year. The price of each was $650.
In 1905 the total products of the county were $21,881,330. The agricultural products were valued at $8,596,133, and the manufactured articles at $13,285,197. These figures were furnished to the county board by Mr. Wyckoff. Late in
116
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
August, 1906, Alameda county was awarded first prize for the general excellence of its exhibit at the state fair at Sacramento. In September the county board fixed the rate of taxation at $1.45 for inside property and $1.85 for outside property. It was necessary to raise $190,000 more for building purposes than was raised the previous year. Of this sum $100,000 was needed on the new jail and about $20,000 for repairs to county buildings made necessary by damage done by the earthquake of April 18th and the same amount for repairs to school buildings. In November the tunnel through the hills to Contra Costa county was finished at a total cost of about $46,000. Its completion was celebrated with a fine banquet tendered the Contra Costa county representatives by the Oakland Merchants Exchange. The total length of the tunnel was 1,100 feet.
ASSESSMENTS, 1906
Emeryville
$1,532,420 Livermore 658,830
Fruitvale, etc.
4,513,610 San Leandro 1,060,735
Pleasanton
387,422 Haywards 995,275
The earthquake of April 18, 1906, between 8 and 9 o'clock in the morning, was a real shake-not a wave. In all about twenty different quakes were expe- rienced after the first great shock, nearly all being slight and several scarcely noticeable. Four persons were killed in Oakland and several injured. The hall of records and the courthouse were considerably injured. Many churches, schoolhouses, business blocks and residences were more or less damaged. The damage to San Francisco was so much greater than in Alameda county that the people here forgot their own troubles and losses in view of the awful calamity which swept that city. It was estimated that from 18,000 to 50,000 refuges from San Francisco passed the night of April 19th, in this city. A relief com- mittee of 300 was busy providing care for all who came. Every church and relief society went actively to work; so did the Chamber of Commerce and the various lodges, clubs and societies. Practically every city and town in the county threw open its doors for the unfortunates. A large relief corps was formed in Berkeley and in Alameda and thousands were cared for. The people of San Leandro, San Lorenzo and Haywards and the surrounding country organized and tendered food, shelter and clothing. The schools throughout the county were generally closed. Thousands volunteered for service across the bay if needed, but were refused, as their presence would only add to the confusion. Many who had relatives in San Francisco were refused passes to visit them. By the 20th immense quantities of flour, meat and vegetables were rushed to Oakland for transportation across the bay. The Salvation Army provided tents for a large number of persons. All the cities on this side of the bay marvelously escaped the dreadful aftermath of fire which devastated San Fran- cisco. At the time of the shock the electric current was largely turned off. One of the water mains burst, but there being few fires it cut no figure. The loss here to business plants was large, but was scarcely noticed in the shadow of the greater calamity across the bay. Governor Pardee arrived in Oakland on the 20th and at once instituted measures of relief. Every town in the county suf- fered more or less in damage to buildings. On the 21st the Oakland Relief
117
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
Committee announced that there was plenty of food, beds and rooms here for all who needed help. Hundreds were provided for in Berkeley and Alameda. Every park was filled with the refugees who were supplied with blankets and food. In two days the relief committee at Berkeley raised over $3,000 cash for relief purposes. Churches and lodge rooms were opened every night to the refugees and relief funds were accumulated. From all over the country-the world-came encouraging and cheering messages and as fast as trains could bring it, help of the most substantial character. The various labor organizations were active in the good work. By April 21st the relief committee in Oakland had col- lected $10,000 cash. On the 20th five persons became so demented by their awful experiences that they were taken in charge by the police. The relief com- mittees secured from the railroads free transportation of the refugees to out- side points. Scores of cities to the eastward wired that money and supplies were on the way.
The hospitals were full to overflowing. Many babies were born during the night of the 20th and every woman's society was busy furnishing care and encouragement. Everywhere throughout the county the Native Sons were active day and night to aid the sufferers. Eighteen physicians and an equal number of nurses arrived in Oakland from Oregon to aid the local medical men. The Governor declared April 23d and 24th legal holidays to enable business to get its bearings once more. Among those who escaped with their lives from San Francisco and came to Oakland was Goddaret E. D. Dimond, aged 109 years. He slept on the ground one night in San Francisco and had nothing to eat from Wednesday morning until Friday noon. Though rendered penniless by the fire he announced his intention to start anew by lecturing on his life and the earthquake catastrophe.
The Oakland high school building was seriously damaged by the shock. The plaster in every room was partly thrown down. Much furniture was dam- aged, pictures particularly. The massive chimneys were thrown down and forced through the slate roof wrecking it completely and creating great havoc below. Several rooms were almost completely wrecked.
An artesian well near San Lorenzo on the day after the earthquake, first spouted salt water, then water containing oil, ink-colored water, milk-white water and then settled down to good clear drinking water.
Late on the 23d another earthquake shook the bay cities. It was severe enough to drive people into the street. Professor Bushhalter said it was the first shake for about thirty hours. It was severer in San Francisco and among the frightened people there caused a considerable panic. On Sunday, April 22d, the churches devoted themselves almost wholly to relief work. Thousands were fed in the auditoriums. "Talk about booms!" said the Enquirer, "The population of Oakland has increased more rapidly within the last week than anything Los Angeles ever experienced." It was estimated on the 23d that the cities and towns of the county were caring for from 100,000 to 150,000 persons made temporarily helpless by the fire. The population of Oakland about doubled. One splendid act of the authorities was that which compelled all selling and dispensing agencies not to increase prices. The Catholic Central Relief Com- mittee organized and did excellent work. Oakland and the surrounding towns, in view of the presence of thousands of refugees, made strenuous efforts to
118
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
keep down lawlessness and succeeded. Large numbers of persons were taken into custody on suspicion as an act of prevention. An unknown rancher at Fruitvale, with a wagon full of freshly cooked victuals-macaroni, boiled ham, buttered bread, baked beans, etc., seeing the hungry throng there, called all to come forward and eat heartily without a cent to pay. He did not have to ask a second time. With undisguised satisfaction he saw the wagon-load of eatables disappear, then mounted his wagon and drove home, enjoying the superb sensa- tion which always accompanies a noble act. This feeling, in short, embraced this whole community which offered food and shelter free to all the refugees. As a matter of precaution over 100 special building inspectors were appointed to examine all buildings to see that their chimneys were free from damage from the shock. Rapidly, under the direction of the board of health, the names of the refugees were taken and system was created out of confusion. Twenty- five stenographers were employed to handle the enormous emergency corres- pondence. Soon every park and open place became a relief camp. Thousands were cared for at Idora park.
In 1907 the banks of the county were as follows: Savings banks: Oakland- Central, Farmers and Merchants, Oakland Savings, State Savings, Union Savings, First National, Italian, Bankers' Trust, California, Security, West Oakland and Union National ; Alameda-Citizens Savings, Alameda ; Berkeley-Berkeley Bank and Trust, University, South Berkeley, West Berkeley ; Fruitvale-Citizens Sav- ings, Citizens Commercial, Bank of Fruitvale; Claremont-Citizens State ; Emeryville-Syndicate; San Leandro-San Leandro; Haywards- Haywards Sav- ings, Haywards Commercial, Farmers and Merchants ; Livermore-Bank of Liver- more, Livermore Savings, Livermore Valley ; Pleasanton-Bank of Pleasanton ; Niles-Niles State ; Centerville-Centerville. The combined deposits amounted to over $54,000,000. National banks, Oakland-First National, Central National- total capital, $1,500,000; deposits $9,018,898.35. In Berkeley-First National, Berkeley National-total capital, $550,000 ; deposits $3.087,635.86. Other national banks-Alameda National, Citizens National, San Leandro, Pleasanton, Liver- more, Emeryville-total capital, $350,000; deposits $1,845,821.84. Total capital of all county banks, $6,939,490; total deposits and circulation $72,006,005.63. There were thus forty-three banks in the county.
In 1908 the grand value of all property in the county was $186,892,225. The total county indebtedness was $119,104.28. Total state and county taxation $1.36 on inside property and $1.76 on outside property. The real estate was valued at $106,901,475.
In 1908, the county board appropriated $1.500 to enable the Oakland free public library upon petition to extend its benefits to the people of the county re- siding outside of incorporated cities and towns.
The construction of the Foothills boulevard connecting Oakland, Fruitvale, Elmhurst, Fitchburg, Ashland, San Leandro, Castro Valley and Haywards and covering a distance of twelve miles or more was brought to completion in 1908 and at once became the pride of the people and a crowning act of improvement by the county board.
The anti-alien or anti-Japanese sentiment claimed prominent attention in this community in 1908-09. The bills in the Legislature on the subject, the attitude of Governor Gillett and President Roosevelt, the formation of anti-Japanese
119
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
organizations and the attack on a Japanese student at the university, were suffi- cient to rouse the people to the impending perils.
POPULATION IN 1910
Townships
People Cities
People Towns
People
Oakland
147,199
Oakland
150.174
Haywards
2,746
Alameda
23.183
Berkeley
40,434
Livermore
. 2,030
Brooklyn
49,140
San Leandro
3,47I
Emeryville
.2,613
Eden
11,515
Piedmont
1,719
Murray
4,137
Albany
808
Pleasanton
2,883
Pleasanton
1,254
Washington
7,874
In February, 1911 the county board passed stringent resolutions against the Wolfe bill which planned to dismember Alameda and other counties in order that portions might be annexed to San Francisco. Petitions remonstrating against the passage of the bill were signed by over three thousand residents of Alameda county in February, 1911. The senate bill was finally killed by the vote of twenty-one to nineteen. At this time the county board also set aside the Scenic or Foothills boulevard for the purposed automobile road race.
In 1912 the Metropolitan Municipal Water district was established, to com- prise seven cities and unincorporated territory in Oakland. This year the irri- gation bond amendment was adopted by the voters of the state. A movement for a children's hospital for the whole county was commenced. A consolida- tion of various county public offices in order to save expenses was considered by the tax association. The poultry show at Oakland this year was a success, Haywards leading in the poultry industry. The Alameda County Water dis- trict was established in 1913-14. The county board gave the Rotary Club $500 with which to advertise the county for 1915, and appropriated $9,000 for a county exhibit at the San Diego fair of 1915.
In October, 1913, the banks of the county were as follows: State banks in Oakland-Oakland Bank of Savings, Central Savings, Union Savings, First Trust and Savings, Farmers and Merchants Savings, State Savings, Security Bank and Trust, Bank of Fruitvale, Citizens Bank of Fruitvale, Harbor Bank, Bank of Commerce, West Oakland Bank and Trust, Banco Popolace Italian, Twenty-third avenue, Elmhurst-total capital of all $3,124,440; deposits $43,- 445,556.55. State banks in Berkeley-Berkeley Bank of Savings, University Savings, Homestead Savings, West Berkeley, South Berkeley-total capital of all $693,400; deposits $5,691.484.07. Elsewhere in the county-Alameda Sav- ings, Bank of San Leandro, Bank of Centerville, Bank of Alameda County, Alvarado, Farmers and Merchants of Haywards, Bank of Haywards, Haywards Bank of Savings, Niles State Bank, Livermore Valley Savings, Livermore Sav- ings, Bank of Pleasanton-total capital $721,650; deposits $6,801,823.96.
At the election held December 30, 1913, to determine whether the Alameda County Water district should be organized, the result was: for the district 884,
120
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
against the district 19. The county is not without its commercial minerals. There are coal, pyrites, clay, petroleum, magnesite, building rock, gravel, sand, trap-rock, limestone, concrete rock, sandstone, etc. The annual product is worth about $5,000,000. The assessment rolls of the county for 1913-14 contained 6,000 more names than those of the previous year. The total assessed valuation was $256,363,895.
CHAPTER VII
THE HARBOR, WEBSTER STREET BRIDGE, ETC.
When the harbor improvements were planned in 1873 San Antonio estuary did not receive much drainage and was apparently filling up with surface waste. The upper part became a mud flat at low tide. Other portions were over twenty feet deep at low tide and to a considerable distance from the mouth the current kept a channel open to a depth of twelve feet. About a mile from the shore the current spread out and there a bar was formed within two feet of the surface at low tide. The engineers, G. H. Mendall, C. S. Stewart and B. S. Alexander, concluded that if the tidal flow were confined to jetties or training walls the current would scour out the bottom, the amount of scour being determined by the volume of water flowing out of the estuary. To secure the necessary amount of water it was further concluded that the waters of San Leandro bay should be turned through Oakland harbor. To accomplish this they proposed to dig a canal across a mile and a half of low land separating the head of San Antonio estuary from San Leandro bay and by putting gates at the mouth of the bay within Bay Farm Island and Alameda force the bay to discharge its water through Oakland harbor. It was estimated that the cubical contents of the tidal prism of the estuary were 157,000,000 feet and of the bay 165,000,000 feet. The following order of work was recommended: (1) Build two training walls of stone to control the flow of water out of and into the estuary; (2) dig the San Leandro canal; (3) build the dam on San Leandro bay; (4) excavate the basin at the head of the estuary to give a greater tidal prism. The total cost was first estimated at $1,335,- 435, which included 10 per cent additional for contingencies. Appropriations were made and expended from 1874 to 1877 when the dispute over the titles to the submerged lands checked appropriations and work until 1881 when labor was again resumed under an adjustment of titles. On several years there were no appropriations, owing to the quibbles or crochets of Congress. By 1899 there was expended about one million eight hundred thousand dollars, with about seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars more to be used to complete the work. The current did not scour as expected, which made it necessary to dredge extensively between the training walls. It was only in 1899 that the originally proposec twenty feet depth of water between the training walls was secured-twenty-six years after the work commenced. Work upon the tidal canal was begun about 1890. In 1896 Congress designated $666,000 as the amount to be allowed to com- plete the work as originally intended. At this time Colonel Suter succeeded Mr. Mendall as engineer in charge. He reported that the tidal canal was not a neces- sary feature of the improvement and that more money would be needed than designated by Congress to complete the work. This report opened a big contro- versy between Alameda and Oakland. The former demanded the speedy com-
121
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
pletion of the tidal canal as a vital necessity to its sewerage system. For fifteen years a makeshift was used by discharging the sewage of Alameda into a small cove in the bay where thorough scourings could not be secured. Oakland had always contemplated a series of intercepting sewers to carry the discharges to the extreme end of West Oakland to be there deposited in deep water. The natural order required that the sewerage of Alameda should be poured westward from Alameda Point to deep waters, but instead the discharge was turned east- ward to the upper end of the harbor. This was done in 1885 to protect the baths along the Alameda shore and at the point. The return which the Alameda people asked for the concession of dredging between the training walls was Oakland's consent that after the twenty feet of water had been obtained from Webster street bridge westerly the improvement of the channels to the east of Webster street bridge should be the next portion of the improvement commenced and finished. But the aid of Congress was uncertain and accordingly, after much hard and patient effort, Senator Perkins and Congressman Hilborn succeeded in 1896 in securing a place on the continuing contract list to the amount of $666,000 to be paid in $20,000 installments. The next year an additional appropriation of $200,000 was made. All the improvements, it was provided, should be carried on along the original plans regardless of what subsequent engineers might think was best.
The above is a general outline of this important improvement, but now will be given a more detailed account of the progress of the work, showing the steps that were taken.
On the 24th of February, 1873, articles of incorporation of the Oakland Harbor Improvement Company were filed, its object being to dredge and open a ship channel across the bar at San Antonio creek and protect the same by suitable means ; to improve and make navigable the waters of the creek and estuary; to connect by a canal the bay of San Leandro with the creek or estuary ; to construct along their line and adjacent to them suitable wharves and warehouses for the accommodation of trade and commerce, and to construct across the mouth of San Leandro bay a suitable dam with flood-gates sufficient to turn the waters of the bay through San Antonio creek. The object also was to purchase and acquire all necessary property, franchises, rights and privileges for the carrying out of these objects. The principal place of business was declared to be at Oakland; the capital stock was $2,000,000, and the directors were G. W. Bowie, William Graham, F. Chappellet, G. M. Fisher, W. H. Gorill, Elijah Case, Z. Montgomery, E. W. Woodward, John Doherty, R. C: Gaskell and C. H. Twombly, all of Oakland.
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