USA > California > Alameda County > Past and present of Alameda County, California, Volume I > Part 42
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On May 1, 1890, the new Young Men's Christian Association building at Twelfth and Clay streets was opened and occupied for the first time. It cost $32,000, but had been planned to cost $40,400. This was the hoped and prayed for result after eleven years of persistent effort. On June 26, 1879, the first meeting to discuss the project of organizing a branch of the Y. M. C. A., in this city was held at the First Presbyterian church; on July 10, 1879, it was formally resolved to form the branch. Two weeks later twelve members formed the asso- ciation. A. A. Dewing became first president. The first room occupied was in the Wilson house. A new constitution was adopted in 1882 and a board of thirty- one directors was elected in 1885. In 1888 the association was re-incorporated for the purpose of holding land and other property. In 1887 plans to raise money for the new building were made and the step was greatly aided and encouraged by several large cash pledges-two for $5,000 each and one of $1,000.
The eighth quarterly convention of Alameda County Christian Endeavor Union was held in March, 1891, at First M. E. church-ninety-six delegates present-all societies in county were represented. Rev. Dr. McLean, Rev. Dr. Dille, Dr. R. T. Stratton, J. S. Webster participated. In June the Baptist council sitting on the case of Rev. Frank Dixon determined that he had been guilty of heresy. In the trial of the case pulpit utterances of Prof. S. B. Morse, D. D., were considered and were considered by several of the judges to be equally as heretical as those of Rev. Mr. Dixon.
In May, 1892, 2,000 Adventists encamped at Bushrod park on Shattuck avenue. It was the general camp meeting of the Adventist conference of Cali- fornia, Nevada and Utah. The tents numbered 300 and were arranged in regular order with streets, etc. A large circular pavilion held the crowds and speakers.
In May Francis Murphy, the noted Irish temperance evangelist, appeared here twice or three times daily for a week or more and succeeded in kindling more working enthusiasm than had ever been started here before. He opened at the First Methodist church and drew packed and shouting houses at every session. He roused immensely the moral sentiments of this community and was the means of materially increasing the size of many of the congregations. His vivid descrip- tions of the misery in drunkard's homes in England drenched almost every face with tears.
Vol. 1-21
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A Theosophical Society was organized in Oakland in 1894; they met first in the addition to Hamilton hall. Soon a library and reading room was opened, and the organization was perfected.
Gen. William Booth, of the Salvation Army, arrived in Oakland in December, 1894, and was entertained at the house of Major Keppel of the army at 2439 Piedmont avenue. While here he said, "Since I have been in America I have not been treated very kindly by many press representatives. They have lied about me in a most diabolical manner until I have almost come to believe that the Amer- ican reporter has no soul." The Tribune of December 17th said, "To a certain class of newspaper reporters the foregoing will not be palatable reading, and less so, perhaps, because the implication of unreliability which it directly conveys is true." On Sunday, December 17th, General Booth received an ovation which no other religious leader ever received in this community. Mills Tabernacle was crowded to the doors at each of his three rallies. He spoke on "Conquering Christianity" and "Salvation." The best citizens of the city regardless of religion or politics were present at one or the other of his addresses.
On January 1, 1903, the twenty-seven Protestant churches of Oakland had 7,024 communicants. Twenty-five of the churches had 4,644 Sunday school scholars. The latest new enterprises were young men's clubs and leagues, clubs for the study of missions, Bible study circles for Sunday school teachers, a summer school for churches, a cadet corps for boys, young folks circle for the youth of both sexes, mandolin and guitar clubs, messenger service for the King's Business, philanthropic clubs, home departments for Sunday schools, etc.
In 1906 this whole community was in the throes of a social upheaval. Hos- pitals, parks, boulevards, playgrounds, kindergartens and reform schools were favored and advanced as never before. Scores of new organizations with better- ment as their motto sprang into life and activity and the brotherly spirit took a firmer and nobler hold on all hearts. Justice and philanthropy began to be loving companions in all civic movements ; humanity's horizon was widening and reaching up to the summit of the mountains of God's righteousness and resting there like a benediction.
At the close of 1910 Oakland had 108 church organizations and many missions -Protestants 86, Catholics 13, Jewish 3, and independent 6. Church work was active and aggressive and several of the congregations were very large. The lack of a Sunday law withdrew a considerable attendance from the churches. The new Y. M. C. A. building at Telegraph and Twenty-first cost about two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. A notable feature of the work of the churches was the fine spirit of harmony that actuated all the Protestant churches of the city as shown by the influence of the church federation which was composed of delegates appointed by the different Protestant churches. It prevented the Johnson-Jeffries prize fight on July 4th and strongly supported the efforts of the probation officers, fought vice and the liquor traffic, and was active in a dozen fields of moral betterment. It became a member of the National Federation of Churches in which thirty-four different evangelical denominations were united for effective cooperation on all possible lines. This movement was at this date only five years old, but was already a wonderful power for human improvement.
In 1913 the Berkeley Federation of Churchwomen began operations under the presidency of Mrs. Annie L. Barry. Nearly all the churches in the city were
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represented in the federation the object of which was the promotion of Christian fellowship and undenominational missionary work. Early in January, 1914, the First Methodist Episcopal church raised $12,000 to assist any local church of that denomination to free itself of indebtedness. On this occasion the new church was dedicated; it cost about $165,000.
CHAPTER XVIII
ALAMEDA
Alameda was no special Mexican grant in itself, but was a portion of the Rancho de San Antonio, granted to Don Luis Maria Peralta, and by him given, with other property, to his son Antonio Maria Peralta. It was originally called "Bolsa de Encinal," and sometimes "Encinal de San Antonio," the first-named meaning the low-lying or level lands of the peninsula, and the last the peninsula of San Antonio, which took its name from the creek.
With the advent of the immigrant it became the resort of the hunter, the trapper and the charcoal-burner, who on landing found the ground occupied by coyotes, quail, hares, rabbits and possibly deer in companionship with stray herds of cattle that had found their way to this shady retreat through a brush-fence constructed by Antonio Maria Peralta. The latter held it intact until the year 1850, when he leased a portion of it to two Frenchmen named Depachier and Le Maitre, who acquired the tract for the purpose of supplying the San Francisco market with fire-wood. These two men were the actual pioneer settlers of Alameda township; the next were W. W. Chipman and Gideon Aughinbaugh. The latter came over in September, 1850, with Chipman and subleased from Depachier and Le Matire the eastern end of the Encinal, comprising 160 acres fronting on San Leandro bay, where they pitched their tent; the site was south- east of Versailles avenue. They were followed, before the end of the year by a Belgian named Parfait, who put up a cabin on the south side of Monroe street, between Mound and Court streets, and by three brothers named Salmon, who located on the Sandy Point, which, on account of the depth of water, was the then landing place for the Encinal. The Salmons were hunters. In the mean- time Chipman and Aughinbaugh sent to the eastern states for fruit trees of various kinds, chiefly peach, apple and cherry, and in May, 1851, planted them on the land afterward occupied by the High Street Station and adjacent tracks of the Southern Pacific Coast railroad, and the contiguous lands on the northeast.
During the month of October, 1851, negotiations were commenced and con- summated between Gideon Aughinbaugh and Antonio Maria Peralta, at the residence of the latter in Fruit Vale, whereby the entire Encinal passed into the hands of William W. Chipman and Gideon Aughinbaugh for the sum of $14,000 and in the following month, they commenced the erection of the first frame dwelling house in the township-one of those which had been brought in pieces from the Atlantic Coast to California. They found it necessary to raise money. The partners therefore disposed of some of their real estate; tracts representing one-fourteenth interest were sold to Hays and Caperton, J. J. Foley, J. J. McMurtry, H. S. Fitch, Wm. Sharon and a one-third interest to B. F. Hibbard and C. Minturn, besides 150 acres to C. C. Bowman. The consideration ($3,000) for the Fitch-Sharon one-fourteenth interest was a fifty-vara lot at North Beach,
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San Francisco, and the balance secured by mortgage on the tract sold. The same tract was conveyed in 1854 to Charles L. Fitch, who in 1857 obtained possession and held it by force of arms until the Squatter's League, then existing, declined to assist the squatter claimant to regain possession.
In September, 1852, Chipman and Aughinbaugh partitioned off lots, each four acres in extent, in the eastern portion of the Encinal, fronting on High street, and sold them at an average price of $80 per lot. Among the pur- chasers were the Rev. William Taylor and his brother Harvey Taylor. Rev. A. H. Myers settled on the land sold to C. C. Bowman and started the first nursery in the peninsula. To him is also dne the credit of being the first to administer to the devotional wants of the small community. Louis Ettebleau came in this year and erected the first hotel in the Encinal. As soon as the four- acre lots were disposed of the construction of a levee across the slough between them and the point was undertaken by Chipman and Aughinbaugh. In that year John D. Brower lived about half a mile north of the Willow Street Station of the Central Pacific railroad. Franklin Pancoast dwelt about a quarter of a mile east of Park Street Station; Henry and Russell M. Rogers had their abode at Chestnut street and Central avenue. Mason and Wickware claimed and occupied nearly all the tillable land lying between the Fitch tract and Webster street, on the creek side of the peninsula, north of Mastick Station. Dr. B. F. Hibbard built a large two story frame house from drift lumber, picked up on the beach, and situated on the tract of land purchased by himself and C. Minturn, situated between Clinton avenue and the bay shore and Union and Lafayette streets. In 1853, there arrived on the peninsula, Thomas A. Smith, N. W. Palmer, H. S. Barlow, A. S. Barber and several others.
In 1854, Chipman and Aughinbaugh desired still further to increase the size of their town, and at the same time make money. They had established the Bonita on the ferry route between San Francisco and Alameda, but found her unsuited and she was displaced. To these ends they laid out a number of blocks of 233 feet square, containing lots 33 x 100 feet, which realized $15,000 at auction. With this money the Ranger was purchased at Sacramento and replaced the Bonita. A series of attractions known as watermelon excursions were inaugurated. Chief among these was the offering of a lot free of expense to any one who, on acceptance, would build a house thereon. This tender was made by public advertisement, and produced no fewer than 300 applicants, who were promised their title-deeds upon completion of a building, but only twenty complied with these provisions. The others forfeited and the lots were sold at auction. Among those who fulfilled this engagement were C. C. Mason, who started the first livery stable in the town, and a man named Keys, who opened a boarding house. Each received two lots. Still further in the hope of benefit- ing their property, a charter was secured in 1854 from the Legislature to build a bridge and road from Alameda to San Leandro via Bay Farm Island. Accord- ingly, they built a bridge across the neck or mouth of the bay at a cost of about $8,000-which bridge was subsequently removed and used for constructing a wharf at the west end of the Encinal. They also threw up a road twenty feet wide on the top, from the bridge across the marsh to the island, a distance of over a mile, on the roadway of which was placed a surface of oyster shells one foot deep. This section of the road cost $5,000. Another section of the road
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was thrown up from the island to the mainland toward San Leandro, which was not finished, but cost $6,000.
Although the entire population of the Encinal did not muster more than one hundred souls in April, 1854, it was found necessary to incorporate under the title of the Town of Alameda. By section 2 of that act the boundaries were fixed as follows : On the northwest by the northwest line of the land of James J. Foley, Jr., purchased of W. W. Chipman and Gideon Aughinbaugh, running north 34 1/6 east from an oak tree 8 inches in diameter, on the shore of the Bay of San Francisco, 89.83 chains to the line of the land of Antonio Maria Peralta; thence south 61 east along the line dividing the land of said A. M. Peralta from the land deeded to said Chipman and Aughinbaugh by said Peralta, October 22, 1851, until said division line strikes the Estero de San Leandro, at the head thereof near Romby's brickyard ; thence following down the center of said estero to its mouth, in the Bay of San Leandro; thence following the center of the channel thereof, and the deepest water along the southern border of the Encinal San Antonio, about two hundred yards from the line of ordinary high tide thereof, until the said line in the water of said Bay of San Leandro, running a southwesterly course, following the general outline of said southerly border of said encinal, strikes the center of the channel opposite to the present steamer landing in said town of Alameda; thence following the center of said channel northwesterly, until the said center line strikes the first boundary line projected; thence with said boundary projected north 347/2 east, to the beginning. No election of officers being held under the act, it became void. In 1854 Dr. Hibbard laid out his tract into the town of Encinal, and in the year following built there- from his wharf, which was afterwards known by his name. Not long thereafter, the town of Woodstock was planned and platted, both became part of the town of Alameda. In this year, too, the first store on the peninsula was opened by Zeno Kelly and stood at the corner of High street and Central avenue. About this time A. B. Webster started the first lumber yard.
Among other early settlers of Alameda were Doctors W. P. Gibbons and Henry Haile; Lawyer A. A. Cohen, who was the moving spirit in the establish- ment of the Alameda and Haywards Railroad and the San Francisco and Ala- meda Ferry; Henry H. Haight, Governor of California from 1867 to 1871; E. B. Mastick, Henry Robinson, Nathan Porter, Gen. M. G. Cobb, R. H. Magill and many others.
Until the start of the regular San Francisco and Alameda ferry system, which was established largely through the exertions of A. A. Cohen, the mode of access to the metropolis was by means of ferries of various kinds-first the whaleboat and then by steam communication from the several landings at Old Alameda Point, West End, and Hibbard's wharf, or by a walk to the banks of San Antonio creek, across it to Oakland, and thence to San Francisco.
On Thursday, September 16, 1869, the first number of the Encinal of Ala- meda was issued. When F. K. Krauth sent forth this paper to the world in 1863 the whole town of Alameda might have been bought for $300,000. In 1869 the same property could not be purchased for $4,000,000. The construction of the South Pacific Coast Railway gave Alameda an independent ferry system and resulted in the rapid growth of the town, the establishment of the famous baths, etc. The completion of the Western Pacific Railroad, and the termination of
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one of its branches conveyed the freight from Alameda wharf to the foot of Second street. The elements of material prosperity were in evidence within the limits of this little town.
In the month of November, 1869, the survey of the Main and Winchester tract was made and many other improvements were carried on. On March 19, 1870, the Alameda newspaper made its first appearance under the changed name of "The Encinal," and a month later published the following sketch of the rise and progress of Alameda : "The town was originally laid out by Chipman and Aughinbaugh, with its principal street (High) forming its extreme eastern limit, and where all the business of the town centered; but on the advent of the railroad, it was deserted, and the business transferred to the neighborhood of the station, where it has since remained, and is constantly on the increase. Alameda station, which is near the center of the peninsula, is about ten miles east of San Fran- cisco across the bay. Its westerly point is reached by ferry boats from the foot of Davis street, and the road travel is made over the Western Pacific (or Alameda, as familiarly known) railroad. Between the point of landing and Ala- meda there are three stations about a mile apart, viz .: Woodstock, Mastick and Encinal. All the freight trains from the East pass over the road, which runs through the town. The trains are at present switched off at Simpson's from the Central Pacific road. An extensive wharf, with weatherproof sheds for receiving and protecting merchandise in transitu has been erected at the Point, or landing, from whence freight is conveyed by boats to the foot of Second street, San Francisco, without transshipment. The town contains 1,300 inhabitants. There are two public schools in Alameda, one at Encinal station and the other in the upper town, or Old Alameda. There is also a private academy with about twenty-five pupils. Within the next twelve months, we have good grounds for believing, we shall also have a first-class academy for young ladies, within a mile or two of our station. At the head of High street, in the old town, a new wharf has recently been erected by Moulton Brothers & Co., for the purpose of running a daily line of schooners in the carrying trade between Alameda and San Francisco. There are about four hundred families in the township, most of whom occupy their own premises. There are two churches-Presbyterian and Methodist-and two lodges-Masons and Odd Fellows." From the foregoing it will be seen that Ala- meda has made large strides towards prosperity.
On the 16th of April, 1870, George L. Lewis once more started his stage line from Alameda to Oakland via San Antonio and Brooklyn, while about this time the discussion of the construction of what is now the Webster street bridge occu- pied considerable attention. On the 31st of January, 1871, the private insane asy- lum of Doctors Trenor and Tucker, located on Park street, was destroyed by fire. In 1863, this building and the Alameda Park Hotel were erected by a company of capitalists with a view of establishing a first class hotel for summer guests, a club house, and billiard rooms, bowling alleys, etc. The hotel proper was, for causes unknown, never built. The premises were leased to Frank Johnson, who opened them to the public under the most flattering auspices. People came over in crowds to Alameda, and the building at first proved insufficient to accommodate them. It then became a private insane asylum with Doctor Trenor as resident physician. This purchase was made in the latter part of 1866, from which time, to the middle of December, 1870, it was used as a refuge for insane persons whose
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friends could afford to pay the price. On June 20, 1871, the hall belonging to the Good Templars was dedicated. On the 8th of August, the Alameda Academy of Prof. J. T. Doyen was destroyed by fire and its entire contents consumed.
On March 7, 1872, "An act to incorporate the town of Alameda" received the Governor's approval, the first section of which ordered as follows: "The people of the township of Alameda, in the county of Alameda, are hereby constituted a municipal corporation by the name of the town of Alameda, and the boundaries of said town shall be the same as now form the said township of Alameda." The government of the newly incorporated town was vested in five trustees ; one asses- sor, who was ex-officio superintendent of streets; one treasurer, who was also clerk of the board of trustees. The township justices of the peace and constables were, by the act, authorized to perform their duties in the town. An election was ordered to be held on the first Monday in May of each year, and the trustees were ordered to assemble ten days after the first election for the transaction of business. This act was amended in 1876, and in 1878 a new charter was adopted. These acts restricted the amount of taxes that could be levied for town purposes and restrained the officials of the town from creating any indebtedness, or expend- ing in any year a larger sum than was derived from taxes in that year.
The committee on ordinance and judiciary be authorized and requested to purchase a lot on Central avenue, near Park street, or, on Park street, near Central avenue, at a price not to exceed $800, and of dimensions not less than 50x150 feet, and, that immediately after such purchase the committee be author- ized to contract for the boring of an artesian well upon said lot to a depth not exceeding 185 feet, and to erect a box-tank of 10,000 gallons capacity, and to pro- vide the necessary machinery for raising the water. Difficulties, however, were experienced in securing water at this point, therefore on July 23d, the same committee were authorized to lease a suitable lot on Central avenue, between Euclid street and West End avenue, where a well was to be sunk or a reservoir for salt water built, and the proper machinery erected so that water might be procured for the purposes of street sprinkling. In the year 1876, however, B. R. Norton, in boring a well at his place at the corner of Grand street and Railroad avenue, found such an abundant supply of water that he at once conceived the idea of laying pipes throughout the town, and supplying the inhabitants from this source. He at once placed himself in communication with the board of trustees, and on June 6th entered into a contract to supply the town with water for a period of five years, for $100 per month, the quantity to be supplied being, all the water that two sprinkling carts holding 600 gallons each, and each drawn by two horses and work- ing ten hours a day, can distribute during the dry season. A company was formed, which, August 22, 1876, obtained a franchise from the town, and laid pipes in portions of the chief thoroughfares. But the town had made such rapid growth that this company was unable, with its resources, to lay pipes to properly supply the inhabitants, though the quality of the water was first-class, and until the year 1880 the company had sufficient for all who had connection with its mains. In the latter part of 1879, Captain R. R. Thompson commenced to bore wells on the old Farwell place, on High street, to ascertain if a sufficient supply could be obtained to justify him in undertaking to construct a water supply for the town. He obtained from four wells an abundance, and on April 6, 1880, obtained a franchise to lay down and maintain for fifty years pipes to supply the town with
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water. On July 30, 1872, all ordinances passed by the board of trustees were ordered to be printed in the Alameda Encinal which thus became the official organ of the town, and on August 13th, Mr. Robinson was elevated to the position of president of the board on the retirement of Governor Haight, who was suc- ceeded in the office of trustee by Charles Wood.
On February 28, 1873, it was ordered that the sum of $10,000. should be borrowed from the Union Savings Bank of Oakland, and set apart especially for street purposes, under the head of "street fund." On May 6th W. W. Chipman deeded to the town a strip of land sixty feet wide and 412 feet long to complete the line of Santa Clara avenue. On the 20th of the same month Mary R. Fitch dedicated to the town all streets laid out and shown on the map of the Fitch and Sharon tract, as per Stratton's survey, together with the extension of all streets running north and south to Atlantic avenue. The municipal officers elected in 1873 were: E. B. Mastick, Henry Robinson, Jabish Clement, Eppes Ellery, Alonzo Green, board of trustees ; M. W. Peck vice Krauth and F. Boehmer vice Hess, school directors; Thomas A. Smith, treasurer; E. Minor Smith, asses- sor and superintendent of streets; W. H. Porter, clerk. A committee reported in 1873 that it would be advisable to have a bridge built at the end of High street. Proposals to construct were thereupon called for. The bid of Charles H. Foster was accepted to build the bridge at Peach street.
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