USA > California > Alameda County > Past and present of Alameda County, California, Volume I > Part 54
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Early in May, 1891, President Harrison visited Oakland and vicinity. His visit was unsatisfactory, owing to want of time to be seen and heard and owing to his own peculiar and well-known petulance. The cities were all prepared to give him a reception suited to his station, but unable to do so through regrettable slips and misunderstandings. W. B. English, the grand marshal, said: "The trouble was due to bad management of the committee which met him at West Berkeley and rushed him through ahead of time. It was expected that he would spend twenty minutes at the university and he stayed there only a few moments. He passed one parade before we had assembled and before we were ready to fire the salute and it was fired afterward. After he was gone we carried out our part of the program and paraded." With the president was Postmaster Gen- eral Wanamaker. John P. Irish said in the Alta: "The president gave them no intentional snub. It is absurd to suppose that he intended to be rude." The state newspapers were full of accounts of the slight to Alameda, the banner republican county.
In 1891 North Oakland grew rapidly and it was clear that the center of popu- lation was slowly moving in that direction. Real estate transactions were numer- ous and advantageous. In that suburb scores of elegant buildings had gone up on Broadway, near Eighth, then to Fourteenth and finally to Seventeenth street. facilities were excellent. But at this time Piedmont was a formidable competitor of North Oakland. In fact for several years preceding 1891 North Oakland re- mained almost stationery while Piedmont advanced by scores of buildings at a
412
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
time. But North Oakland again resumed its growth and was preferred as a place of residence by many well-to-do families. Houses costing from $15,000 to $25,000 were built there. The postoffice was moved northward from time to time as the center of population moved in that direction. Once it was on Fourth street, then on Broadway, near Eighth, then to Fourteenth and finally to Seventeenth street.
The bituminizing of Broadway and the extension of the cable road from Sev- enth street to the creek ferry landing in 1889, gave a great impulse to the growth of the south side of the city. Before these changes property on lower Broadway sold for about $60 a front foot, but two and a half years later the same land was valued at $200 a front foot, proving how rapid was the advance when such sub- stantial improvements in transportation were carried into effect. In 1891 lower Washington street was bituminized from Third to Seventh and macadamized from First to Third. Lower Clay street was not neglected. The city wharf at the foot of Webster and Franklin streets was also finished in 1891, at a cost to the city of nearly $100,000 and after years of labor and suspense. The income of the city from all sources for the two years ending April 1, 1891, was $1,539,- 547. Of this sum $781,591 was received from taxes; $303,753 from state and county for school purposes; $173,146 from licenses; and $26,810 from police and justice courts. The disbursements for the same two years were $1,324,210, of which $80,176 was spent on bonds and interest and $1,065,967 for the main- tenance of the departments and for increased facilities. There was in the treas- ury on April 1, 1891, $215,337, of which $80,702 was school fund and $50,898 was bond redemption fund.
Lot values in Fruitvale advanced from $400 and $600 in 1887-88 to $1.500 and even higher in 1891. The construction of the Laundry farm road, and the extension of the street railroad mainly caused this remarkable advance. In 1881 property on Washington between Tenth and Eleventh streets was worth $150 a front foot. In 1891 property on Washington between Twelfth and Thirteenth sold at over $700 a front foot. Property on Clay street near Twelfth doubled during the same period. On Broadway frontage was valued at $1,500 per foot in 1891, but a half dozen years before was worth only $800. Blair park at Pied- mont was an attractive spot which was sought by picnics and pleasure seekers generally in the late '8os and 'gos. There was a dancing pavilion, a bandstand, a fountain, refreshment stands, a merry-go-round, swings, ponies and goats to ride, and generally all the attractions of a modern city park. East Oakland was east of Lake Merritt and in 1890-91 comprised about one-third of the area of the city. Peralta Heights bordered on the shores of Lake Merritt and Highland park was near. At this time bargains in lots were offered in the Templeton tract, Bella Vista park, Lakeview, East Oakland Heights and Twenty-third avenue tract. Farther east was Fruitvale. Dusenbury & Wurtz offered for sale a large number of lots at Forty-fifth and Adeline streets. West Oakland was generally considered that part of the city lying west of Market street and extending from the San Antonio estuary to about Twenty-eighth street. During the fiscal year 1890-91 there were erected in Oakland 454 private dwellings, 38 stores and dwellings combined, 46 flats, 105 additions and 15 other structures of all kinds. Piedmont took steps to unite all the valuable springs in that vicinity for the purpose of conserving the supplies and utilizing them to the best advan- tage ; a large reservoir was built. The Piedmont baths were opened to the public
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A MAIN LINE PASSENGER DEFOT OF THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC, OAKLAND
1
SCENE ON BROADWAY, OAKLAND
413
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
late in June in the presence of a crowd estimated at 4,000. The Piedmont cable road was given a bonus of about sixty thousand dollars, of which over fifteen thousand dollars was in property. By June the value of property along the line had more than doubled.
In three months' time early in the summer of 1892 an immense reservoir with a capacity of 8,000,000 gallons was built on Linda Vista terrace at a cost of $15,000. This was an emergency case-when it was believed the supply of pure water might run short during the dry months. In July the Weld tract of forty lots near the Oakland and Haywards electric line was offered for sale by Clough & Baker at $250 per lot.
In November, 1892, the inmates of the Home of the Adult Blind found much fault with the management of that institution and with the food and other sup- plies. It was believed by many that the complaints were trivial or groundless. At this time the directors were John P. Irish, Jacob Greenhood, Frank A. Leach, Fred A. Campbell and A. D. Thomson. One complaint was that the meat was tainted. Mr .. Sanders was superintendent. A portion of the trouble at least seemed to be in the differences between the members of the board as to how the institution and inmates should be managed. Director Campbell filed charges of incompetency and bad food against Superintendent Sanders of the Home for the Adult Blind, but the majority of the board decided after investigation that the charges were not sustained. Superintendent Sanders was blind.
During 1892 about four hundred and fifty buildings of all kinds were erected in Oakland; the Contra Costa company made 451 new connections, among them being the Macdonough theater, Abrahamson block, Central Bank building (com- menced), Hotel Metropole, Oakland Gas building, Taylor's block, Y. W. C. A. building, Huff's block, a fine new Catholic church partly completed. The city now had 263 electric lights. The boulevard around Lake Merritt was being con- structed. The voting of $400,000 in school bonds was followed by great activity in all educational matters. There were fourteen day and four night schools and about one hundred teachers were employed. The city had six banks with a paid up capital of $1,604,000, and deposits of $10,500,000. In all there were about one hundred manufacturing establishments. Work on the harbor improvements was renewed, the plan being to convert San Antonio estuary into a suitable harbor for deep sea commerce. This work had hung fire for nearly twenty years. Even the retaining walls which were begun in 1873 were not yet finished. The Gov- ernment had already appropriated $1,452,180 for Oakland and harbor improve- ments. Late in 1892 and early in 1893 real estate made a decided advance on the ground that the Santa Fe railroad would soon be built to this city or vicinity.
OAKLAND ASSESSMENT TOTALS
1872
$ 6,647,039 1880 28,691,610
1873
18,528,303
1881
28,238,631
1874
19,869,162
1882 28,289,650
22,200,706 1883 28,353,338 1875
1876
. 24,000,712
1884 .28,794,948
1877
25,845,628
1885
29,217,052
1878
.27,730,109
1886
.29,866,200
1879 28,348,778
1887 32,092,375
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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
1888
33,789,175 1891
40,106,545
1889
35,778,392
1892
42,437,53I
1890
37,647,842
From 1872 to 1879 Oakland grew by leaps and bounds as will be seen by these figures. Then came a period of slow growth extending to about 1884; the city had really been overbuilt. In fact, a meeting of the real estate agents in 1881 complained of the number of empty houses. It was even said at that time that there were 1,000 empty houses in Oakland, though this was no doubt an exaggera- tion. Building was checked, but the population continued to increase rapidly, the new manufactories bringing here many new residents who soon filled up the vacant houses, so that by 1884 real estate again began to expand and soar.
Horace W. Carpentier in 1891-92 owned an elegant house on Third street between Alice and Harrison streets, but he did not live here-he had lived for several years in New York.
Oakland
Wards
Park and Boulevard Bonds
School Bonds
For
Against
For
Against
First
456
407
617
220
Second
526
409
803
206
Third
457
475
740
15I
Fourth
519
479
680
212
Fifth
274
341
572
124
Sixth
494
377
690
160
Seventh
374
720
803
242
Totals
3,100
3,298
4,905
1,315
Thus the park and boulevard bonds were defeated at this election and the bonds for the schoolhouses and schoolhouse sites were carried.
In 1892-93 Oakland and its suburban towns grew very fast. Many fine resi- dences were erected north of Lake Merritt and in Piedmont and Fruitvale, at Mills College and on the Crocker, Klupher and Dougherty tracts. Many houses were erected at Emeryville. The Warner tract and the Vista del Mar tract of Berkeley were attractive home sites. Late in September, 1892, Ina D. Cool- brith, librarian of the Oakland free library, was dismissed by the trustees upon a three days' notice. Henry Peterson, her nephew, was chosen her successor. In January, 1893, a joint committee of the State Senate and House assembled in Oakland to investigate the management of the Home for the Adult Blind.
The vote in Piedmont in April, 1893, on the question of a sanitary district was twenty-four votes for and three against. The famous Tubbs hotel was destroyed by fire in August. It cost originally $110.000, and the furnishing $100,000, and was erected in 1871 and was for many years the pride of the city. It had three usual stories and a mansard story. In August, the Moss tract was offered by M. I. Laymance & Co., 600 lots at from $225 to $300 each. Already from 50 to 100 houses were standing or being erected. A $15,000 schoolhouse was being built and the street car facilities were good. In August the Pacific
BUNGALOW STYLE OF RESIDENCE, OAKLAND
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TYPICAL RESIDENCE IN OAKLAND'S SUBURBS
415
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
Nail Works were destroyed by fire. They stood at the foot of Market street and cost, all told, about four hundred thousand dollars. They had been closed down since May and therefore the fire was ascribed to an incendiary. The Oak- land Water Company secured ownership and control of the artesian water belt of Alvarado where weekly millions of gallons of the purest water went to waste. The belt included the Poorman and Granger tracts. The company's system included the supply from the Piedmont hills. Three gangs of men were set at work in January, 1894, to lay the mains from the wells to Oakland.
Reports were in circulation in December, 1893 that the People's Home Sav- ings Bank was in trouble. It was investigated and found to have $240,000 assets over its liabilities. It was permitted to resume business. In a contest with the Pacific Bank, it was also entitled to a credit of $175,000. Late in December the unemployed residents of Oakland to the number of one thousand registered for work at the city hall. They gathered for the purpose of making their wants known to the assembled council. At this time the city was full of men without work, and the council prepared to the best of its means to set as many at work as possible. Many were men of families. Every department was investigated and places were found for many worthy laborers. The County Federation of Trades thanked the council for the efforts in their behalf. An important building feature was the large number of fine residences erected in Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley and their adjacencies.
There was much complaint in January, 1894, that although the city had voted $400,000 school bonds in April, 1892, they were not yet issued, but were tied up in the courts. The New Oakland Water Company was incorporated in Febru- ary, with a capital of $3,000,000, among the leading stockholders being Alvinza Hayward, W. J. Dingee and A. W. Rose, Jr. In May, Fruitvale asked to be incorporated as a town of the sixth class. The village claimed a population of over 500 and had a newspaper-the Fruitvale News. In July the California Jute Mills at East Oakland, giving employment to about four hundred persons, closed its doors.
Under a circular issued in September, by Councilman W. E. Barnard a series of mass meetings of the citizens was held to consider the question of public improvements. Among the subjects investigated were the following: (1) The change of the county seat to Haywards as a preliminary to the creation of the county of Oakland; (2) the widening of Broadway; (3) sale of the city hall for $750,000 and the erection of a new city hall and library; (4) the purchase of the Sather tract and its conversion into a public park; (5) a new ferry line from Emeryville to be run in conjunction with the Oakland Terminal Railway; (6) to take steps to secure other railways for this city. On September 29th, Oakland voted on the question of refunding the old school bonds to the amount of $140,000 and defeated the project. The Oakland Iron Works were burned in October; they stood at Second and Jefferson streets. About sixty men were thrown out of employment.
In June and July, 1894, the labor situation in Alameda county grew first serious and second threatening. Labor unions in all parts of the country, partic- ularly at Chicago, struck, tied up business and inaugurated numerous scenes of property destruction and bloodshed. At Oakland in July the strikers seized a train, cut the air brakes and refused to let it proceed to the pier; at the Vol. I-27
416
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
same time they took possession of the tracks. The next day they killed engines and stopped nearly all traffic on the road. Vessels which approached the land- ings put back to evade attacks and lawless invasions. The Seventh street and Narrow Gauge trains were not molested. The Pacific railway was helpless. Martial law was practically declared here on July 1Ith under President Cleve- land's proclamation. Troops from Mare island began to arrive July 12th-about three hundred and fifty marines. The police of Oakland likewise under the orders of Mayor George C. Pardee, prepared for stern measures. On July 14th the strikers captured the Mendota train, but in a few minutes it was recaptured by two batteries of artillery which came to the scene on a gallop and trained Gatling guns on the engine and the mob of strikers. On the 16th the strikers captured another train, and barricaded themselves, but were promptly dislodged by the militia and completely routed. Gradually the contest here died out and by the 20th no further acts of violence were committed. On July 17th, Mayor Pardee called a meeting of the representative citizens to be held in the council chambers, city hall, to consider the best method of dealing with the strike con- ditions here and to furnish the legal authorities with moral and physical sup- port. There was a large assemblage of the best citizens. The audience loudly cheered the action of the Alameda chief of police when it was stated that he refused to permit the crowd to kill the engines. The meeting passed strong res- olutions for the maintenance of order. One resolution was as follows: "That we offer ourselves in any capacity most effective to put down the lawlessness and disorder instigated by the American Railway Union and its sympathizers." A committee was appointed to draft an address to the people embodying the spirit and intent of the meeting. The speakers were Rev. Dr. Chapman, A. C. Henry, Mayor Pardee, W. R. Thomas, J. L. Bromley and Warren Palmer. At a second meeting peace was demanded at all hazards. Doctor Wendte quoted Henry George who said, "As long as the present system of taxation exists, wrong and iniquitous as it is, I am going to observe it," and said all should obey the laws. A large mass meeting of the labor interests was held at the Tabernacle on July 19, 1894, under the auspices of the American Railway Union. T. J. Roberts, president of the union presided. The meeting was comparatively orderly, but at all stages showed its displeasure over the actions of the meet- ing that had been called by Mayor Pardee. There were hisses and groans when the names of the speakers at that meeting were mentioned. The speakers derided and unstintedly ridiculed the remarks made at the other meeting. Res- olutions were adopted, respectfully requesting Mayor Pardee to recall his proc- lamation forbidding the people to peaceably assemble, which act was declared to be in violation of national and state constitutional rights.
Early in April, 1894, the so-called industrial (Coxey's) army was driven out of Oakland under an escort of police. On April 3d about seven hundred men came from San Francisco and were joined at Oakland by about one hundred. There were enough desertions to reduce the army to 474 men. They received no encouragement here and were denied the use of the Tabernacle where they had been holding meetings and creating discontent. They were permitted to parade and hold meetings upon condition that they leave town. A considerable sum was subscribed by citizens for their transportation from this city. The mayor issued orders that no body of destitute men be permitted to land here.
417
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
They did not leave on April 5th as they had agreed and were accordingly ordered to leave on the 6th by the chief of police. Preparations to order out the militia were made and the police were specially armed and organized for any outbreak that might occur. The Gatling gun was removed from the armory and placed in front of the city hall. At first it was decided to drive them across the county line, but it was finally determined to treat them as kindly as possible and out- wit them. Seven box cars were secured for $200 to carry them to their next stopping point-Sacramento. They refused to go and their leaders, Kelly and Baker, were arrested, but finally released upon agreeing to leave the city with their forces at once. They left the Tabernacle at 3:30 A. M., April 6th, led by Commander in Chief Kelly and Colonel Baker. The whole force, 568 men, or eighty-one to each of the seven cars, then left the city. The council passed res- olutions denouncing the action of San Francisco in sending here 500 destitute men; that no more would be permitted to enter the city; that the citizens should not receive, entertain or assist such men; and that the mayor should take such steps as the exigencies of the case might require to protect this city from inva- sions of such destitute and desperate men. When the army reached Reno, Nevada, it numbered about one thousand men who occupied twenty-three com- bination cars, besides two cars with rations. In order to aid the unemployed the county board transferred $2,000 from the general fund to the various road funds to be paid to men set at work on the county highways and elsewhere. In the cities and towns hundreds of indigent were fed free. Another regiment of the industrial army was organized late in April, a large number of recruits being secured at Oakland.
Early in 1895 the Oakland council passed a resolution that the best inter- ests of this entire community demanded the establishment of the city and county of Oakland. Reflections having been cast upon the methods of the Contra Costa Water Company, a committee of citizens in July, 1895, went to Alvarado to inspect the artesian water supply which the Oakland Water Company had recently purchased and was preparing to pump to Oakland. It was claimed that the Contra Costa company, while raising prices and cutting down the city supply, was wasting large quantites at the Alvarado water shed by pumping it on the marshes whence it ran into the bay. On August 15th, a large mass meeting in Oakland denounced the Contra Costa company and pledged patronage to the new company. This was done openly by the city council. The new company reduced rates and furnished better water, it was claimed. Soon afterward damaging reports concerning the quality and purity of the Contra Costa company's water became current after thorough examinations by experts.
In 1895 the Oakland Saturday Night was welcomed by social, literary and artistic circles ; it was issued by Miss Mollie E. Connors, editor and proprietor.
In 1895 the Fourth of July was celebrated at Oakland from dawn to midnight with unusual splendor and success. The streets were traversed by a procession of nine divisions two miles long. The carnival at Lake Merritt was the principal feature; fire works were set off at night. There were games, races and literary exercises. In 1895 the Fruitvale Temescal tract was placed on the market by the McCarthy Company. On one side was the Haywards electric line and through the center ran the Southern Pacific broad gauge line. Already in December, 1896, there were twenty-three houses more or less finished in the tract.
418
HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
In Fruitvale were many beautiful residences. Water was furnished by both companies. Lots were valued at $200 and up. In 1895 the Oakland exposi- tion under J. W. Nelson, president, attracted the attention and interest of the farmers of the county as well as the merchants and manufacturers. The farm- ers desired to exhibit their products-fruit, grain, plants, poultry, vegetables, etc., but all could not be accommodated owing to lack of space. The Tabernacle was filled and an annex was also occupied. As a whole this fair was a gratify- ing success. At this time the merchants here were trying to force to completion the Contra Costa road in order that the valuable trade of the valleys there might be secured. Though they had fought for two years for the result, it had not been accomplished.
On February 27th Oakland gave 1,636 majority in favor of the annexation of Temescal to the city, but the latter gave a majority of eighty-nine against it in a total vote of 645; Peralta was included with Temescal. Early in 1895 important improvements were made in the old free library building on Four- teenth street. The new rooms were cleaned, papered and renovated. On the second floor was the reading and reference room. Mr. Peterson was librarian. A reading room was in rented quarters on San Pablo avenue. Mayor Par- dee upon surrendering the mayor's chair stated that the council during his term had corrected the matter of public printing; had reduced taxation from $1.24 to $1.12; had improved the fire and the police department; had made advance- ment on street improvement; had abated many nuisances; had made impor- tant progress in recovering the water front, etc. He showed that though the city had spent in two years $2,052,411, there had been spend for "betterments" $512,333-schoolhouses, fire engines, new wharf, parks and drives, sewers, streets, etc. . The school department alone, for maintenance and advance, had spent all told $840,131. For redemption funds the city had spent $143,222-in short that $984,131 had been spent for matters over which the council had no control. When thus explained it was shown, he declared, that for each of the two years the council had really spent but $534,145 per annum, a record of economy of which they could feel proud. The income for the two years was as follows: Received from taxes, $998,116; from licenses, $193,121; from tuition, $8,813; from state and county for schools, $263,854; from other sources, $37,659. The bonded debt of the city at this time was as follows: $680,000 on which the annual interest was $38,400 and the annual payment $45,000. The Merchants' Exchange gave a big banquet in April, on which occasion all plans for city improvement and advancement were discussed. Among the speakers were George E. De Golia, Senator Perkins, Congressman Hilborn, John P. Irish, R. M. Fitzgerald, Ben Morgan and F. M. Campbell. Oakland for a long time rested under a cloud owing to lack of enterprise on the part of the citizens. At intervals it responded spasmodically to certain immediate necessities, but in the main seemed content to drift with the tide of events, depending apparently upon whatever fortune might bring unassisted and unsolicited.
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