Polk's Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda city directory, 1926, Part 2

Author: R.L. Polk & Co
Publication date: 1925
Publisher: Oakland, Cal. : R.L. Polk & Co.
Number of Pages: 1924

USA > California > Alameda County > Alameda > Polk's Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda city directory, 1926 > Part 2
USA > California > Alameda County > Berkeley > Polk's Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda city directory, 1926 > Part 2
USA > California > Alameda County > Oakland > Polk's Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda city directory, 1926 > Part 2

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).

a wide field. Owing to superior climatic and living conditions many manufac- turers are today seeking locations in this favored city, where the workers live in comfortable individual homes and where out-of-door life is agreeable all the year round. The Chamber of Commerce, which has made a careful annual sur- vey of Berkeley industries, has worked for selected, high-grade types of factory, and has pointed out the valne in reducing turnover, of having factories of good architecture and surrounded by gardens of flowers.

The hills are attracting many of the leaders of business in the hay cities who commute ffom their charming homes set in gardens of perennial bloom. A ferry and electric train service unexcelled in the country carries them back and forth. Many retired army and navy officers, after seeing the world, have chosen Berkeley for a permanent home.

The presidents of some of the leading banks of San Francisco, business and professional men in varied fields and officials in high positions in the govern- ment and other public services, make their homes in Berkeley.

This city is winning a national reputation as an art center, and painters, writers, sculptors, architects, composers and performers of music, as well as landscape architects and workers in the various handcrafts, make their homes and have their studios in Berkeley.

The Chamber of Commerce has cooperated with the City Government in many ways, and among others, in endeavoring to assist in city planning and the acqui- sition of more parks and playgrounds. Stephen Child, the distinguished city planner, has recently hecome the city planning consultant of Berkeley, and will advise the City Planning Commission on matters concerning the city plan. When completed and carried out Berkeley should become one of the most beauti- ful of American cities. It is calling to men and women of distinction in science and art to come to the college city, destined to become more and more the center of learning and art of the Pacific, to help to plan and to build here a city worthy of this peerless site.

The Indo-European stock from which builders of western civilization have grown took its origin in the shadow of the Himalayas. In Indian Ocean was its first theater of action. Thence it traveled westward through the Red Sea into the Meditterranean and huilded there the civilizations of Greece and Rome. Through the Pillars of Hercules it swept, on into the Atlantic, and Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Britain grew into maturity and strength. Then still westward it moved into the New World, conquering the American wilderness and building the first great democracy that spelled the doom of kings. On it pressed, westward, ever westward, over prairie and plateau, over desert and mountain, until Fremont stood upon the Contra Costa hills and named the Golden Gate.

Today Berkeley, christened by the founders of the University of California after the idealistic Bishop of Cloyne, stands upon the westernmost rim of western civilization, looking through the Golden Gate, out over the vast waste of the Pacific. Beyond the sea is the ancient East, that land of hoar antiquity teeming with its millions. California is the farthest west where the New World must pile upon the last margin of the Indo-European migration. Berkeley, the intellectual center of California, standing upon its hill slopes with the vision of the setting sun in its mystic portal, must look steadfastly through this gate- way, and must ponder long on the problem which it conjures to the imagination. The Pacific, now linked by the Panama Canal with the Atlantic, is the center of the civilization of tomorrow. Here where West meets East in trade and the interchange of ideas, is the theater of the mighty deeds of the world to he. Berkeley, the Pacific capital of learning, must fit itself to be worthy of the leadership which fate has thrust upon it. It must rear a city of supreme heauty wherein men will think great thoughts and exercise that leadership which flows from knowledge and high ideals. Come to us, all you who see the vision, and help us to worthily fulfill our destiny. Berkeley, looking through the Golden Gate, is calling you!

ALAMEDA

Alameda, the Dahlia City-the city of beautiful homes, of an unexcelled climate. This is the appellation which is frequently given to Alameda which is within forty minutes' ride by fast electric train and ferry boat from San Fran- cisco.

Alameda is one of the most beautiful of the San Francisco Bay cities. It is situated on an island three miles long and one-half mile wide, with San Francisco Pay gently lapping the southern and western shores while San Leandro Bay borders the east side, and the tidal canal, separating Oakland and Alameda, bounds the city on the north side.

The City Hall of Oakland is but 31% miles from the central business district of Alameda and may be reached by three different street car lines.

Because of the excellence of the climate and the splendid school system in the city, hundreds of San Francisco and Oakland business men make Alameda their home, and some of the most beautiful small estates in northern California are here.

Taxes in Alameda are low. This is due to the fact that Alameda owns and operates a municipal electric light plant which gives electricity to consumers at a much lower rate than other neighboring cities pay, the plant profits annually approximate $75,000.

Alameda's school system has reached that pinnacle of efficiency where it is one of the most talked-of systems in the entire United States. There are four elementary, three primary schools and a high school.

Five of the most beautiful public parks in northern California are located within the boundaries of the city. They are the Mecca each year for more than one million people who come from miles away to take advantage of the cooling breezes while their children frolic among the trees and foliage or on the sandy beaches or enjoy themselves on the most modern play equipment found anywhere. Attesting to the popularity of the pleasure resorts located on San Francisco Bay in Alameda, a careful check shows that between 75,000 and 100,000 people each Sunday during the summer months, visit these resorts to enjoy the surf bathing and other pleasures provided for their entertainment.

Alameda has more than 160 miles of excellent paving, and the streets and parks are under the supervision of experts who yearly plant, prune and care for the thousands of beautiful trees which border each boulevard.

Flowers grow in profusion in the city, the dahlia being the most prolific, and some of the prize winners in the large dahlia shows are grown in Alameda. Scores of other blooms are also to be seen, while many houses are partially hid from view by gorgeous flowering vines such as the wistaria, climbing roses others.

Besides the advantages of home life which the city offers, it has an unex- celled industrial district located along the shores of the tidal canal where ship- ping facilities are the best. This district is also served by a municipal belt railroad connecting with all transcontinental railroad lines.

Such industries as the Alaska Packers' Association, the largest fishing cor- poration in the world; the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation; Pacific Coast Borax Co .; The Listo Pencil Corporation; Saylor's Chocolates; lumber, coal, bridge and oil companies are located in the indutrial district.

A newspaper, the Alameda Times-Star, carrying the full United Press tele- graph report of world news and covering every section of the city in local hap- penings, is issued each afternoon.

And there is room for other large industries along the tidal canal. Alameda is under the city manager form of government and all branches of the city administration come directly under this official's supervision.

OAKLAND CITY HALL

CITY COUNCIL. 1926

CITY COUNCIL OF OAKLAND

Upper Left-WM. J. MOOREHEAD, Com- missioner nf Revenue and Finance

Lower Left - WM. J. BACCUS, Commis- sluner of Streets

Upper Right-FRANK COLBOURN, Con- missioner nf Public Health and Safety

Lower Right-LEROY R. GOODRICH, Com- missioner of Public Works and The Port

Center-JOHN L. DAVIE, Mayor of Oakland

MAYOR'S MESSAGE, 1926

Annual Message of MAYOR JOHN L. DAVIE To the City Council of Oakland

HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL,

City Hall, Oakland, California.

GENTLEMEN :

In accordance with the custom of previous years and as required by the City Charter, I present herewith my annual message and report on the City of Oakland for the past fiscal year.

Since the time of my last annual message, Oakland has continued its on- ward march of progress. Recent statistics show that at the end of June, the present year of 1926, we will have established new records in Oakland's history. Government figures show that for the past fiscal year Oakland Postoffice re- eeipts totaled $1,809,286, an increase of nearly $300,000 during the past year. The year ending June 30, 1925, had been a banner year in Oakland's postal receipts and the fact that an inerease amonnting to nearly $300,000 has resulted in this past year shows that the rate of inerease has been approximately 20% per month, according to these statistics.

Building permits have continued to show splendid figures and have main- tained Oakland's position as one of the most rapidly growing cities in the United States. It is interesting to note that for the year 1925 the building permits were 734% over those of 1918; that the bank elearings increased 266% in the same period, and that other index figures inereased accordingly.

That Oakland is holding its position as an industrial leader is indicated by the fact that thirty-eight new industries have chosen the East Bay as a location since January 1, 1926. In the first six months of 1926, and during the year 1925, 145 new industries selected this distriet as a location, and there are more than one hundred national industries located here.

During the past year, as previously, our automobile factories have been leaders in local production. The General Motors Company, local branch, has made a record during the past year in the production of Chevrolet ears; the Durant plant has inereased tre- menduously its production, and Star cars, both fours and sixes, produced in Oakland, are marketed through- 31' 37 17 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 out the entire West. The most recent 11 21 11 11 11 11 11 1 development at the Durant factory ערך רב ינג 11 11 is that of body building. Through additions made to the facilities in the 11 local plant the Durant Company is now building a large number of the bodies for the ears produeed here in their Oakland plant, and during the present year have planned additional improvements that will result in the building of all bodies, both for elosed and open ears, in Oakland. This means additional payrolls for the fac- tory with the resulting general bene- fit to our city.

I wish to repeat at this time what

Central National Bank Building

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

I have mentioned in previous messages, and that is, the debt which Oakland owes to W. C. Durant and his associates. Mr. Durant was responsible for the original selection of Oakland as the Pacific Coast Chevrolet production center ; and when he organized the Durant Motor Company he was likewise responsible for the selection of our city as the site of the Western plant of the new com- pany. Thousands of our people who are employed or who derive their liveli- hood from the products of these factories, are residents of Oakland primarily beeause of the action of W. C. Durant, his son, Cliff Durant, Norman De Vaux, viee-president and general manager of the Durant Motor Company, and their associates.

Other figures indicating Oakland's healthy position are those of retail trade. Our city again hokls the position of having the largest percentage of gain over last year in retail trade, of all cities on the Pacific Coast, a position which it held at the time of my last annual report to the Council, and which it has maintained consistently during the year. In the month of May, 1926, for example, Oakland's gain in pereentage in retail trade over that of 1925

2771

Athens Athletic Club Building

MAYOR'S MESSAGE, 1926

was 5.2%-the nearest competitor was Los Angeles with a gain of 4.1%, and San Francisco lost 1% during the same month.

DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS

During the past year we have seen a number of splendid new downtown buildings open their doors and take their part in the active life of the com- munity. Among them are the mag- nifieent eighteen-story building of the Central Bank, recently com- pleted ; the magnificent new home of the Elks which represents an invest- ment of $1,300,000; the opening of the $800,000 Athens Club building ; the completion and opening of the Coit Hotel at 15th and Harrison streets, There is under construction and nearing completion the hand- some Latham Square office building at 16th and Telegraph Avenue which is scheduled for opening September 1; the Leamington Hotel, rapidly being finished at 19th and Franklin Richfield Oil Building Streets; a striking addition to our apartment house facilities is the comple- tion of the beautiful building constructed by Architect M. I. Diggs and a group of his business associates, adjoining the Regillus Apartments at 244 Lake- side Drive, and which has opened the first community owned apartment build- ing in Oakland. Reaching eleven stories into the air, it is a splendid example of architecture.

In the amusement field, we have seen during the past year a number of new motion picture theatres open their doors for the pleasure of our people. These include the Parkway, the new Fruitvale, the Golden Gate, the Fairfax and the Granada Theatres, owned and operated by the Golden State Theatre and Realty Company ; the splendid Grand-Lake Theatre, owned by the West Coast Theatres; and rapidly nearing completion are two more theatres for the West Coast and two for the Golden State Theatre interests, as well as several which are being erected by private theatrical operators who are showing their faith in Oakland's prospeets by investing their money in this manner. At the present time money exceeding $5,000,000 is invested in theatre houses in Oak- land. Consequently, we should consider the amusement enterprise to be one of our leading and most prominent industries.

Another notable example of Oakland's continuing commercial develop- ment is that furnished by Montgomery Ward and Company. It is but a few years since they broke ground for their first building. Last year their business had inereased to such an extent that they doubled their then existing eight- story building in East Oakland and they are now engaged in additional con- struction which, when completed, will again double their present facilities. This one company does a tremendous business in Oakland amounting to mil- lions of dollars per year and provides a market for many of the articles manu- factured and supplied by Oakland producers.

It is interesting also to note. that during the year just closed an average of fourteen homes were built in Oakland each working day during the fiscal year and that the total amount of building permits for homes exclusively dur- ing the same period amounted to $14,476,872.

MUNICIPAL PROGRAM-STREET IMPROVEMENTS

Municipal affairs have kept pace with private developments. During the past year we have continued our policy of street openings and developments.

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

111

These projects completed, or nearly so, in- chude the opening to traffic of Jefferson Street into San Pablo Avenue : Kahn Way between San Pablo and Telegraph Avenues : the widening of 20th Street from San Pab- lo Avenne to Harrison Street, a project which I inaugurated three years ago and which cost $820,000. Oakland's portion of the Bay Farm Island road has been paved and is open to traffic. Alameda County is now engaged in paving their share of the project and within a short time this beau- tiful new scenie drive fronting San Fran- cisco Bay will be added to the many attrac- tive motor routes which our city already has.

Court proceedings have been completed for the opening of West Street at a cost of $230,000; of Castro Street into San Pablo Avenue, the land condemned cost $180,000, actual work on which has not been started Oakland Bank Building but will commence in the near future; East Sth Street, 8th to 14th Avenues, at a cost of $142,000; and in East Oakland, 89th and 92nd Avennes, costing nearly $10,000.

A large number of our streets have been repaired or repaved in the same period. among them being the tremendous East 14th Street repaving project which cost nearly $500,000; the repaving of Shattuck Avenue from Telegraph Avenue to the Berkeley line : paving of the Skyline Boulevard Extension ; the new Golf Links road between 82nd and Jones Avenues; West 14th Street to the waterfront ; Peralta Street from 7th Street to Emeryville, the City's share costing $13,700. This latter project is practically completed and will be opened in the near future.

The plan whereby the Southern Pacific rails will be removed from Frank- lin Street and the Southern Pacific Company use Webster Street jointly with the Traction Company from 14th to 41st Street, and which I recommended several years ago, has now been nearly completed. New rail is now being laid in Webster Street and when this construction work is finished in the near future, enrrent operation will commence over the new tracks and Frank- lin Street will be released for general traffic. The greatest advantage of this plan will be, however, the release of the present depot holdings of the Southern l'acifie Company for general com- mercial usage and the addition of this valuable property to the tax- able wealth of our city. It is re- ported that offers totaling more than $2,000,000 have been made to the Southern Pacific Company for this property as soon as it is re- leased by them.

In addition to this, street open- ing, widening and improvement proceedings, aggregating nearly $1,500.000, are now under way. Proceedings have been completed towards the widening and improv- ing of 1st Aveune and East 12th

Alameda County Title Insurance Co. Building

MAYOR'S MESSAGE, 1926

Street at a cost of $175,000 to improve traffic conditions leading to and from East Oakland via East 12th and East 14th Streets ; the proceedings for widen- ing Franklin Street from 20th Street into Broadway have been completed in the courts and this opening, which will eost $500,000, will soon be under way. For East Oakland, the Russett Street opening from 50th to 85th Avenues, which will cost over $100,000, will soon be in the eourts. In addition to this major project, smaller projects aggregating $30,000 have passed the courts and will shortly begin. Included in these are: The 85th Avenue extension, and the 92nd Avenue opening and extension aeross the railroad tracks in Elmhurst, which will open up much additional territory and industrial develop- ment and provide the industries now located there with more convenient access to and exit from their respective locations.

Additional street widening plans, some of which have been completed and others on which work will start in the near future, will include the widen- ing of Harrison Street from 12th to 20th Streets at a cost of $16,000; Webster Street from 12th to 20th Streets; Telegraph Avenue from 19th Street to Clare- mont Avenue; 14th Street from Clay to Webster Streets; 13th Street from Webster to Market Streets; Broadway from 14th Street to College Avenue and 12th Street at the dam; at a total estimated eost of nearly $400,000, repaving Grand Avenue to the Embarcadero, the city's share to cost $37,000; and $15.000 to finish the work for the opening and extension of East 10th Street.

Hotel Coit Building

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

Another major street opening plan on which pro- ceedings are now under way is that of repaving, widening and opening Hop- kins Street through to Sem- inary Avenue. This is a most important project as it will open up an addi- tional artery for the heavy traffie moving to and from East Oakland north of the Lake. Excelsior Avenue is also to be widened and re- paved from Hopkins Street to Lakeshore Boulevard, which will eost the city $40,000. Proceedings will soon be initiated to pave Santa Clara and Moss Ave- nnes and thus provide an improved through and di- reet artery for this rapidly increasing volume of traffic.

Completion of the East 8th Street improvement WakeGeld Building will cost the eity $25,000; while other improvement projects included in the coming fiscal year are: $40,000 for the improvement of Mountain Boulevard : $30,000 for various sewer outlets in all parts of Oak- land; $55,000 for the construction of new corporation yard buildings; $17,000 to complete the drainage system being installed on Lerida Avenue and which it is hoped will eliminate any further trouble in that location; and $150,000 to complete the Elmhurst sewer outlets.

It is highly essential that work on all these street improvement projects be pushed as rapidly as possible. The bridge which is being constructed aeross the Carquinez Straits is scheduled to be finished and opened for traffic early in 1927. This will open up a direct and convenient artery to traffic from the great Sacramento Valley directly into our city and we must prepare as rapidly

Oakland Harbor

MAYOR'S MESSAGE, 1926

Oakland Harbor

as possible for the volume of traffic which will come to us over that highway. The Council has recently appropriated money authorizing a survey for an- other route from Contra Costa County into Oakland. Representations have been made to the Couneil favoring a route via Shepard Canyon, another via Thornhill Road, and still a third, a route below the present tunnel. The re- sults of the surveys will determine which of these is the most satisfactory and advisable road to construct.

SEWERS

The past year has seen construction practically completed on the sewer improvements authorized by the $1,250,000 sewer bond issue and provided a long needed relief through the additional facilities thus made available for service. The rapid growth of Oakland and the large number of subdivisions which have been and are being constantly placed upon the market makes the question of adequate sewers one of prime importance and there are today many hundreds of miles of new sewers in construction in Oakland to serve these various subdivisions.

HARBOR IMPROVEMENT

In my annual message to the Council in 1924, 1 recommended a harbor bond issue and outlined a plan of development for our western waterfront. In November, 1925, a general election was held and the people of this city authorized the expenditure .of $9,960,000 for harbor improvement.

Un. Hulk

Gilmour Building

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

At the time of the election, I expressed myself as opposed to certain measures included in the program submitted by the Board of Engineers, pre- viously appointed by the Council. My opposition was particularly directed against the proposed expenditure of nearly $4,000,000 in Brook- lyn Basin. This portion of the harbor plan eontemplat- ed removal of Government New Bungalow Island. The Superior Court of Alameda County had pre- viously decided that Government Island was located within the limits of Ala- meda and that the City of Oakland had no jurisdiction over its boundaries. More recently that decision was upheld by the higher courts of the State and final word has just been received from the Federal Government that it will not consider relinquishing the twenty-five year leases which it holds on the island and that it eontemplates development of Government Island as a Federal airport. Consequently. it appears to me that there is now no possibility of carrying out the advertised projeet in Brooklyn Basin.

The harbor bond issue provided for only an apron wharf, a parking place for seows, on the western harbor frontage, although this frontage is the. only available land possessed by the city which has not been leased out for a long term of years. Neither did the Harbor Engineers make any recommendations for the development of the "White Meat." lying between the Southern Pa- eifie and the Western Pacific moles.

In accordance with my previous recommendations and in view of the situation that exists concerning Government Island, I again recommend most urgently that the amount of money which had been appropriated for Brooklyn

Levy Residence

MAYOR'S MESSAGE, 1926

Basin expenditure be diverted and utilized for the development of our western harbor frontage. It is a well known fact that the entire harbor frontage from Webster Street east- erly is under lease to private inter- ests, and that the leases will not ex- pire for many years. These same private interests have erected im- provements on much of this land and are collecting and keeping doek- age and tolls which rightfully should come into the city treasury, and they Roos Bros. Building pay no taxes on these holdings. The people of Oakland residing east of Lake Merritt were misled by propaganda and voted for the above issue in the theory that they would be given an East Oakland harbor. This was merely political propaganda to have them support the harbor bond issne.

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Polk's Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda city directory, 1926, Part 2

Author: R.L. Polk & Co Publication date: 1925 Publisher: Oakland, Cal. : R.L. Polk & Co. Number of Pages: 1924

Author: R.L. Polk & Co
Publication date: 1925
Publisher: Oakland, Cal. : R.L. Polk & Co.
Number of Pages: 1924