Polk's Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda city directory, 1927, Part 2

Author: R.L. Polk & Co
Publication date: 1927
Publisher: Oakland, Cal. : R.L. Polk & Co.
Number of Pages: 2152

USA > California > Alameda County > Alameda > Polk's Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda city directory, 1927 > Part 2
USA > California > Alameda County > Alameda > Polk's Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda city directory, 1927 > Part 2
USA > California > Alameda County > Berkeley > Polk's Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda city directory, 1927 > Part 2
USA > California > Alameda County > Berkeley > Polk's Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda city directory, 1927 > Part 2
USA > California > Alameda County > Oakland > Polk's Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda city directory, 1927 > Part 2
USA > California > Alameda County > Oakland > Polk's Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda city directory, 1927 > 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).

The athletes of the University of California have made many world records, proving that California with its equable coast climate, its out-of-door life and its abundance of fruit and vegetable food, together with exceptional sanitation and public health work, is producing a superior physical type of man. The fact that Helen Wills is a resident of Berkeley, a student of the University, and that she received her training in tennis here, while Helen Jacobs and many other tennis champions are products of the Berkeley courts, is evidence of the athletic superiority of Berkeley girls.

Residents of Berkeley have a singularly favorable chance of rearing all their children to maturity. The infant mortality rate over a period of years has been one of the lowest in the country and the general mortality rate has also been very favorable. The death rate per thousand inhabitants for 1926 was 9.89, which is an exceptionally good showing.

The thorough supervision of the milk supply by the Health Department, the unceasing care of the water supply by the East Bay Water Company, and the work of the Welfare Organization with its trained staff of visiting nurses, are important factors in this health record. By far the largest number of deaths in Berkeley occur in the age period between 60 and 80 years, from heart diseases, cancer and apoplexy.

Another field in which Berkeley is doing pioneer work is in the Police Department. The basis of Chief August Vollmer's work is the education of chil- dren who have established bad or unsocial habits. In this work he is now ably seconded by a highly trained policewoman. Many of the police officers are college graduates or students, chosen for a combination of physical and mental pro- ficiency. They are gaining a training which makes many other communities look to Berkeley for police chiefs. The lie detector, the highly developed finger-print department and the expert work in criminal identification have made the Berkeley police system internationally famous.

All charity, welfare and social agencies receive public contributions under the Community Chest plan which has now served twenty-one agnecies for the past four years.

Berkeley has operated for the past four years under the City Manager form of government which has been conducted in a thoroughly business-like way and has gained very general approval from the community. John N. Edy has served as City Manager since the revised charter was adopted and Frank D. Stringham has served with distinction as Mayor. The April municipal election, by giving a great majority vote to M. D. Driver as mayor, and to City Councilmen who are whole-heartedly behind the City Manager government, have insured the continuity of the policies of the past four years.

Under the able leadership of Superintendent Harry B. Wilson, Berkeley has an exceptionally efficient and successful school department. It has a large and well-conducted High School, four Junior High Schools, and a complete elementary and kindergarten system. Children are taught by the group project plan, which is as inspiring and fascinating to the children as it is effective in training.

Berkeley's greatest school need today is more buildings to accommodate the rapidly growing registration of pupils.

On the waterfront Berkeley has over a hundred factories which produce over $50,000,000 of diversified products annually. Cocoanut oil, soap and automobile, marine and airplane engines, ink, and various types of metal, wood and food prod- ucts, are among the larger industries, but the articles manufactured cover a wide field. Owing to superior climatic and living conditions many manufacturers 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 survey of Berkeley industries, has worked for selected, high-grade types of factory, and has pointed out the value 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 bay cities who commute from 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 government 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 land- scape 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 acquisi- tion of more parks and playgrounds. Berkeley 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. The Indian Ocean was its first theater of action. Thence it traveled westward through the Red Sea into the Mediterranean and builded 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 west- ward 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 gateway and must ponder along 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 civiliza- tion 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 be. Berkeley, the Pacific capital of learning, must fit herself to be worthy of the leadership which fate has thrust upon it. It must rear a city of supreme beauty 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 dsetiny. Berkeley, looking through the Golden Gate, is calling you!

OAKLAND CITY HALL

CITY COUNCIL, 1927

CITY COUNCIL OF OAKLAND

Upper Left-EUGENE K. STURGIS, Commissioner of Revenue and Finance Lower Left-W. H. PARKER, Com- missioner of Streets

Upper Right-FRANK COLBOURN, Com- missioner of Public Works

Lower Right-CHAS. C. YOUNG, Com- missioner of Public Health and Safety

Center-John L. DAVIE, Mayor of Oakland

MAYOR'S MESSAGE, 1927

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 year.

Oakland has continued during 1926, as it had up to the time of my last annual message, to follow steadily the upward path of progress and prosperity. Statistics-Federal, county and city-show that this onward march touches all phases of our community life, our business, our recreations, our homes. Oakland's bank clearings, postoffice receipts, building permits, installation of public service facilities, such as water and telephones-all of these indicate steady, speedy growth, and a growth that is based upon foundations of undis- putable reliability and permanence.

Our population, according to Chamber of Commerce estimate based upon rentals, building permits, use of public utilities, and other definite factors, as well as previous Federal census, is today in the neighborhood of 320,000. The half-million mark is not far off.

Postoffice receipts for the fiscal year totaled $1,809,296, an increase of nearly $300,000, or twenty per cent over the last year's report.

Bank clearings totaled nearly $1,100,000,000, an increase of approximately one hundred million over the preceding year.

Building permits reached over $28,000,000, including office buildings, fac- tories, stores, public garages and service stations, and a multitude of homes in beautiful new residential sections.

Latham Square Building Sixteenth and Telegraph Avenue

INDUSTRIAL GROWTH AND RETAIL TRADE

Largely responsible for these tremendous forward strides is Oakland's position as an industrial leader. Ninety-four new industries have chosen plant locations in the Eastbay since January 1, 1926. During the years 1925 and 1926, 201 new industries have thus come to this city, bringing the total of big industries in the city to 1,692, including more than 100 of national fame.

The leaders in our local industrial life have been in the past year, as previously, our automobile factories. The General Motors Company, Oakland branch, has made a rec- ord in 1926 in production of Chevrolet cars. The Durant plant has increased tremendous- ly its production ; and Star cars, both fours and sixes, are now produced in this city for distribution throughout the entire West. A new departure in Western automobile pro- duction has come with additions to local Durant Company facilities which have al-

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

lowed for the building of a large number of car bodies here, and other improve -. ments planned will result in all bodies, both closed and open, being built in Oakland. This means additional payrolls with resultant general city benefit.

At this time I wish to repeat that I have mentioned in previous messages- the debt owed by Oakland to W. C. Durant and his associates. Mr. Durant was responsible for the original selection of Oakland as the Pacific Coast Chevrolet production center. He was likewise responsible for the location here of the: Western plant of the Durant Motors Company when that concern was organ -; ized. Thousands of our people derive their livelihood from these factories, and many of them are residents of Oakland because of Mr. Durant's constructive. action, and that of his associates ; Cliff Durant, his son ; Norman De Vaux, vice- president and general manager of Durant Motors, and others.

The Willys-Knight Overland Company is another great automobile concern recently located in Oakland. On a 50-acre tract in the eastern section of the city it has constructed a large branch factory, employing hundreds of Oakland citizens, and adding substantially to our annual payroll.

Athens Athletic Club Building

MAYOR'S MESSAGE, 1927

Lake Drive Apartments Oakland's Finest Community Owned Apartment House

At this point it is highly pertinent to state that when such national organizations, requir- ing room for expansion and adding so consid- erably to Oakland's progress and national prestige, seek location here, the entire city should back any movement to give them the best we have. This was not the case when the Willys-Knight Overland Company first sought location here. At that time certain interests endeavored to sell them a location on a single block of land in West Oakland. This would have allowed them but little expansion, the concern would soon have found itself effec- tually blocked from further progress, and the city itself would have suffered as a conse- quence.

Generous treatment of big business builds not only for the present, but for the future. Selfish treatment based on the desire to make a real estate "clean-up" on such big organ- izations, and then to forget them entirely, in- evitably would result in irreparable injury to our future.

On this theory, when information came to me as Mayor, of the attempted sale of the small West Oakland site to this com- pany, I at once sought an interview with the company's management. The first result was that they took over the 50-acre tract above mentioned. The sec- ond result, but perhaps most important, has been that though these other interests were disgruntled at loss of a realty sale, the company itself, with its business friends and related business organizations all over the country, is most friendly toward Oakland, and has been instrumental in calling other concerns likewise to locate here.

Another important asset in which Oakland perhaps leads the State is the canning industry. The four leaders of this work here employ during the can- ning season well over 3500 Oakland men and women, and during 1926 con- tributed a total over $1,300,000 to the city's annual payroll. The advertising value of their product, which in most cases bears the stamp, "Made in Oakland, California," is also of inestimable worth to the community.

According to officials of the H. G. Prince Company, this one concern, with its huge plant located on Twenty-ninth Avenue, does an annual business of over $3,500,000, and employs over 800 during the season, and no less than 100 all year round. Its annual 1926 payroll was over $400,000. Every individual can, and every case of product, bears on label or stencil the words that the enclosed product was made in Oakland. Considering the fact that in 1926 alone over 1,000,000 cases of this concern's goods were shipped to India, Japan, South Africa, Europe and other points all over the world, the total advertising effect cannot be estimated in dollars and cents alone.

Another big organization in this work is the Pacific Coast Canneries, Inc., in West Oakland. Last June this $5,000,000 organization was completed, em- bracing other canneries in Utah as well as in California, and making Oakland the home office quarters. The 1926 pack of this concern alone was estimated at 1,500,000 cases-with again, as in the case of the Prince Company, each can filled at the Oakland plant bearing the name of the city on its label.

The Sterling Canning Company, with a 1926 payroll of $180,000; the Oak- land branch of the California Packing Corporation, with its payroll of a quarter million ; and the Thomas-Body Company, all rank well up with the others

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

mentioned and contribute to the city's prestige in advertising just as they do 10 the city's financial welfare in payroll contributions to our citizens.

Other figures indicating Oakland's healthy position are those of retail trade. In 1926 our city again held 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 percentage in retail trade over that of 1925 was 5.2 per cent-the nearest competitor was Los Angeles with a gain of 4.1 per cent, and San Francisco lost 1 per cent during the same month.

DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS

During the past year we have seen a number of splendid new downtown buildings open their doors to take active part in the community life. Among them are the towering eighteen-story Central Bank, recently completed; the magnificent new home of the Elks, representing an investment of $1,300,000; the $800,000 Athens Athletic Club building; the Coit Hotel at Fifteenth and Harrison; the handsome Latham Square office building at Sixteenth and Tele- graph, and the Leamington Hotel at Nineteenth and Franklin. A striking addi- tion to our apartment house facilities was marked by the completion of the beautiful building constructed by Architect M. I. Diggs and associates, adjoin- ing the Regillus Apartments at 244 Lakeside Drive. This is the first commu- nity-owned apartment building in Oakland, reaches eleven stories in height, and is a splendid example of modern architecture.

Another striking illustration of the city's demand for development is the plant completed and occupied by the Drayage Service Corporation at Eigh- teenth and Peralta, and affording the latest in transportation facilities. This is an outgrowth of one of Oakland's pioneer transfer and drayage services, which was founded years ago by Mr. Orchard Scott, a former business asso- ciate of mine. It has made splendid progress under the recent guidance of his son, W. Proctor Scott, and associates.

In the amusement field the past year has seen a number of new motion pic- ture theatres open their doors for the pleasure of the people. These include the Parkway, New Fruitvale, Golden Gate, Fairfax and Granada Theatres, owned and operated by the Golden State Theatre and Realty Company; the splendid Grand Lake and Senator Theatres, owned by the West Coast Theatres; and, rapidly near- ing completion, one more theatre for the West Coast and two for the Golden State interests, respectively. Several others also are being erected by private operators who are showing their faith in Oakland by investing their money at home. With no less than $5,000,000 invested in theatre houses in Oakland, we cannot help but consider the amusement enterprise one of our leading and most prominent indus- tries, and its speedy growth as indication of our prosperity.

Still another notable example of Oak- land's continuing commercial development is that furnished by Montgomery Ward

Leamington Hotel Nineteenth and Franklin Streets

MAYOR'S MESSAGE, 1927

CxxxxXXX

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HAYPLS THLAINC

New Theatres of the Golden State Group

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

and Company. It is but a few years since this huge organization broke ground for its first building here. Yet its first year's increase of business caused the company to double its eight-story building in East Oakland-and last year saw the huge plant doubled again. This one company does an annual business amounting to millions, providing not only work for hundreds of Oakland men and women, but also a market for many articles manufactured and supplied by Oakland producers.

MUNICIPAL PROGRAM-STREET IMPROVEMENTS

Municipal affairs, continuing the city's policy of opening and developing streets, have kept pace with private development. Projects completed, or nearly so, include the opening of Jefferson into San Pablo; Kahn Way, be- tween San Pablo and Telegraph; the widening of Twentieth from San Pablo to Harrison, an improvement I inaugurated three years ago, and which cost $820.000. Oakland's portion of the Bay Farm Island road, a beautiful new scenic drive on San Leandro Bay, now paved and open to traffic, adds another to the city's many attractive motor highways.

Court proceedings have been completed for the opening of West Street, at a cost of $230,000; of Castro into San Pablo, the land condemned costing $180,000, and actual work of which will be completed within a few weeks; East Eighteenth Street, Eighth to Fourteenth Avenue, at a cost of $142,000. and in East Oakland, Eighty-ninth and Ninty-second Avenues.

The completion of the tremendous East Fourteenth Street repaving project. costing nearly half a million, marks another of the year's achievements. The repaving of Shattuck from Telegraph to the Berkeley line; the paving of the Skyline Boulevard extension ; the new Golf Links road between Eighty-second and Jones Avenue; West Fourteenth to the water front; Peralta from Seventh to Emeryville, the city's share costing $13,700, are among other completed projects.

The plan whereby the rails will be removed from Franklin Street and the Southern Pacific Company and Key System use Webster Street jointly from

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Montgomery Ward & Co., East Fourteenth and Twenty-ninth Avenue Showing New Addition on Right

MAYOR'S MESSAGE, 1927

Fourteenth to Twentieth Street, and which I recommended several years ago, has been completed. A great advantage of this was the release of the valu- able depot holdings of the railroad company and their addition to the taxable wealth of the city. Their recent sale at a reported price of $3,000,000 points to plans for big and immediate busi- ness construction there. The clearing of Franklin Street to vehicular traf- fic alone will also be of inestimable benefit.

In addition to these, other street openings, widening and improve- İTİ ment proceedings, aggregating near- ly $1,500,000, are under way. The contemplated widening and improv- ing of First Avenue and East Twelfth Street, at a cost of $175,000 to the city, will clear traffic leading to and from East Oakland via East Twelfth and Fourteenth Streets. The widen- ing of Franklin Street from Twen- tieth Street into Broadway, to cost half a million, will soon be started. For East Oakland, the Russett Street opening from Fiftieth to Eighty-fifth Avenue, to cost over $100,000, will soon be in the courts. Smaller proj- Central National Bank Building Fourteenth and Broadway ects, totaling $30,000, have passed the courts and include the Eighty- fifth Avenue extension and the Ninety-second Avenue opening and extension over the railroad tracks in Elmhurst, which will open much additional terri- tory to industrial development.

Another major project on which proceedings are under way is that of repaving, widening and opening of Hopkins Street, through to Seminary Ave- nue. This most important project will give an additional artery for the heavy traffic moving to and from East Oakland north of the lake. Excelsior Avenue also is to be widened and repaved from Hopkins to Lakeshore, at a cost of $40,000 to the city, and with the paving of Santa Clara and Moss Avenues, also contemplated, will provide a through artery for this rapidly increasing uptown traffic.

Still further street widening plans, some completed and others to start shortly, are the widening of Harrison Street from Twelfth to Twentieth Street, at a cost of $16,000; Webster from Twelfth to Twentieth; Telegraph from Nine- teenth to Claremont Avenue; Fourteenth from Clay to Webster; Thirteenth from Webster to Market; Broadway from Fourteenth to College Avenue, and Twelfth Street at the dam, at a total estimated cost of nearly $400,000; repav- ing Grand Avenue to the Embarcadero, the city's share $37,000; $15,000 to finish work for opening and extending East Tenth Street. Finally there is the East Eighth Street improvement, to cost the city $25,000, and that of Mountain Boulevard, to cost $40,000.

At this point I wish to repeat my recommendation concerning speedy com- pletion of the extension of First Street. The filling between Fallon and Fifth Avenue, which I recommended five years ago, has been completed and should be paved and surfaced at once to provide a traffic artery for heavy waterfront transportation. This is especially necessary now that the opening of Fallon

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

Street at Seventh has at last been ordered by the Council, and is at present before the courts.

It is highly essential that all these street projects be pushed as rapidly as possible. The Carquinez Straits bridge is scheduled for operation in 1927. As it will open up a convenient traffic artery from the great Sacramento Valley directly into this city, we must prepare our own streets at once for the latter's reception. Further reason lies in the fact that the Council recently appropriated money authorizing a survey for another direct route between Contra Costa County and Oakland. Representations have been made favoring a route through Shepard Canyon; another via Thornhill road; still a third, a route below the present tunnel. The results of the survey will determine which is most satisfactory to construct-but whichever is chosen, we must pre- pare for its added traffic flow.

Lastly, yet of the utmost importance from the standpoint of civic efficiency, economy and pride, is the matter of a new corporation yard and buildings. The Council has appropriated $55,000 for this purpose, and I again urge that action be taken to choose a site and start construction.

SEWERS

The past year has witnessed a long-needed relief through the practically completed construction on sewer improvements authorized by the $1,250,000 bond issue. Oakland's rapid growth and the large number of subdivisions con- stantly being placed upon the market make the question of adequate sewers of prime importance.

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Polk's Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda city directory, 1927, Part 2

Author: R.L. Polk & Co Publication date: 1927 Publisher: Oakland, Cal. : R.L. Polk & Co. Number of Pages: 2152

Author: R.L. Polk & Co
Publication date: 1927
Publisher: Oakland, Cal. : R.L. Polk & Co.
Number of Pages: 2152