W. R. Fletcher reminisces, Oakland Hills
Fred Boehmer
Leona
Redwood Canyon
Laundry Farm
BLOG Sun, Apr 6, 1958 – 49 · Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) · Newspapers.com
[These usually lead with current politics. Fifty two years later, I'm not interested in the current politics of 1958, so I leave it out. There are some good nuggets below, definitely don't judge this on the first paragraph. More knave articles - that have subjects which interest me - here: The Knave - Oakland Tribune - MF]
KNAVE
History in the Making
A successful bid at the polls this coming November by District Attorney J. Frank Coakley will make him the first man in Alameda County's 105-year-old history to be elected to that office four consecutive times. William H. Coombs became Alameda County's first district attorney on April 26, 1853. From that date until the second term of Charles E. Snook, won on Nov. 6, 1894, the office was but a two-year term affair. Snook's reelection that year made him the first man to hold the district attorney's office as a four-year post. He was succeeded by John J. Allen, father of our present congressman, John J. Allen, who also served two four-year terms as district attorney before becoming a Superior Court judge. Numerous Alameda County district attorneys left that office to become Superior Court judges, but only one stepped from the office to gain both state and national recognition. That one man is Earl Warren, now Chief Justice of the United States and for three terms Governor of California. Warren was appointed to the district attorney's office here on Jan. 12, 1925, and elected on three different occasions after that date. He left the district attorney's office in 1938 when elected attorney general of California, from which post he stepped into the Governor's office. His successor, Ralph E. Hoyt who is now a Superior Court judge, was also elected to the office three times. Coakley succeeded Hoyt by appointment on Sept. 26, 1947, and was then compelled by law to run for election in November of 1948, a successful campaign which placed him before the voters again in 1950. His last election was in November of 1954. A roster of the district attorney's office reveals that Coakley is the 23rd man to serve that office since it was first held by Coombs in 1853.Changing Scene
With the foundation being poured for the 28-story Kaiser Center on what was once the campus of Holy Names College in the heart of Oakland, Adrienne M. Orchison of Piedmont is reminded of those leisurely days that marked the first decade of this century when that particular section of town was like a bit of Cambridge transplanted here from Massachusetts. "Here lived families of literary and artistic accomplishment that gave Oakland a reputation to be proud of," Mrs. Orchison says. “Douglas Tilden, the sculptor, had a fine home and studio where 21st St. intersects between Webster and Franklin Streets. There were two schoolteachers, Stella and Alice Trask, who lived on Hobart St. [Hobart became 21st Street. - MF] Stella was a noted watercolor artist. Dr. Charles R. Brown, so many years minister of the First Congregational Church, lived on 22nd St. in a home that resembled Boston dwellings, and here, too, lived Alexander Stewart, popular choir leader of that church. A. A. Denison, editor and drama critic of the old Oakland Enquirer, lived with his family on 21st St. The Ruskin club, group of intellectuals, often met at the Denison home. Among their number were Frederick Irons Bamford, Austin Lewis, Jack London, Herman Whitaker, with Richard Walton Tully, George Sterling [nephew of Frank C. Havens - MF] and Harry Sully often on the guest list. Here, too, met many of the original founders of the California Writers Club. The Moffitt estate covered from 22nd and 23rd Streets to Broadway, the Cole and Mathews estates being nearer the convent property. The Schmidt, Crinnian and Rickard families had houses on 21st St., and well do I remember the annual Halloween ritual when the neighborhood boys would take the carved wooden gate from the Cole estate and hoist it to the top of the convent's flagpole where it hung for everyone to see the next morning.
Shady Harrison St.
"Mayor Frank J. Mott and his wife and son, Gerville, lived on Webster St. along with the Parish family, the Kosers and the Woodwards. Landers Stevens and Georgie Cooper, so popular so long at Ye Liberty, lived on Webster also, with their two sons, one of whom is George Stevens, now a renowned director. Dr. Larkey and his family had an artistic home on 22nd and Webster Streets, and Dr. William S. Porter lived on 20th St. The Little Sisters of the Poor occupied the old Harmon estate on Webster, and next to them lived the Scheeline family, so well known in Oakland. Many Oaklanders will also remember the grocery store of Kracke and Brunje that stood where I. Magnin now stands. Harrison St. at that time was as pretty a tree-lined street as any found in New England villages. Here lived the consul to the Netherlands, Mr. G. J. G. Marsily, and also the consul to Belgium, Mr. Rene Haleywick. Victor Metcalf, then Secretary of the Navy, lived on Harrison also, and many of the lovely homes there were occupied by the Strattons, the Gages, the Reeds, the Gordons, Stephensons, Rutherfords, Collins, Morses, and many others of prominence. Oakland at that time was much smaller, and residents depended more on one another for diversion. The town's clubs represented the musical, artistic and literary endeavors of the community. Our neighborhood at that time seemed a never-changing and secure place, as the psychiatrists would say today, in which to grow up. The towering office structure soon to rise on the shores of the lake brings in a new era for Oakland, and a changing scene for the future at least a scene far removed from our yesterdays," concludes Mrs. Orchison.
Contra Costa Hills
The Knave: Some verse entitled "Songs of the Contra Costa Hills" and written about a quarter of a century ago by William T. Dowling appear in old county history. A few of the lines run thus: “'Twas the strangest kind of a strange world, Many thousands of years ago, When nobody owned it, east or west, And no one was here below. When the rivers went to the silent sea, With nobody on them sailing. When the mighty forests may have moaned, But nobody heard them wailing ..." [Um, except for Huichin and Ohlone? - MF] Central Contra Costa will be the theme of a program planned by the Contra Costa County Historical Society for a dinner meeting in the Student Union of the East Contra Costa Junior College next Thursday - April 10 - at 7 p.m. Speakers will be Phillip Bancroft, who will reminisce about his historian grandfather; Guy Spencer, for many years fire chief, who will conduct a verbal tour of Walnut Creek 50 years ago, and this writer, who will describe the pioneer settlement of Walnut Creek. Everybody is welcome. Reservations for the dinner should be made with Secretary James Jory, Box 190, Martinez. Walnut Creek lies at the very center of the county and has an interesting history. Its first inhabitants were the tribe of Bolbones Indians. Back in 1806 Lt. Gabriel Moraga, leading a company of soldiers, fought several skirmishes with the tribe in order to bring them under control. In the first skirmish an Indian Medicine Man whom they called "the Puy" appeared in a strange, gaudy dress that seemed to stop bullets of the Spanish guns - much to the soldiers' amazement. The action took place in a willow patch. The Spanish word for such a patch or mountain was "Monte," and "the Puy" they called "the Devil," or "Diablo." Thus Mt. Diablo got its name. Black walnut trees growing along the stream gave name to the creek and town. Gold Rush miners on their way from San Francisco Bay to the mines passed through this area where the ancient roads crossed. Here began a little settlement about 1851. The place took the name of "The Corners." A man named William Slusher built the first house here in 1849. Then came a George Thorn in 1853. Milo J. Hough, who had at first settled at Lafayette, thought he saw a business opportunity at "The Corners" and in 1855 built a hotel, the "Walnut Creek House," and opened a store and blacksmith shop. James T. Walker, nephew of the famous overland scout, Joseph Reddeford Walker, settled on a farm in Ygnacio Valley in 1851. Homer Shuey bought the land of George Thorn and laid out a town site in 1859. Soon other stores were opened by Penniman & Sears, McDonald & Whitmore, and Lawrence Peel who later sold to D. L. Sherbourne. In the 1860s W. B. Rogers built the "Rogers Hotel” which, remodeled, stands on Main St. today as the Las Palmas Hotel though now it is condemned and unoccupied. Today a vast community of homes is spreading over Central Contra Costa valleys and hills, their owners working largely in the industrial centers on San Francisco Bay.-John W. Winkley.
Orchards and Pasture
"Rain, rain, go away; come again some other day," recites W. R. Fletcher of Boulder Creek as he yearns to stroll familiar paths in and about Oakland, his memory stirred by Art Holstrom's recollections of old Durant School in these columns recently. “Them were the days," he sighs. "I too went to Durant and lived in the same neighborhood as Art. Although we are of different ages, it is apparent we have come through the same era and have seen the tail-end of the so-called 'pioneer days.' We have seen the horse and buggy and sailing ship replaced by automobiles and motorships, and now witness the airplane giving way to rockets and space travel. But I wouldn't trade my boyhood days with any boy living today. What wonderful memories. We had no money, but once in awhile we got a chance to earn a few cents. We didn't even have transportation. Most of the time we just hiked where we wanted to go. Art mentioned the old Dewey Theater on 12th St., and the Mechanics Pavilion. The old Dietz Opera House at 12th and Webster was another bright spot. I remember when they held dog shows, chicken and pigeon shows, boxing matches, and industrial expositions. Now and then our school class would get to go down and visit what exhibition happened to be current. Thirtysixth St. was the northern city limits in those days. On the other side were Chinese vegetable gardens, and McAlrath's [McElrath - MF] Orchard stretched from 52nd and Grove over to Shattuck. From the car barns at 50th and Telegraph the steam train ran out to Lorin and Berkeley, rolling through hay fields and pasture lands up Shattuck to University Ave. We used to steal corn-on-the-cob from the fields and roast them in our cave at 28th and Linden Streets, also roasting clams that we got from the B St. beach. We could walk out over a mile at low tide. It was all black sand and clean water then...
Fascinating Steam
"Cable cars ran on San Pablo Ave. to Park Ave., then horse cars would take you to the Judson Iron Works, the old California Jockey Club race track or Shellmound Park,” continues Fletcher. Broadway also had a cable car. Horse cars ran on 14th St. to the S.P. Depot and out Market St. to 24th St., then over to Adeline and up to 32nd and Hollis Streets. We kids used to drop a hay rope in the slot and let it tangle with the cable. We had a coal oil can tied on the other end and then watched it go banging down the street. Another thrill was the car that would take us to Blair Park. The fun was in coasting back to Oakland through the grain fields and over the high wooden trestle on Oakland Ave. I have spent hours watching those big Corliss tandem steam engines with their huge flywheels driving about two dozen rope belts to run the cable for the cars. Also the one at Hobart and San Pablo. I can still see the governor turning around. In those days everything was steam driven and wherever was a steam engine running, I was there. For instance, the Narrow Gauge depot at 14th and Franklin where firewood hauled from the Santa Cruz Mountains was cut up, and the little steam trains used on 14th Ave. about 1903 when the old double-decker car was taken off and 14th Ave. developed into Beulah Park. Old California College is gone; and Adams Point, now Lakeside Park, was a golf course. We kids used to caddy there. Trestle Glen was a picnic place where the 14th Ave. car ended on Sundays. I remember the fenced-in fields with the sheep, and on up Trestle Glen Road to the rock quarry. Dimond Canyon had several beer gardens about where Fruitvale Ave. and MacArthur Blvd. now meet. Over on the car house at Hobart and San Pablo was a fire alarm that would be sounded and call all the extra men of the Oakland Fire Department to the blaze. Later that alarm was changed to the Gas House at the foot of Grove St.
Soldiers and Indians
“The city limit line on the east was at 25th Ave.," recalls Fletcher. "Beyond was Fruitvale, Sather, Melrose, Fitchburg, Elmhurst, Stonehurst, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Castro Valley, and Hayward. We would ride the speedy cars owned by E. B. and A. L. Stone and I remember most all the land out that way was covered with orchards and cornfields. My mother's aunt had a dairy on Redwood Road where 39th Ave. now ends. Nearby was Dr. Carr's place, then the Walter Morosco home and then Thomas Magee's Ranch. Morosco had a stable of shiny black horses and a big tally-ho... Frank Graham was his man in charge. I often strolled around the Morosco place. On the Fourth of July he would have the boys from the Finch Orphanage up for a day. Some he dressed as soldiers and gave wooden guns, the others like Indians. What a time those kids had. The hay wagons used to come from Moraga Valley, Redwood Canyon and San Ramon Valley into Fruitvale and East Oakland over Redwood Road. Fred Boehmer had a saloon and picnic grounds where the Alma Mine was located. Then there was a quarry that had steel cars that were operated by gravity. They were hooked up to a cable that wound around a big drum. In the center was a switch for passing. The loaded car pulled the empty one up... A steam line ran from Laundry Farm to Sather Station... And Leona Heights had a hotel and park with bandstand and picnic tables. We would hike from the ranch over the hill into Redwood Canyon, and sometimes up to Joaquin Miller's place to talk to the poet. Most of Redwood Canyon is under water now. No more Keyser Creek ..." [See also this. Kaiser Creek was also spelled Keyser Creek. - MF]
Bull and Bear Fights
A copy of "Spanish Arcadia" authored by Nellie Van De Grift Sanchez and personally inscribed by her is one of the highly prized books on early California : to be seen on the library shelves of Dr. Rockwell D. Hunt's Stockton home. "All the more prized,” he says, "because years ago Mr. [Mrs.?] Sanchez collaborated with me in two fairly extensive literary projects. In 'Spanish Arcadia' she has gleaned from old Spanish documents and reminiscences, and formed an accurate picture 'of the daily lives of the Californians of that time,' presenting facts and incidents that enable the reader to see the people as they actually were, ‘rather than as shadowy heroes with whom we have little in common.' She deals with the part played by the Indians, then the days of the cattle barons, the family life of the period, social customs, education and amusements of the people. During the earliest years of the Spanish regime there was exceedingly little amusement in California, and practically no social activity among the Spaniards. It was a man's world, and life was hard. By the time of the change of flags from the Spanish to the Mexican, however, marked differences are to be noticed. The arrival at Monterey of Governor Sola in 1814 was the occasion for an elaborate feast: 'the tables were loaded with the delicacies of the province game, olives from San Gabriel, wines from San Francisco, "oven fruits" made from San Antonio flour; the table decorations consisted of flowers from the garden of Don Felipe Garcia, whose daughters waited on the governor.' [Spanish Arcadia, by Nellie Van de Grift Sanchez ... (copy 1). Sanchez, Nellie Van de Grift, 1856-1935. page 311] During the pastoral age the cattle industry was the outstanding feature in the life of the people. An interesting illustration of this is seen in the use of certain words among us even today, and their acceptance into the English language. Words like corral, reata, ranch vaquero, rodeo; with meanings now clear. Among all the amusements of heroic type none won greater popularity than the bull and bear fight, which, in the opinion Mrs. Sanchez, was "one of the least desirable of the inheritances brought by the first settlers from old Spain.:
Monterey Celebration
"Securing the combatants was itself more than interesting," Dr. Hunt finds. “The young bulls had to be selected from the herds that had been running wild all their lives. This was accomplished with the aid of the buey, which had been carefully trained for just that purpose. The fierce, untamed bulls were the kind wanted for the fighting. Capturing the bear for the combat was one of the most popular of all sports for the young men of the rancho. Skilled in the use of the rawhide reata, sometimes as many a five of them on their trained mounts, were too much for even the most ferocious bear. The animal was quickly subdued and completely at the mercy of his adroit conquerors. Many a grizzly was thus captured on the now familiar slope of Mt. Diablo. When all was ready, with the people in their seats arranged atop the high fence or wall enclosing the corral, the animals were brought into the arena, tied to each other, the bull usually having ‘one of his forelegs strapped, and the bear one of his hind legs.' Mrs. Sanchez has given us in English translation the description of the fight that followed the grand feast for Governor Sola at Monterey. . . This description was that recorded from Juan B. Alvarado, who a a boy was a personal witness of the combat. Portions of it will aid us in visualizing the actual fight: 'By the large gate the presidio entered four riders on spirited horses covered with embroidered trappings; these horsemen dragged by lasso two large and very black bears; two others did the same with furious bulls which were to fight. The people shouted on all sides, making bets as to which would be the conqueror. . . The native musicians played on their instruments, violins, flutes and drums. . . On one side men stood ready with loaded guns in case of accident. The new governor, to whom such spectacles were altogether strange, remarked, “I am afraid. I have heard that these bears are very fierce, and that they eat Christians.” The bear and the bull were fastened together by one foot with a stout chain of sufficient length to allow considerable action; then the reatas which held each leg were thrown off, and the beasts confronted each other.
By No Means Gentle
“ 'The bull lowered his head and looked threatening, and the bear rose upon his haunches as if awaiting the onset,' Mrs. Sanchez relates. “But for 10 minutes neither advanced. The spectators began to grow impatient. The vaqueros prodded the bull, and with a roar of pain he rushed his adversary. The bear, with a quickness and agility astonishing in a body apparently so unwieldy, avoiding the horns, threw himself with a grasp upon the bull's neck and both rolled over and over in desperate struggle ... the onlookers shouted and yelled ... as they witnessed the flow of blood. Presently the bull, fatigued with exertion and hot with thirst, protruded his tongue, and the bear made an attempt by a change of position to seize it. But the attempt cost him his life. The bull was wary and on his guard, and with a sudden lunge transfixed his enemy and with tremendous effort threw him in the air. As the bear fell with a ghastly wound the bull, infuriated with his own injuries, pursued his advantage and with a second deadly plunge closed the battle.' We may be sure there was nothing gentle about such a conflict! We were not surprised that Mrs. Sanchez found it one of 'the least desirable' of the Spanish inheritances, or that it was eventually made illegal. From Helen Ellsworth Wright I have an account of the last celebration of the kind, as told by her in the 'Chronicle' on Nov. 24, 1901. That occurred in November of 1851 as a part of the festivities for the second son of the house of Bernal. The story ends with the sanguinary statement: 'The bull shook the blood and entrails from his horns, and the last fight at the Santa Teresa was done'."
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