KNAVE
A SPADEFUL of earth will be turned in Oakland tomorrow that is going to make a
big difference in the cultural life of your children, your grandchildren, and
all children down through the ages. The spadeful of earth to which we refer
will mark the groundbreaking for
Oakland's new multimillion dollar Museum
that will occupy a two-block area stretching from
12th to 10th Streets, and from Oak to Fallon Streets. After the groundbreaking exercises all the dignitaries and their guests
will move on to a champagne luncheon in Jack London Square, but we would
prefer to linger behind for a moment and chat with Mrs.
Henrietta Perry, curator of the Public Museum now housed in the towering Victorian mansion
just "up the street" a block or two from the groundbreaking ceremony - at
1426 Oak Street, to be
exact. The present but old
Public Museum
is one of three Oakland museums that will be quartered in the new Oakland
Museum when completed about two years from now. The ancient quarters at 1426
Oak Street have been used by our
Public Museum since 1910. The other two museums that will enjoy the new multimillion dollar structure
are the
Oakland Art Museum, founded in 1916, and the
Snow Museum of natural history
established in 1922.
Paul Mills
is director of the Art Museum, and Nadine S. Latham [Nydine Snow Latham
was her name. - MF]
in charge at the museum housing
Henry A. Snow's African
and Arctic trophies. Awaiting completion of the new quarters, Curator Paul
Mills surveys his gallery's special field of California art, from 18th century
explorers and the missions through Gold Rush illustrations, landscape
paintings, and on through the development of modern art; an endeavor
Oaklanders will be extremely proud of one of these days. But to Mrs. Henrietta
Perry falls the important task of trying to halt the continued destruction of
California history.
EVERY day there are bits of Oakland history going up in smoke. Not necessarily
accidental, but deliberate. It seems that "progress” gets the better of we
moderns and the first thing we do is burn up those old things that meant so
much to Dad and Mother, the treasures held by Grandpa and Grandma. "It's the
personal history of a changing world," Mrs. Perry sighs. "Don't destroy the
past," she cautions. "Those forlorn and long neglected items in the attic
trunk may be the last surviving relics of a heritage you may want to forget,
but future generations might commend.” Mrs. Perry and her staff stress the
importance of saving these mementoes of yesteryear and turning them over to
the museum. "Bring them to 1426 Oak Street, or telephone and tell us about
your trophies of the Golden Years. They may some day be the feature exhibit in
the new museum. All objects relating to the history of California and the West
are needed, especially costumes and accessories of our Western pioneers, such
as gloves, shoes, hats, bags, aprons, shirts, caps, men's clothing (those red
flannels the miner's wore) and uniforms. Household furnishings, too, including
china and utensils. Paintings and other art work such as photographs. Indian
artifacts are extremely important. Tools, mining equipment, fishing and
hunting gear. Even horse trappings. There isn't an item in the catalogue of
yesteryear's relics that won't be treasured. Mantlepieces, doors, windows -
and libraries. We are particularly interested in the Spanish-Mission period of
California, hoping for items to invoke memories of the Spanish dons such as
the
Peralta brothers
- Antonio,
Ignacio,
Vicente and
Jose Domingo. Also the Mexican prelude to the coming of the Americans and the
incorporation of Oakland as a town and city. Equally important are the
mementoes of the growing city, not to mention the artifacts left behind by the
Indians all through the West." All we can hope is that Mrs. Perry's plea
doesn't go unheeded. Nor should anyone be concerned about fire. The Public
Museum - even today - has a fireproof warehouse where all precious treasures
are stored. Even though you're surrendering cherished relics and discards,
they will be well cared for and marked with the name of the contributor.
THERE'S no denying that frequently the "old" has to make way for the "new."
This is called to our attention by
Albert E. Norman, Oakland realtor - historian, who tells us about past residents of the
two-block area already leveled to make way for the new Oakland Museum. "The
first record of these two blocks are shown on a map surveyed by one
Peter Portois in 1852
and again by
Julius Kellersberger
in
1853
apparently at the request of
Edson Adams Sr.,
Horace W. Carpentier
and Andrew Moon," Norman
tells us. “Both Portois and Kellersberger surveyed all the land between San
Antonio Slough (Lake Merritt) and Market Street to the west, and between First
Street and 14th Street. Such a map Carpentier filed in the California State
Legislature while he was enrolling clerk there. Because the land was heavily
wooded with oak trees he called the proposed community Oakland, although we
know the post office was known as Contra Costa for two years after. The first
dwelling to be erected on land where the new Museum is to be built was a home
constructed by
R. W. Heath, a San Francisco commission merchant.
[obituary
- MF]
He purchased the block bounded by 10th and 11th Streets, from Oak to Fallon,
on April 14, 1858. This he homesteaded on April 13, 1864. By 1869 Heath had
become Port Warden of San Francisco. When Horace Carpentier gave a
quitclaim deed
to Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Heath on Aug. 13, 1858, he inserted a clause that read:
'This property shall be fenced within three months; no trees shall be cut
down, and no house of ill fame or gambling shall ever be erected thereon.' But
he failed to state a penalty for violation. During the late 1880s the Heath
home was occupied by
Thomas O. Crawford, later superintendent of Alameda County schools. It was in the Heath home
that Crawford conducted the
Crawford Polytechnic and Manual Training School. By 1897 the Kings Daughters Home was in the same dwelling. The house was
destroyed by fire in 1903 and
the Kings Daughters removed their quarters to 3900 Broadway."
HALF of the block between 11th and 12th Streets and from Oak to Fallon Street
was acquired by
Charles Henry George Blaise
on March 14, 1853. "County deeds describe it as being in the Portois or
Kellersberger's map of Contra Costa," Norman continues. "This was before
Alameda County was formed (March 28, 1853). Blaise erected a two-story
dwelling and homesteaded it Feb. 7, 1861. By 1872 C. Waddell Grant, a
capitalist, had his home at the southeast corner of 12th and Oak Streets.
Between 11th and 12th on Oak Street was the home of
Gen. E. D. Keyes, then in
the real estate business. He had acquired his property from Mr. and Mrs. R. W.
Heath. It was in the early 1860s that Blaise added to his residence to create
the
Bellevue de Lac Saloon and Rooming House. This was the place later famous
as the House of Blazes.
Frank Rosso operated it after Blaise sold in 1884, and
from 1888 to the early 1890s it was in the hands of
Thomas Deasy who called it the Lakeview Saloon and then the Lake Merritt House. Deasy lived in the
house formerly occupied by C. Waddell Grant. Next to own the House of Blazes
was
August Dupont.
The place was closed in December 1896 and its
furnishings auctioned by Col. J. L. Lyon and son, E. C. Lyon, for the benefit of
creditors. The home of Samuel Gray, realtor, was on the east side of Oak
Street between 11th and 12th Streets about this time. On Oct. 16, 1891,
Robert H. Davis bought a lot about mid-block on the south side of 12th Street between
Oak and Fallon from his mother-in-law, Mrs. S. Eden. Mrs. Eden resided part of
the time with Davis and his family and part of the time in Brooklyn, N.Y. A
photo of the Davis home appears on this page by the courtesy of Mrs.
Helen W. Corbett of Orinda, a granddaughter of Robert H. Davis. Mrs. Corbett's mother
was the late
Mrs. C. Hart Wilcox of Piedmont.
George Davis, son of Robert
Davis, was for years secretary of the
Retail Grocers Association in Oakland."
WHEN
Phillips and Leisz operated a grocery store at 12th and Harrison Streets, and later at 12th and Webster Streets (now occupied by
Cochran and Celli) they purchased a lot on the southeast corner of 12th and Fallon Streets "On the rear of the lot."
Norman relates, "were some old barns, most likely built by Blaise. Here
the grocerymen kept their horses and wagons used in making deliveries in
Oakland and Piedmont. Their children sold the lot to the City of Oakland
only recently. A Standard Oil gasoline service station was on this lot in
more recent years, and at 11th and Fallon Streets stood a Shell service
station, replacing a home that once occupied that corner. In 1923 a
building was erected at 12th and Fallon for
Royal A. Doty, agent for the Star automobile assembled at the old
Durant plant on East 14th Street at
the San Leandro line. By 1928 this building was occupied by
Edward N. Watkins who operated the Electric Supply Co. When the building was rased
[sic] last year it was occupied by the
Superior Home Supply Co. Other tenants
along 12th Street included
Konrad Gobel and his auto painting business;
William Sohst, whose
family carriage business started at Eighth and
Webster Streets in the early days, and
Ham & Otis, auto repair shop.
Two buildings, occupied for years by
George Haiden, auto dealer, stood at
the southeast corner of 12th and Oak Streets. Leonard Finkle later had a
furniture store there. In 1963 the American Furniture Company had to make
way for the new museum. The two full blocks bounded by 12th, Fallon, 10th
and Oak Streets no doubt had many other occupants, but it is difficult, to
trace them all. It was an area of many changes after the turn of the
century. The new Museum will no doubt be much more permanent."
More Feather River
IT WAS in May of last year that
H. Wilbur Hoffman of
Yuba City had his thesis approved at Sacramento State College for a Master of Arts
degree. Now he is a teacher at Hiram Johnson High School in Sacramento
during the day, besides instructing night classes in Yuba College,
Marysville. The thesis he submitted in partial satisfaction of the
requirements for his Masters concerned the "
History of Navigation on
California's Feather River." Knave readers have followed Hoffman's history
on the Sunday Knave page since last Dec. 22 and we hope to follow it to a
conclusion although it will not be a regular feature. On Feb. 2 he told
readers how the
Citizens Steam Navigation Company at Marysville made a
contract with what was known as the Combination, giving the latter control
over the Citizens steamers for two years. “Although the exact nature of
the agreement is unknown," he continues, "some arrangement was made
whereby the Marysville company (Citizens) received regular revenue in
return for allowing the Combination to control Citizens Steam Navigation
Company boats. The Enterprise and the Queen City were operated by the
Combination when they were needed. At other times they were laid up with
the reserve fleet. As a result of this agreement the Combination, with
few exceptions, ran the only boats on the Feather River for the next two
years, and stability came to the river. At the time this agreement was
reached, less freight than formerly was being shipped on the Feather.
Reasons for this are not clear, but it is known that new methods for
mining gold reduced the population in the mining areas and it seems
probable that Marysville merchants lost some mountain trade to Sacramento
during its recent struggle with the
California Steam Navigation Company.
Then too, a severe economic depression had spread over the nation in 1855.
Wharfage tax collected by the city of Marysville for 1855 was $1,972.17,
most of which was collected at 10 cents per ton unloaded at the levee, or
approximately 17,000 tons. This tonnage was considerably less than the
24,800 tons unloaded in a six month period in 1853."
AFTER the agreement between the Combination and the Citizens Steam Navigation Company the Marysville merchants began to regain their lost
mountain trade. "Heavy freight shipments," Hoffman says, "were reported
with the
Governor Dana and the
Cleopatra bringing over 200 tons per day.
The plaza presented a busy appearance with piles of merchandise lining the
banks along the landing. The Marysville Herald announced in March that
that business was becoming brisk with many teams loading at several
mercantile houses for the mountains. As the Oct. 1, 1857, expiration date
of the contract between the two companies approached rumors were rife that
the Citizens steamers would again run opposition to the Combination. The
Combination hinted that it was determined not to pay more 'tribute' to
owners of boats heretofore 'bought off' Both companies started repairing
their steamers for the late fall season. The deadline passed, and in
December cutthroat competition again prevailed on the Feather River with
the Enterprise and the Queen again running as opposition boats. Passenger
fares between Sacramento and Marysville dropped to $1.50, then to 25
cents, and the Combination steamers even hauled passengers free.
Apparently both sides had been maneuvering for bargaining position, for in
January 1858 they signed a new contract whereby Citizens again let the
Combination control its boats in return for periodic payments. The
ultimate fate of the Citizens Navigation Company is unknown. The Herald,
the Daily California Express, the Daily National Democrat, and the Daily
Appeal, all Marysville newspapers, reported quarterly dividends paid by
the company ranging from five per cent in the early years to three, four
and two per cent a year through 1860. The Sacramento Bee reported a one
and one-fourth per cent dividend paid in 1863. Dividends may have been
declared later, but this information was not published in the newspapers.
The Citizens line still owned the Enterprise and the Queen City in
December 1860, although these boats were controlled by the Combination.
Gazlay's California and Oregon Business Directory (1864-65) listed the the
Citizens Steam Navigation Co., but the Pacific Coast Business Directory
for the following year made no mention of it. The last half of the '50s
finally brought stability to navigation on the Feather River. After 1854
steamers were generally owned by two companies and much of the time by
only one. Chaotic competition evolved into relative stability and
opposition, when it did appear, was confined to one or two boats. Rates
became relatively stable except for periodic wars."
More at a later date.
Knave 23 Feb 1964, Sun
Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Newspapers.com
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