Where was Chris Werren's Berkeley roadhouse in North Berkeley?
From the article "WAYSIDE ROAD HOUSES OF YE OLDEN TIME" in the Oakland Tribune of Sun, Jun 16, 1907:
The
wiping out of Chris Werren's old roadhouse in North Berkeley, just across the county line on the road to Contra Costa, for the purpose
of selling the surrounding land in villa lots, adds one more to the list of
"has been" roadhouses in the vicinity of the bay of San Francisco.
Article transcribed and researched here:
WAYSIDE ROAD HOUSES OF YE OLDEN TIME Oakland Tribune, 16 Jun 1907, Sun, Page 35
The county line ended/ends about where the reservoir is, and where Spruce ("the County Road") meets Wildcat and the road into Tilden. Here's an 1899 USGS map with a google map underneath, showing the intersection, with no black squares representing buildings. The description makes it sound like it was on Wildcat road, called Wild Cat road back then.
From an article below:
The northern city limit is Cordonices creek, and a short half-mile along a well traveled and kept county highway brings the wayfarer to the Werren resort.
That would be much closer to town. Going north on Spruce from its intersection with Codornices Creek (note spelling) .5 miles gets you to about the intersection of Spruce & Los Angeles Avenue, or maybe Spruce & Santa Barbara Road.
More about the Werren family here, warning; scandals!
Mentions of the location
Items in bold are mine, meant to illustrate the location. Thanks to Daniella Thompson for finding the San Francisco Call article.
POSSE OF OFFICERS IS SEARCHING ALAMEDA COUNTY FOR LONE BANDIT
It Is Believed That Werren Saloon Outlaw Had a Companion in His Holdup Escapade, and the Killing of a Watch Dog Indicates That the Deed Was Premeditated and Carried Out Boldly
BERKELEY, April 18.— The efforts of the police were concentrated to-day upon
the lone highwayman who held up the Werren saloon last night and shot Mrs.
Elizabeth Werren when she made some show of resistance. Sheriff Bishop and
Deputy Scanlan were early upon the scene this morning to hunt up clews. Peace
officers air over the county were warned to be on the lookout for a man
answering the bandit's description and the police of Oakland and Berkeley were
asked to cooperate in the man-hunt.
It is doubtful, however, if any
trace of the fellow is ever found. He left nothing behind him that might lead
to his arrest. It is generally conceded that the man Louis Sullivan saw
running down the road toward Berkeley did the shooting. He was running
hard and did not tarry when Sullivan accosted him, indicating that he must
have been fleeing from the scene of his crime.
As the Werren saloon is less than a mile from the North Berkeley station of
the Southern Pacific Company, it was an easy matter for the highwayman to get out of town. Trains run out
of town in such rapid succession that he must have got away long before the
news of the crime reached town. An incident that occurred at the Werren saloon
Saturday night goes to show that it was a premeditated crime. Two men called
there after Werren and his wife had retired late at night and deliberately
shot the watch dog. When Werren protested against this brutality the men swore
that they had had to protect themselves. It is evident that the men got the
dog out of the way so that they would not be molested or betrayed before their
Sunday work began. True, only one highwayman engaged in the hold-up, but it is
believed that he was backed up by a companion who watched the saloon from the
outside. At any rate, this is the view held by Werren and the officers.
HOLD-UP WAS COLD-BLOODED.
Another incident that indicates that the hold-up was well planned was the
evident familiarity of the bandit with the premises. When Mrs. Werren
disappeared through the rear door of the saloon, even while two revolvers
covered herself and companions, the man seemed to know that she would go
through the alley-way between the saloon and her house to the street. For as
soon as he observed her movement he changed the position of the pistol he held
in his right hand so that it would cover Mrs. Werren the moment she reached
the street. Thus he was prepared to shoot the men with. the pistol in his left
hand and the woman with the one in his right; he had both the front and rear
door of the saloon covered with ominous looking weapons. There was no escape
for any of the victims.
Mrs. Werren was shot while she was
empty-handed and absolutely defenseless against the highwayman. She had sought
to escape him, but fell victim to his cowardice and wantonness. The man shot
her because he thought she was going for arms or help. The spirit of
self-defense was strong in Mrs. Werren even after she had been shot. She did
not fall at once, but with a courage borne of a desire to avenge herself she
staggered into her house and secured a little old derringer, thinking to use
it upon the bandit. As soon as she emerged from the house, however, she fell
to the ground and was there found by her husband, who had in the meantime
ejected the robber.
Werren's own escape was miraculous. When he
pushed the desperado through the saloon door, he expected to be shot for his
pains. The man outside kicked two or three times at the door and demanded
admittance, at the same time threatening to shoot. He had been disappointed of
getting the money he sought. Werren, however, made desperate by the agonizing
cries of his wife, refused to open. That was enough for the highwayman, and in
a few moments all was still again.
HOW LEWIS ESCAPED.
Frank Lewis, the other, member of the trio, had
the least dramatic part in the stirring drama. He acquiesced in every demand
of the highwayman and so escaped. In fact, he was the only one of the three
who held up his hands at the man's command. Werren said to-day that he was too
frightened to throw up his, hands even after he had been warned thrice to do
so. Mrs. Werren did not comply either. Dr. J. Edson Kelsey, who attended Mrs.
Werren, is doubtful whether she will recover, though he says the chances are
in her favor. The great danger is from pneumonia or blood-poisoning. Mrs.
Werren is 60 years of age, but still strong and healthy. She is suffering
intensely from her wound and is so excited that she cannot give any coherent
account of what happened..
The saloon where the shooting took place is not a mile from the city limits
and upon a hillside road that overlooks the bay. It is a much traveled
road and the Werrens receive considerable money from visitors on Sundays, a fact
that must have been known to the highwayman.
It's a bit suspicious that the witness, Louis Sullivan, mentioned above was arrested for burglarizing the Davis Saloon, further down the hill on the County Road / Spruce Avenue four years earlier.
"A desperate, masked highwayman, backed by two big pistols, held up Werren's saloon on the road to Wild Cat Canyon to-night and when his commands were not instantly obeyed he shot Mrs. Liesel Werren, wife of the proprietor of the saloon."
18 Apr 1904, Mon The San Francisco Call Bulletin (San Francisco, California) Newspapers.com
As a result of the outrageous assault on W. R. Ellis and his family, while automobile riding Sunday evening, at the corner of Cedar and Grant streets by a drunken rowdy, an agitation has been started to have the Werren Roadhouse, north of Spruce street terminus closed. Plans are under way to bring the matter before the supervisors with a hope that the county license to sell liquor under which the place is conducted, revoked.
The Werren resort, familiarly known as the Swiss Chalet, has long been under the ban of the people of North Berkeley district, but being without the city limits they have been unable to invoke the assistance of the officials, especially Chief of Police Vollmer. The resort is conducted by a Swiss by the name of Chris Werren. It is about half a mile beyond the city limits, directly north of the end of Spruce street. It has long been a rendezvous for Sunday roysterers. Werren may sell liquor openly because he holds a county license, granted by the board of supervisors.
Its proximity to the north end of the city, especially the rapidly growing hill section north of the campus has been a grievance of the entire neighborhood. The northern city limit is Cordonices creek, and a short half-mile along a well traveled and kept county highway brings the wayfarer to the Werren resort. It was opened years ago when cowboys from the hill ranches and the Ignacio and San Ramon valley galloped along this road on their way to and from Oakland and San Francisco. As Berkeley grew the residence district encroached upon the haunts of the vaquerros. The cattle ranches have disappeared; so have the cowboys, but Werren and his wife have continued to prosper. With the rapid extension and overflow of the city northward to all the intents and purposes the Werren place constitutes a saloon, in a city that is advertised to the world as free from liquor selling places. Population has overstepped municipal boundaries, but because of the limitations of the jurisdiction of the Berkeley officials, Werren has been able to nullify the efforts of North Berkeley people to maintain an unrivaled reputation of the district as a desirable residence section,
The attack on Ellis and the brutal assault of his son by a drunken ruffian is but one of many similar offenses by men, who have been prowling about the northern portion of the city, full of liquor on Sunday afternoons and evenings of week days.
"I am preparing to bring the dissatisfaction that the North Berkeley people feel over the proximity of a roadhouse to their homes to the attention of the board of supervisors," said Ellis this morning. Incidentally I think I will swear out a John Doe warrant for the individual who struck my boy with a whip while we were enjoying an automobile ride Sunday evening. But my case is only one of many. Frequently intoxicated men are seen coming down the county road from the Werren place to North Berkeley.
The people living at the end of Spruce street have been especially annoyed at times. Parties of people from various parts of the bay frequently congregate about the place. Werren is within his rights in selling liquor, because he has a county license, but I believe the supervisors will see the situation in its true light and put a stop to the presence of a saloon, which practically undoes the efforts of the people of North Berkeley to maintain a clean neighborhood."
"...the Werren resort on the county road just north of the Berkeley town line..."
"Despite the fact that Sheriff Bishop of Oakland and Sheriff Veal of Contra Costa county with their posse of deputies, have been scouring the Berkeley hills in search of the brutal robber who shot Mrs. Elizabeth Werner at the Werren resort on the county road, Saturday night..."
"...were returning from an outing in Wild Cat Canyon when they stopped at the Werren roadhouse."
"WERREN'S ROADHOUSE CLOSED.
Chris Werren's roadhouse on the county road, north of the terminus of Spruce street, has been closed permanently, The place has been in existence for thirty years, but of late has won a rather unsavory reputation. There has been much opposition to its presence from the north end of town."
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