Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • Page 112

4W. Oakland Tribune, May 1, 1952 i i 4 it, if 'J 5V'" 'f" 1 i Street "bridge In (h 1880'. In tfia background can slough to East, Oakland In ooiIt "dayon evenUiallY setn maniazd'TOofi Hotel Tubb bryond (no oastora becoming our present 12th Street dam and the otber a I Lake Merriit Two other bridges ciossed the rail crossing at 7th Street, wmi a ELMS, Enn ChaboL president deal, the city was chren, the street railway com-ia church school in a former fan- 'Tit gsCb bom OMa msm qprn Boo GliOiMI eoiDQiDi .11 i 4ff illnu lilii I i niinin i I- im. iirm-. HM mmrf iinf mi hmxw nil ri nfi -in iiiii aim mmmmmmmmmmummmmammmm Centra Costa Walter Company, waterfront plot extendinf from panies were formed by the dango house at Fifth and Main scores, and the council took care Streets.

fas granted permission to' lay f'Franklin to Webster Street. pipes to bring water into the city Oakland went wild with joy from Temescal Creek. The Lesis At last the railroad was assured. Property values jumped 100. per lature approved the formation of of some important matters, among them being regulations for the registering of a ban on hunting and fishing around Lake Merritt, and an act prohibiting hotel and carriage agents from soliciting business cnt overnight In their jubila tlon, few citizens realized the city had relinquished the water front over which it had feuded at railroad depots and steamboat with Carpentier since 1852.

i How much Caroentier realized a Board of Education, with powef to set tax levies and operate the schools, practically Independent of the council. W. W. Crane Jr. becanfe mayor on March 7, 1867, but he resigned November 2, and Dr.

Samuel Merritt was. chosen to succeed him. Dr. Merf itt's name has been perpetuated by the lake which created in the center of Oakland by building a dam across San Antonio Slough. Assuring from the transaction has never been disclosed.

He continued to live in Oakland at Third and Alice Streets for some years, but moved his business to San rran-cisco, administering some 9000 acres of land he had acquired in Contra Costa County. landings East of Lake Merritt, the boom was also on. Brooklyn absorbed Lynn and was incorporated' as the Town of Brooklyn on April 4, 1870. On May 4, H. A.

Mayhew, Hiram Tubbs, Adam, Cannon, Charles Newton, and Henry Turn Suden were elected as the Brooklyn Town Trustees, with Mayhew as TWO-YEAR TOWN Brooklyn was to be a town only two years, annexing with Oakland in 1872. Many ot the industries and such- famed places as Tubbs Hotel and Baftger's Park which are usually credited to early Oakland, were (actually It grew into California College, occupying a four-block area between 12th, Hth, Franklin and Harrison Streets. By. purchase and gift, Durant acquired for the college a 160acre tract of land in the foothills far to the north of the city, in what is now Berkeley. OFFERS SITE FOR V.C.

This he offered to the state as site for he. University of California which was founded in 1868. Until buildings were erected, the University occupied the California College buildings in Oakland. Durant served as president of the University- of California, from 1870-72, following Dr. John Le Conte who was acting president for the first year.

Durant retired from education in 1872 to enter the real estate business in Oakland and become its mayor one year later. Under his administration the city wharf at the foot of Webster Street was" completed, ahd, operating at fees 30 per cent less than the others, immediately became a money-maker. Dr. Merritt completed his Grand Central Hotel, designed by him and built under his supervision. Oakland's most unique political fight took place in 1874.

A local option bill had been passed by the Legislature, and Oakland drys, miiitantly backed by women and the churches, forced an election to close the saloons. The liquor forces put up a stiff battle but were defeated. Saloon "keepers were ordered to close their swinging doors 'by July 1, but they ignored the Adams, his old partner, is reputed to have cut in for a huge portion of the profits. TERRIFIC FUROR It was the end of February, 1869, before the city learned Merritt came out of the deal with the choice waterfront lot between Washington and Clay Streets adjoining the city property. That caused a terrific furor, but Mer-I titt merely laughed it off.

He was able to point in hif message of March 15 to the great economic strides Oakland had made, the arrival of water from Temescal, new streets, buildings in Brooklyn. free access between Oakland and Brooklyn, it destroyed the toll bridge barrier which had retarded the city's development, but the dam he1 built and the lake he created are but a minor portion of his contribution td Oakland's history. INCREDIBLE PERSONAGE Merritt wasllli Incredible pr-6nage. Born in Maine in 1S22 and. a graduate of Bowdoirt College in 1844, he was already affluent enough to have his.

own ship, which he captained himself, for the trip around the Horn daring the gold rush. 1 With Yankee shrewdness, he brought with him $500 worth of tacks and 100 kegs of nails, which he. sold In Siui Francisco at a huge He arrived just after ft fire had wiped out most of the city and building materials com manded any price a man dared ask. 1 N. W- Spaulding became mayor in 1871 and was re-elected in 1872.

He called for surveys to correct errors in property lines in the outlying sections of the city and pleaded for installation of sidewalks. Oakland, he noted, had 14 miles of streets but only two miles of sidewalks. He recommended cement made from 'and wharves, and to take-credit for his construction of the Lake Merritt dam, which incidentally had enhanced the value of his property holdings. He was also able to report that the inaccurate surveys by Kellersberger, and the 14-year confusion Of land titles had been standing 6 feet, 3 inches rail, weighing 340 pounds, a huge, powerful figure with bristling gravel found in the vicinity of Fruit Vale, an eastern suburb of the city, but acknowledged the cost was high 30 cents a lineal foot for walks 18 feet wide. Wood would do well temporarily, he advised, and cost only 25 cents a foot.

Spaulding also noted that some cleared by a city-wide compro mise in which all properties were conveyed to Henry Hildebrand, the city clerk, adjusted, and order. Forty-four were arrested! deeded back to the owners. in one day, and all appealed theirM arrangement was needed for re Site for a city hall had been conviction. The cases went up to pairing and watering streets, selected, at 14th Street and San the State Supreme Court which no one had considered be fore. Pablo Road, across what is now the end of Washington Street, and the building was under con He also had an extensive report on the sewerage Sheeds of the 'city, pleading so eloquently struction," to be completed on January 1, 1871.

that more than three' miles Of SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC sewers Were installed in the fol I F0R I HE PAST YEARS lowing year and plans were A. smallpox epidemic which swept the city in July, 1868, had drafted for a Main Sewef run dared 1 Came to Oakland pn October 31, 1854, and paid $6,000 lor a tract of land north, of the! city along 14th Street. He was a physician, but must have had little time for practice. He ac- cumulated huge real estate hold' ings, being willing to give anyone lumber to build a home in exchange for a mortgage, which frequently went unpaid, on the land it occupied. He was an investor in dozens of enterprises, a leader in banking, insurance and shipbuilding, and the Grand Central Hotel, a four-story structure occupyirig the block bounded by 12th, 13th, Webster, and Harrison Streets.

Crane's brief administration had been marked by the expah-c sion of macadamizing td. Eighth, 10th, Hth, Washington and Madi-soif Streets. In the foothills above Brooklyn, a new town, named: from the Upper end of Lake Mer beneficial results in the establishment a Board of Health ritt along 2lst Street to the Bay. LAKE OVERFLOWS On0 of its first acts Was to cooperate awith Alameda County in joint operation of a pest house, A Library Association had been Lake Merritt overflowed its banks in the spring of 1872, flood ing the City for many blocks, formed with Merritt as its presi Broadway needed new surfacing. dent.

Some citizens were critical of The city built a wharf at the foot of Webster Street House num the railroad deal but -Felton explained everything so plausibly he was elected to succeed Merritt as maypr in 1869 and returned which declared the local" option law unconstitutional. The wets emerged victorious. Emboldened by the influence they had demonstrated' the local Option fight, women of Oakland filed a petition oh February 18, 1875, signed by 350 voters and 585 women who were, in those days, not voters-demand-ing the appointment of two women on the Board of Education, Political leaders of that time did not favor feminine participation in their affairs. The petition was ignored. Cbngress vofed the first Federal appropriation for dredging the Estuary channel.

City engineers recommended purchase of the water works, suggested water might be brought from Calaveras Creek, near Sunol a plan that Sah Francisco was to adopt some vsars later. TRIBUNE COMES OUT The Oakland Evening Tribune made its appearance on February 21, 1874, published by Ben A. Dewes George B. Stamford. Durant died in office, on January 22, 1873.

The entire city mourned, all business houses and schools closed, and Jhe council attended funeral services in a body. Mack Webber, president oi the bering was ordered by the coun cil on December 2, 1872. Spaulding initiated the long Lynn, sprang up around a boot for a second term in 1870. desired move to bring the county seat from San Leandro to Oak ana shoe factory. SERVES Ott TERM land, touching off a bitter three year battle.

Oakland and Brooklyn teamed Merritt, serving the balance of Crane's term and a full year his own election on April 6, 1868, engineered the great compromise Of the Waterf ront lROMthe first establishmtnt of our business in 1882 at 7th and Washington Streets, by Julius Seulberger, three generations of the family have served the floral needs of Oakland. The tradition of careful attention to adequate facilities and to every detail of customers' needs has continued over the years as the city of Oakland has grown in stature, Today, at our modern, conveniently located store on 14th Street next to the Central Bank, we are constantly developing new innovations in floral arrangements for special occasions to please the most discriminating. You are invited to counsel with us regarding you? needs, whether for business, social or home use. Let us help you "Say It With Mou rn" in a manner that will icing be remembered. fiourtri dtltimd utrtd'tildi h) ttttgraph up to take the county seat from Sn Leandro, but battled each other for jthe prize.

Brooklyn had the county offices temporarily, but after a fight that raged These' were great days- as the Western Pacific took over the ferries and the. San Francisco Bay Railroad Company and completed the transcontinental For two months, the first cross-country trains had their terminus in Alameda, using the existing tracks between Melrose and Alameda. Then the link between Melrose and Oakland was completed, vujiuuveisy, tieaiea inna lines, started the first municipally through the Board of Supervisors, various courts, and the owned city hall, and brought Oakland's boom to sensational Legislature, Oakland finally won in 1874.v COUNTY MAKES MOVE arid" on. November 8, 1869, the" The row ended with the first passenger trains began moving through Oakland, amid great county, under an order from the excitement and jubilation. The Legislature, accepting Franklin council, was named to succeed Durant on February 1, and was Big Four were definitely in th and Washington Squares as sites for the Court House and Hall of Records, i continued in office by the" elec open now.

'iif tion of March 1, 1875. Early In 1872 Oakland had ex proportions. Back In 1863 the Western Pacific Railroad Company had been formed to bring the transcontinental railroad to the coast, as a front for operations of the Big rourwLeland Stanford, C. P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker of the Central Pacific Railroad, forerunner of the1 Southern Pacific Oakland was the-logical terminus, And.

the city hired John B. Fslton, sirvertohgued lawyer, effort to break the hold Carpentlef still held on the waterfront. On March 27, 1868, the forma-tion of the Water front Com Alameda County moved into tended its boundaries north to Its new Court House on Wash ington Square in June, 1875. The San Francisco and Oak' land Railroad Company, which held a 50-year lease on the Broadway wharf property, went to court to keep the city from taking possession but lost. Broadway was opened from San Pablo Road to the charter 35th Street and East to Cemetery Creek an annexation election which carried, 79-42.

In; his 187S message, Mayor Webber remarked upon the absence of trouble during his ad Brooklyn became annexed to line. Some opponent of progress, ministration. He rioted that harbor improvements were proceeding satisfactorily, advocated im Oakland during the county seat fight October Jl 1872, and began to be known as East Oakland, That extended the city line provement of Lake Merritt and whose name has been lost in the archives, had fence across the right-of-way and he persisted In replacing it as fast as the city tore if down until court action pany was announced, with th iM Mr ry to 22nd Avenue. Alameda, which had been took ft philosophical) attitude to-ward the ilroad ownership ot the waterfront which, he said, building- up on the peninsula was across San, Afitdnio Creek, had had brought prosperity to Oak been incorporated ft town on lana. i Prosperity was shott-liyed.

A March 7, 1872. and tome of its citizens wanted to join Oakland. But not enough of them; annexa panic struckTuid Mayor H. Pardee look office in March, WtHSttX STKT RSIDCt Alameda residents 'Sponsored construction of ft bridge at Webster Street, linking that town with Oakland, Brooklyn protested, ostensibly because of the claim the bridle would obstruct carpentier brothers. Stanford, Felton, Merritt, and Lloyd Tevis 1 as-' directors.

To the company, CAfpenller deeded the watel front LAKD dcal On April l-a significant day for skullduggery the Water Front Company entered Into ft deal with the Western Pacific The railroad got too acres with half-mile frontage on the than' Ml tnd the balance of the waterfront was held by the com- 'mIsv. It! rti-h C.MmtiHi a tion was defeated, 141-47, at an 1878, amid crowing agitation election on November 9. against Chinese. Willing to do arduous work for long hours at Henry Durant was elected mayor of Oakland in 1673 and low pay, the Chinese had taken navigation, but actually because 411 JOttlTIINf ffftllT OAXCANft CliKMfl VIM California's foremost tduaiot over practically all industrial jobs. Mobs of unemployed white men threatened factory owners who hired Chinese.

they feared it would swing Alameda busirtesJ to Oakland. Oakland made bid td get the State Normal School but it went to San Jose and is today the San of his time Durant had been ft Congregational minister in Mas-sachusettjL following his graduation frorrfYale. He came to Oak aMlftbaiiBk. a MLMRHftkJ ftaaSsasteeahk A NkSatftaW SkaealULMBW A half interest, Sunfofd f1 per cent, and reiton 10 per In exchange for the Jose State College. The building boom continued, land in jr lEi to establish.