Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • 70

1 4 fefl51fWTg wit twfl1 Iff 8 -Gi mSUliJ. IMto Sketch from Thompson West's Alameda County Atlas was replaced in 1880s by the Villiam Dingee mansion, devoured in fOrh by fire in 1899 The Fernwoodhome of Col. John C. Hays sketched here Fernwood Once Magnificent in Almost Forgotten Hays Canyon ber of 1899 when flames destroyed the Dingee residence. It a clear, windless night.

"The home," said TheTribune at the time, "was a palace three stories in height with 19 rooms." The parlor was described as having been in gold and white, "an ornate but chaste spectacle." The library of polished mahogany had a ceiling imported from New York, and carved cases lined the library walls, each covered with glass-doors "irr-the highest style of art." The dining room was of hardwood finishrand the music room subdued in 'paneling designed to aid acoustics. Here the floors were of Moresque marquetry. The second story rooms were all frescoed, and oriental rugs and "carpets were everywhere. The mansion-like dwelling was lighted by gas and electricity and heated by steam. -terraces, "suggesting grounds of the Out and beyond this landscaped area were 2,000 more acres divided-into pasture with stables and other outbuildings.

Conservatories were said to cover 50,000 square feet. Those who witnessed the great fire that leveled the Dingee mansion in 1899 had much compassion for Robert Armstrong, the man in charge of the estate. It was a $300,000 loss. There was only recovered by insurance. All the garden hose available was broughtinto play under the supervision of Armstrong, ther members of the Dingee household -staff served asTiremen.

In some cases the hose did not come within 15 feet of the house. Only a few of the streams reached the flamesr "Destruction of the building took -less time that it does to tell of it," reported The Tribune. "Sparks floated like fireflies into the smoke-filled heavens. The impact of the debris made the earth tremble. Even one of the four great chimneys fell to the earth." "Flames lighted up the doomed structure, soaring straight up because there was but little wind." THE KNAVE home in the valley reproduced on this page will hardly be remembered by anyone living today.

The Hays home and its thousands of rolling acres becamethe property of Oakland millionaire and real estate developer. William J. Dingee along about 1888 and it was Dingee who built a mansion there. The Dingee mansion was destroyed by fire in the pre dawn hours of October 18, 1899, while Mr. and Mrs.

Dingee were in New York. WHEN Mr. and Mrs. Dingee returned home to Oakland 10 days "after the fire they retired to a smaller cottage on the Fernwood premises that had escaped the flames. The big home was completely destroyed.

They never rebuilt, although a year or so later a Mrs. Adeline Percy became a co-owner and constructed a log cabin home at Fernwood. The Din-gees went to San Francisco to a home commonly referred to as "the glass house" due to the' enormous amount of glass that made up its construction. They-also had a home on the San Francisco peninsula which they maintained until they went to Europe to live about 1910. All of Oakland despaired in Octo AMONG the first men to direct their attention to the east side of San Fran-.

cisco. Bay for develop-" ment of a town was San Francisco first sheriff Col. Jack Hays of Texas Ranger fame. Colonel Hays had great faith in the future of the East Bay region and soon crossed the bay to make his home here. He called his residence with its adjacent sprawling acres, Fernwood.

Pioneers of the fast growing community of Oakland quickly tagged the area as Hays Canyon. A plea to identify Fernwood in relation to present' day Oakland comes from Mrs. Josephine Weber now visiting her aunts in Piedmont and finding Fernwood recollections intermingled the Yuletide stories retold during her Piedmont jtay. Fernwood, in its latter days before subdivision into homesites was a terrestial paradise for those: who would take weekend strolls beyond the Oakland city limits. Today it is a part of Montclair.

Fernwood Drive to the northwest of Thornhill Drive off Moraga Avenue gives a hint as to the location of the early estate. TheThompson West 1876 sketch of Col. Jack "Hays early IMMEDIATELY surrounding the mansion were 50 acres of landscaped gardens- with serpentine paths and walkways and picturesque parterres, the whole being studded with fountains, ponds and statuary. Abutting this were steps hewn out of solid rock in addition to man-made staircases leading to.