Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • 145

AY Captain Shorey And Shorey Street 15-CM Dec. 3, 1972 Sift AMONG an estimated 50 street name changes instituted by city ordi-nance and signed into law by Mayor Frank K. Mott on Aug. 24, 1907, was one short thoroughfare in the Fourth Ward that took on the name of Shorey Street. Up until that time the little street hardly a block long was known as Short Street.

The street name Shorey is believed to have honored Capt. William T. Shorey, a Negro master manner and resident of Oakland. City Historian Peter T.v Conmy, who also serves as the executive secretary of the Alameda County Historical Society, tells us he was urged to delve into the naming of Shorey Street by Assistant City Clerk Harold Jacobson after receiving an appeal for factual history from Mrs. Ruth Lasartemay, secretary of the East Bay Negro Historical Society.

'Apparently, Dr. Conmy says, 'the 1907 transaction was one long overdue, and was intended -to eliminate numerous duplications. As Oakland grew and territory was annexed, the municipality inherited street names that conflicted with some already existing streets. For example, there was a Secohd on the east side of Lake 1 Merritt, and by virtue of annexation" in 1897 there was found to be a Second Avenue in Oaklands northern area, which was given the name of Shatter Avenue. Third -and Fourth Avenues "were renamed Lawton and Manila Avenue respectively.

By the same criteria a second College Avenue was changed to Hawthorne Street. "The primary purpose of these name changes appears to have been eradication of duplication, but secondarily the application of new names in some instances honored individuals, and in others represent convenience only. There can be no doubt but that Shatter Avenue honors General Shatter of Spanish American War fame, and the re-designating of Peralta Avenue between Fourth Avenue and Lake Merritt as Cleveland Street commem- -orated the 20th president of the United States. Photo Irom tho Son Fronclsco Morttimo Museum This is the Whaling Schooner Andrew Hicks that Captain Shorey skippered in 1 892-1 894 duced him to Capt. Whipple A.

Leach of under whose tutelage he studied fitting himself for qualified seafaring which became his career. "Whaling still flourished as a major industry in New England at the tifne and in 1876 he made his first voyage to the North Atlantic and beyond to the Eastern Arctic. He joined the crew a a green hand in whaling but before it ended he had advanced to boat steerer, a hazardous assignment requiring great skill. time Museum, offered Dr. Conmy this opinion It is undoubted that Captain Shorey was an extraordinary man.

I have examined crew lists of the voyages he made and was astonished to find that his crews were largely white, a rather outstanding achievement for a colored master at that time, or indeed any time. One newspaper ran a feature story about Captain Shoreys superb craftsmanship when the Johnathan Winth-mp was endangered seriously in a storm. Coming out of the Okhotsk Sea the ship was beset by two devastating typhoons. Overcoming those dangers, the ship encountered dense fog in Bowsail Channel anf when it lifted was only 20 feet off a reef. Returned to port, the crew spoke? highly and reverently of their Master.

The newspapers reported, The men on bd'ard say that nothing but Captain Shoneys coolness" and clever seamanship saved a wreck. Captain and Mrs. Shorey, four girls and one boy. The children, all born in Oakland, and the dates of their births, were Zenobia Pearl, Aug. 19, 1888; Elvira Nov.

1891; Hazel June 1893; Victoria Grace, Aug. 1. 1898, and William Thomas May 25, 1902. Two died in infancy, one at the threshold of adult life, and two survived into advanced years. In 1894 as Captain of the Gay Head and accompanied by his wife and infant Hazel, Shorey.

set forth on another voyage. By the time the Hawaiian Islands Were reached the child was seriously ill. Mrs. Shorgy left the ship with the sick child and on another vessel returned to Oakland. It was well that she did so because Hazel succumbed on April 4 and two days later was laid to rest in the family plot in Mountain View Cemetery beside her little sister Elvira who had died Nov.

18, 1893, aged two years and one month. The life span of infant Hazel was 10 months and four days. Zenobia Pearl Shorey, the oldest child, died in the family home at 1774 Eighth Street on Nov. 27, 1908, aged 20 years and two months. Cause of death was tuberculosis.

She too was buried in the family plot at Mountain View. When Captain Shorey passed away in 1919 he was survived by his wife, Julia, and two children, William and Victoria. William received his final summons on July 20, 1969, and Victoria Grace, who had become Mrs. Willie Francis, followed on Jan. 12, 197L Shorey now joined the crew of the Emma H.

Harriman and embarked on a cruise that would last three years, ending in San Francisco. During this voyage he was promoted from Third Officer to First Officer, indicative of the maritime capability of this- pegro sailor. In San Francisco the ship was sold to McGee Moore of that city, the whaling industry now being on the wane in New England and the west coast held better possibilities. ON AN unknown date in 1886 Captain Shorey married Julia Ann Shelton (JFSan She was a native of that city born June 10, 1865, the daughter of Frank Shelton, a native of Arkansas and a whitener by trade. The Sheltqii family resided at 4 Gerke a small street on the slopes of Telegraph Hill.

Shorey was Master of the Emma II. Harriman at the time and he and his bride set out on a cruise that included Mexico and the Hawaiian Islands. At Honolulu Mrs. Shorey boarded another ship for the mainland and Captain Shorey and his crew took the Emma H. Harriman into Arctic waters in the interest of whaling.

A good year elapsed before he returned home. Five children in all were bom to WHAT Dr. Conmy found in his research rounds on William Thomas Shorey was that he was born in Barbados, West Indies, on Jan. 25, 1859. His father was William Shorey, a native of Scotland who migrated to the West Indies and became a sugar planter, marrying Rose Frazier, a creole negress who has been described as a beautiful woman.

William Thomas was the oldof eight children. Because of the eco- i nomic status of hisiarents he went to work at an early age and learned the trade of plumber, but appears to have' preferred the sea. Therefore, he shipped on a vessel bound for Boston. On the voyage he made the acquaintance of the captain who in turn intro- SHOREY now elected to 'remain on the West Coast. The Emma 11.

Harriman was readied for a cruise to the Arctic. On this he served hs Second Officer. On the second voyage he functioned as First Officer, and on the third voyage as Master of the vessel. This was in 1886. Records show that Captain Shorey commanded the following ships until his retirement from the sea in 1909: the Emma II.

Harriman, 1886-92; the Gav Head, the Andrew links, 1804-1902; the'' Johnathan Winthrap, 1903-1908. After reviewing Captain Shoreys record, the late Albert M. Harmon, librarian of the San Francisco Mari- CAPTAIN SHOREY reached the half century mark on Jan. 25, 1909. At that time he had.

been a seafaring man for more than 35 Continued on Page 18-.