Oakland Tribune du lieu suivant : Oakland, California • 62

2-COakiand 2 Tribune Sept. 15, 1974 Mason-McDuffie Firm Part of Area Growth By BOB LOOMIS firm. The San Francisco considered one of the finTribune Financial Writer earthquake of 1906 was a est developments ever undisaster for San Francis- dertaken. years cans but a blessing in But world war broke Eighty-seven and out millions of dollars and disguise for the with realty just one lot sold and acres of development lat- halted the Mason-McDuffie Co. of company.

project. The et, Damage in Berkeley company owed $150,000 to Berkeley is still going was slight and Tompkins three different San Franstrong, both its past and had experienced quakes cisco banks, besides its present inextricably in- havterwoven in before, so he reported for ing considerable cash tied work as usual, unaware of up in the Eastbay growth. the development. damage to the city Fortunately, the banks The first two partners, across the Bay. He was carried the company Joseph Mason and Duncan met at the door by McDuf- through the war on interMcDuffie, are gone from fie.

est-only payments and afthe scene. And other "Perry," said the older war a ready marchanges since Mason man, "we're ket was found for the destarted the original firm "What do you mean, velopment. Nonetheless, with an office at Dwight 'broke'?" asked -Tomp- Mason- McDuffie just Way and Shattuck in 1887. kins. broke even as most of the Berkeley's population "Titus slept in San returns went into interest, then was about 5,000 and Francisco last night," taxes and property upits land mostly pasture.

McDuffie explained. "He keep. told me the earthquake During the 19305, '405 Begun primarily as a was terrible. He said that and '50s, the sales and development as he went down to take company continued its sales brokerfirm, Mason-McDuffie has the ferry for Berkeley he and added age business had a big hand in much of saw fires-San Francisco the insurance properthat change, according to is doomed to destruction. historical ty management operainformation Every building will be tions.

In 1937, the mortcompiled by the firm and burned." banking department gage photographs dating back "Duncan," said Tomp- was added with the to the early 19005, now on aploan to the Oakland Mu- have to live somewhere. as kins, "those people will pointment of the firm correspondent by Northseura. They will be coming over west' Mutual Life InsurJoseph Mason to Berkeley in droves to ance Co. fished his Berkeley office get homes." At first the mortgage in 1887, feeling that with "Perry," McDuffie re. business was primarily the University of plied, "you're right.

Let's single-family financing, nia's move to that city get to work." but commercial and ranch from Oakland, there Perry was right and loans picked up after would be a need for land busy they were. Homes World War II and in reand homes. sold quickly with no quib- cent history mortgage He was right, and bling over prices. Tomp- banking has become the McDuffie, a University of kins, who had been work- firm's primary a activity. California graduate, en- ing only weekends for the During those decades, tered the firm, as a part- firm while working full- the company underwent ner in 1905.

He continued time as a schoolmaster, numerous structural to head the firm after became sales manager changes, too. Beginning Mason died in 1919 until full-time. as a partnership, it behis own death in 1951 at One of the earliest sub- came a corporation for a the age of 73. divisions developed by the time, then in 1941 (for tax McDuffie headed feder- firm was Claremont tract, purposes) again became a al housing programs in just after the quake. partnership.

1917 and was an avid envi- Around 1911 came the Mason-McDuffie Inc. ronmentalist and member Northbrae tract, which in- survived as a trustee on of the Sierra Club and eludes nearly all of Berke- deeds of trust and active Save the Redwoods League. Other early partners in the firm included C.C. Young, who became governor of California; Fred Duhring, who founded the company's mortgage banking department; and M.G. Read, who joined in 1929 and succeeded McDuffie as general manager after the latter's death.

Early figures also included Perry Tompkins, Louis Titus and Don L. Campbell, the latter the founder of the insurance department. Chance as well as change played a big role in the early success of the ley east of San Pablo Avenue as far as Spruce Street and north of Sierra and Yolo avenues to the northern city line. Other developments by the firm include Thousand Oaks, Claremont Park, Park Hills and others taling 15 major residential areas i in Berkeley. MasonMcDuffie also was the firm which offered one of the first planned unit developments in the nation, St.

Francis Woods in San Francisco. The company purchased the 133-acre project site in 1912. Real estate men and engineers came from all over the country to view the project, which was William Boardman Surveyed Eastbay Many were the builders who went boom and bust as the Eastbay developed, but none of those who made it could have done so without the aid of William F. Boardman, the hardware salesman who educated himself as a civil engineer and became simultaneously Oakland city engineer and Alameda County surveyor. Boardman came to California in 1851 and spent seven years in the hardware business in San Francisco.

In January 1859, he moved to Oakland where he lived until his death in 1906 at age 82. He held both the city engineer and county surveyor posts from 1864 to 1868 and assisted in the development of many puband services in the area, including Contra Costa County Water Lake Temescal Dam, San Leandro Dam and Central Pacific Railroad's main line from the Sierra summit to Truckee. Boardman was responsible for platting Broadway 100 feet wide-a move which brought considerable outcry from property owners who didn't think such a large artery would be needed--and he built a two-story frame building on the northwest corner of 12th and Broadway in 1865 and lived to see the day he could say "I told you so" to F.K. Shattuck, who told him he was crazy to build such a large structure in Oakland. His son, Clifford H.

Boardman, so respected his father that he left high school to learn civil engineering under his father's tutelage. Clifford lived until his death at age 91 in 1966, and worked as a highly respected civil engineer right up to his demise of an apparent heart attack while searching out information in the city engineer's office in Oakland City Hall. cloistered on a hillside 8 I in inMontclair is a village of only 45 townhouses, each 1 with a panoramic view of the Bay from San Mateo to Sausalito. Each townhouse is designed to enhance its sheltered, wooded surroundings through the use of natural construction material. Homes from $55,500.

mile past Lincoln Square Shopping Center, off Redwood Road. Phone: 530-5470. By Grubb Ellis, Developers Realtors. Only 5 Townhouses Left! REDWOOD HILLS Ellis History of Moraga Is Traced From Rancho Moraga, now a growing portion of central a Con- ma; which encompassed community commuting businessmen, tra Costa County, of well-to-do jor from known primarily for Carpenter in 1912. was its orchards and for St.

College until well sold The by Irvine's site Moraga was Mary's after World War II. Utah Co. to Construction Don Joaquin Moraga in 1953. The company surrendered title to much promptly develop a announced model plans of his rancho to Horace W. to come Carpentier in the early munity of 28,000 persons.

1850s, when of the The price of the land Carpentier, who was to be one was more than $140 first milfounders was lion in a transaction hanand the mayor of Oakland, dled by Wallace Real Esusing his legal expertise tate Co. of Oakland and to obtain title to lands all Ed Wallace, Orinda. head over of the company, said the Eastbay. the James Irvine foun- deal at the time was probder of Irvine Land ably the largest ever obtained title to the land made in the Eastbay. 'OFFICE FORCE' OF MASON-MCDUFFIE CO.

IN FRONT OF BERKELEY OFFICE IN 1907 87-year-old real estate firm is still on Shattuck Avenue, but in its own modern building M. Lykins and Jere S. Meek. Also John Mendel, James H. McCone, Joseph G.

McKinley, Jay P. O'Brien, Michael E. Purcell, Robert W. Read, Stanley W. Schmidt, Grant B.

Shaw, Richard J. Siriani, Rikard L. Sorensen, Herbert B. Tasker, Donald F. Tedsen, Nicholas R.

Treloar, George E. Valentine, Grayden D. Voorhies, Kenneth J. Warren, Dan M. Webster, Donald L.

Wilkerson, and J. Carter Witt. Other business arms include the MasonDevelopment a corporation wholly-owned by the investment corporation which functions as an owner and lender on land developments. Mason-McDuffie Development Co. of Nevada is a corporation founded in 1961 to conduct mortgage banking in that state.

It is substantially owned by Mason-McDuffie with some minority-held interests. Other arms include Mason-McDuffie Co. of Southern California; MasonMcDuff- Escrow which performs escrow operations in Northern and Southern California and Washington; and the Essex an Irvington, N.J., partnership owned 50 per cent by MasonMcDuffie Development Co. and 50 per cent by Peter Essex as a national loan brokerage operation. Four times in its history, the firm has moved its headquarters, first from Shattuck and Dwight Way to Shattuck and Center, then to 2039 Shattuck then to 2101 Shattuck The final move came in 1970, when its $3 million, six-story headquarters building at 2850 Telegraph Ave.

was opened. It was built during the years of turmoil on and around the University of California Berkeley campus and Telegraph Ave-. nue, but a spokesman said there was never any serious thought given to abandoning plans to locate there, even when the firm was getting bomb threats and having windows broken. "We started in Berkeley and there is just no way we could consider cutting our ties with this city," he added. Since those hectic years, Telegraph Avenue has again become more or less peaceful, with a new proliferation of quality shops.

And Mason-McDuffie itself has grown from 15 to 20 employes during the early years to more than 600 now. The annual payroll is almost $6 million. Since 1962 its mortgage banking fundings have grown from $22 million to $261 million and it has a VISTA GREENS in foreclosures. Today, Mason-McDuffie Co. is a partnership of 34 partners.

It has. a corporate partner, Investment a corporation wholly-owned by the 34 partners and formed in the 1950s to meet the FHA's approved mortgagee requirement. Partners today are Ward D. Armstrong, Herbert E. Bess, A.J.

Bettencourt, Robert S. Brickell, Donald B. Campbell, Ermest A. Clark, Reno J. Consulter, Michael W.

Davis. Edward Eyring, Alfred Gavello, M.R. Griffin, Thomas L. Lowe William A. Lowe, Jerry ELEGANT TOWNHOMES High In The Hills Above Hayward NEAR CAL.

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