The History of Park Avenue

The History of Park Avenue

By Donald Hausler

In the nineteenth century, Emeryville’s Park Avenue emerged as an East Bay population center and a major center of transportation, entertainment, and industry. Over the last century it has experienced many changes and disasters as a result of earthquakes, fires, and wrenching economic conditions. Today. Park Avenue is lined with numerous fine, old buildings in a remarkable state of preservation. suggesting that this is a street that time forgot.

The early settlement and development of Park Avenue are due to the efforts of Joseph Emery. Emeryville’s founder. In 1859 Emery, a successful stonework contractor, purchased a 185-acre tract of land north of Oakland. The tract was originally part of Rancho San Antonio, a 500,000-acre Spanish land grant owned by the Peralta family. In the 1850s. American pioneers and squatters overran Rancho San Antonio, and the great ranch disappeared forever.

The Emery Tract was situated in a strategic location bisected by two major highways-San Pablo Avenue and Park Avenue. San Pablo Avenue became a major thoroughfare in the 1850s, connecting Oakland with the Emery Tract and all points north. Park Avenue also became an important highway in the late nineteenth century. Approximately one kilometer in length, it ran west from San Pablo Avenue to San Francisco Bay. At the time Emery built his large three-story Victorian mansion at the corner of San Pablo and Park avenues. the area consisted of open fields. Convinced the tract had potential, Emery subdivided his property into lots and sold them to land-hungry pioneers.

Horse Car Railroad

In 1871, Emery built a horsecar line that contributed to the development of the Emery Tract. Known as the San Pablo Avenue Horse Car Railroad, it ran from First Street and Broadway in Oakland out San Pablo Avenue to Stanford Avenue in the Golden Gate district. The line converted to cable car operation in 1886.

The San Pablo Avenue Horse Car Railroad also operated a branch line on Park Avenue, which opened in 1871. The line originally terminated at Hollis Street, but in 1884 it was extended to the end of Park Avenue where Emery Station and the Northern Railroad tracks were located; it shuttled passengers back and forth between the station and San Pablo Avenue. The extension of the line also provided service for employees of the Judson Iron Works located at the foot of Park Avenue. The line was electrified in 1892.

The first steam railroad to serve Emeryville was the Northern Railway, which was incorporated July 19, 1871. The line ran along the shore of San Francisco Bay from Oakland to Martinez; on January 15, 1877, an extension of the line running from Oakland to Shell Mound Station (a few blocks north of Emery Station) was opened. The railroad reached Martinez in 1885, and was taken over by the Southern Pacific the same year.

Judson Iron Works

During the last two decades of the nineteenth century, several factories and industrial plants were built adjacent to the Northern Railway line. In 1882. the Judson Iron Works was built at the foot of Park Avenue. west of the Northern Railway tracks. At one time the “chief industry of Alameda County,” the Works occupies an important place in the economic history of Emeryville. They consisted of 28 buildings constructed of brick on a nine acre site with a 1.350-foot frontage. There. the company manufactured bar iron, foundry castings. agricultural implements, spikes. bolts, rivets, nuts. tacks…. and the like. Over 300 men worked at Judson, and many of them lived on Park Avenue.

Oakland Trotting Park

The Oakland Trotting Park also affected the early development of Park Avenue. Built by E. Wiard in 1871. the track stretched from one block north of Park Avenue to Stanford Avenue. The large one-mile race track stabled about 300 horses. Turfmen from all over the Bay Area bet at the race track on a regular basis, many of them arriving at the Emery Station via the Northern Railway. The park attracted a steady clientele during its 40 years of operation; many stayed overnight at the hotels on Park Avenue while others drank deep at the numerous saloons. In 1896, Oakland Trotting Park became the California Jockey Club following an extensive renovation project.

Several hotels and rooming houses were built on Park Avenue in the nineteenth century, accommodating the employees of Judson Iron Works as well as race track customers. Numerous homes and stores were also built on Park Avenue and on the many side streets during this time. Thus, a mixed commercial and residential neighborhood developed at the west end which became the major population center of early Emeryville. By the 1880s over 50 percent of Emeryville’s population lived there.

A study of old city directories shows that four hotels flourished on Park in the nineteenth century. The Randlett Hotel, operated by H. A. Randlett, first appears in the 1879-80 Oakland City Directory. Located at the southwest corner of Park and Hollis Street (where the Ranch House Restaurant now stands), it may have been the first hotel on the street. A few years later the O’Neal House, a boarding and lodging home, opened near Emery Station opposite Judson Iron Works. The Commercial Union Hotel, located on the south side of Park next to the railroad tracks, opened in the late 1880s. The Park Exchange Hotel, located at the foot of Park on the north side of the street (1576 Park) opened about 1892.

Several other hotels opened on Park Avenue after the turn of the century, including the Rose Hotel (Park at the northwest corner of Hollis Street), Hastings Hotel (south side of Park near Halleck Street), Palm Garden (Park at the northeast corner of Hollis Street-old Randlett House), Park Hotel (1467 Park), and the Martinique Hotel (1477 Park).

Commercial Union Hotel

The Commercial Union Hotel holds a unique place in Emeryville history. Owned and operated by D. Bruns, the hotel opened in 1888. The frame building was located at the foot of Park Avenue on the south side of the street next to the Southern Pacific tracks and the Emery Station-shalf in Emeryville and half in Oakland. It contained 68 sleeping rooms, four stores, a saloon, and a dining room. From 1896 to 1903, Emeryville had no city hall, and during that period city affairs were conducted in two small rooms of the hotel. On May 6, 1910 the Commercial Union Hotel, having been in existence for 22 years, was destroyed by a fire of unknown origin. When the fire broke out only a few of the rooms were occupied, and all of the tenants escaped unharmed. However, the frame building suffered extensive damage and had to be torn down. Race track fans were heavy drinkers, and by the turn of the century twelve saloons operated on Park Avenue, attracting both winners and losers. liThe former drank to celebrate their good luck while the latter drank to forget their misfortune. One may assume that the saloon environment encouraged a lifestyle of bar hopping, heavy drinking, and rowdy behavior that at times disturbed the tranquility of the community.

A New Town Hall

Park Avenue functioned as the civic center after Emeryville incorporated as a town in 1896. In 1903, the town acquired a lot measuring 125 x 125 feet at the southeast comer of Hollis Street and Park Avenue; this became the town hall site. Built in 1903 at a cost of $8,491, the neoclassical two-story building featured a rusticated plinth and archway, Tuscan columns and pilasters, and a copper dome. It served as the Emeryville City Hall until December, 1971 when the city government moved to 2449 Powell Street. Having survived earthquakes, fires, and the ravages of time, the old town hall still stands, perhaps the oldest building on the street. 12 The Emeryville Post Office was also located on Park Avenue at the Halleck Avenue intersection, four blocks west of City Hall. Judson C. Coburn served as the Emeryville postmaster during the 1890s.

From 1910 to 1920, numerous changes occurred on Park Avenue that transformed the neighborhood. In 1910, the state legislature passed an anti-betting bill that forced the California Jockey Club to close in 1911. In December, 1915, a fire swept through the racetrack, destroying most of the buildings.14 The property became available for industrial development, and the old racetrack, having been in operation for over 40 years, disappeared. The 18th Amendment also had an impact on Park Avenue. Passed in 1919, Prohibition forced the Park Avenue saloons to either dose or go underground; By 1920 most of the hotels on Park Avenue had shut down, evidently due to a lack of business.

Oakland Oaks

Oakland Baseball Park. located at the northwest comer of Park and San Pablo Avenues, opened in 1913. Several barns, sheds, and homes had to be razed to make room for the new park. The old Emery mansion stood in the way, and it was moved up the street to 4325 San Pablo Avenue. The Oakland Baseball Park became the home of the Oakland Oaks, a Pacific Coast League team formed in 1903. The first game was played on April 10. 1913; twelve years later in 1925, the Oakland Oaks won the Pacific coast League Championship.

The Oakland Oaks proved to be a popular team, especially after World War II. In 1946, the record year, 634,000 fans attended the ball games. In 1950 the Oakland Oaks again won the Pacific Coast League Championship, and the team players became local heroes. With the arrival of the National League on the West Coast in the 1950s. interest in the Pacific Coast League diminished. Having been in existence for 53 years, the Oakland Oaks played their last game on September 16, 1955, and the team moved to Vancouver.16 In 1992, the Alameda County Historical Society installed a plaque to mark the site of the Oakland Baseball Park.

Dog Race Track

In addition to baseball, Park Avenue featured a dog racing track for a brief period in the 1920s. Blue Star Amusement Park, located on the north side of the street between Holden and Horton Streets, operated the track at a time when the sport of dog racing, also called coursing, was popular in California. In this sport, greyhound dogs chased a mechanical rabbit around the track, and fans bet on the winner. The dog races at the park were sponsored by the Emeryville Coursing Club. directed by Charles Kitzmiller, at 1420 Park Avenue. The track remained in operation for only about two years (c1920-c1921). After Blue Star Amusement Park closed, the site remained vacant for years. (The sport of dog racing was declared Illegal In California in 1939).

By the turn of the century, Park Avenue had developed into a potpourri of hotels, stores, saloons, and houses. However, from 1907 to 1934 several factories were built on Park Avenue transforming the street into an industrial corridor: Emeryville zoning laws and local pro-development politicians encouraged this process. One by one, the original wooden structures on Park Avenue were tom down and replaced by large brick and concrete factories.

A Street of Industry

The industrialization of Park Avenue occurred over a three-decade period following the 1906 earthquake. At the west end of the street, Peck & Hill Furniture Co. opened in 1907 on the northwest corner of Park Avenue and Hubbard Street. The original wood frame building was replaced by a large concrete structure in 1922; in 1926 the building was expanded to encompass a square block.

In 1912, Westinghouse Pacific Coast Brake Co. opened a factory on the south side of Park Avenue at the comer of Halleck Street. Located in a brick building, Westinghouse manufactured air brakes, compressors, and pneumatic appliances.20 Air Reduction Inc., a company that manufactured oxygen, was built in the teens at the foot of Park Avenue next to the tracks. This two-story brick building still stands and is notable for its ornate brickwork.

The east end of Park Avenue became industrialized at about the same time. In 1907, the American Rubber Manufacturing Co. opened a factory at the southeast comer of Watts Street and Park. Within a period of five years. three food processing plants were built at the east end of Park. In 1913, California Cracker Co. opened at 1201 Park at Watts Street, where it manufactured crackers and fancy cakes. Peoples Baking Co.’ opened next door at 1209 Park Avenue in 1917, selling bread from factory direct to the consumer. Western Canning Co. was built in 1919 on the north side of the street. In 1929 Fisher Body Company built a $250,000 factory at 1255 Park Avenue. The building was later converted to an auditorium; for a brief period in 1933 it operated as a Walk-A-Thon, a contest in which couples walked around an arena, and the team that completed the most laps won. By 1936 the building was occupied by United Autographic Register Company.

The Del Monte Cannery

Western Canning Co., a venture financed by Chinese capital, opened in 1919 as the largest factory on Park Avenue. The cannery expanded several times over the years until the huge complex of brick buildings covered over 10 acres. In 1921, Western Canning Co. was sold to Virdon Canning Co. California Packing Corp. purchased the plant (which became known as Plant #35) in 1927 and converted it to a peach cannery.23 A large number of Portuguese and Italians worked at the cannery, which employed over 1,500 men and women at peak season. Many employees lived in company housing located east of Harlan Street, which consisted of a cluster of cabins equipped with gas, water, and electricity. These small cottages were removed in the 1930s to make room for a plant expansion project. California Packing Corp. changed its name to Del Monte in 1967, and the company continued to function as a cannery until it closed in 1989.

African Americans and Chinese

Emeryville evolved as an ethnically diverse community, and African Americans and Chinese contributed to the early development of Park Avenue. The 1900 census identifies 12 African Americans living on Park Avenue near Horton Street. John Bost worked as an iron heater at Judson Iron Works, and his children attended the Emeryville school. Several African American boarders lived at his residence, many of whom also worked at Judson Iron Works. A significant number of African American jockeys raced horses at the Oakland Trotting Park and other California race tracks in the 1890s. Willie Sims, “Longshot” Conley, Andrew Thomas, and Alonzo Clayton were some of the better known African American jockeys who rode at the Emeryville race track in the 1890s.

A large number of Chinese lived and worked on Park Avenue after the tum of the century. A Sanborn Map of 1911-1930 identifies Chinese businesses at the following locations: a club at 1491 Park Avenue near Hubbard Street; a gaming establishment at 1236 Park Avenue: a rooming house at 1145 Park Avenue (southeast corner of Emery Street and Park Avenue); and club rooms on Hubbard Street (4068-4058) near Park Avenue. In the 1920s the Chinese became involved in the lottery business and sold lottery tickets at many locations on Park Avenue. Chinese capitalists also financed the Western Canning Co. built at the end of World War I.

Changes

Numerous changes have occurred on Park Avenue since 1940. Southern Pacific terminated suburban railroad service to Emeryville on July 26, 1941. The Park Avenue streetcar line had already ceased operation in 1937. The Oakland Baseball Park closed in 1955, and a Pepsi Cola bottling plant was built on the site. Emeryville City offices moved from Park Avenue to Powell Street in 1971, leaving the old City Hall vacant. Judson Steel (later Barbary Coast Steel) was demolished in 1992 after 110 years in operation.

The companies that built the old brick factories on Park Avenue have all moved or gone out of business. The buildings that still stand have been sandblasted, remodeled, and retrofitted and presently are used for warehouse and office space. The Westinghouse Pacific Coast brake Co. plant at the west end of Park Avenue is now the home of Trader Vic’s Food Products. Across the street the old Air Reduction building is now the home of Pelco Distribution. The venerable Del Monte cannery, in business for over 60 years, closed in 1989, and the site is slated for development.

The huge concrete structure that was once Peck & Hill Furniture Co. has been converted to live-work studios and is now Emeryville Warehouse. The American Rubber Mfg. Co. has shut down, and the building has been converted to commercial condominiums. Fisher Body Service Corp, did not survive the depression years. and the building is vacant at this writing.

Most of the cafes that once served Park Avenue residents and employees have shut down. Strom’s Blue Boar Cafe at 1204 Park Avenue closed years ago. The Horse Kollar, a notorious saloon and house of prostitution located one block west of City Hall at 1396 Park Avenue. has gone out of business, The two-story frame building has served over the decades as a cafe, bar, hotel, and house of prostitution. This Colonial revival edifice (c1905). the last remaining building of this architectural style on the street. has been renovated as office space. Arthur’s Cafe at 1555 Park Avenue flourished in the 1950s but no longer exists. Dugan’s Cafe at the corner of HolIis Street burned down in 1949. The Ranch House. at the corner of Hollis Street and Park Avenue (originally a filling station) is the last restaurant on the street.

Major Fires

Since the tum of the century. many of the historic buildings on Park Avenue have been destroyed by fire. On May 6, 1910, the Commercial Union Hotel was burned to the ground. The Park Hotel, a two-story frame building at 1467 Park Avenue, was reduced to ashes on May 22. 1934. Originally known as the Hallett Hotel. it attracted a clientele of sportsmen, racehorse trainers and owners. Fortunately. the building was abandoned at the time the fire occurred.

Dugan’s Cafe, a two-story frame building built in 1902, was also consumed by fire. Named for Clint Dugan, an old time jockey, the cafe became a hangout for turf men and jockeys during and after the racetrack era. On February 7. 1949, a fire raged through this historic night spot until all that remained was a ruined shell. Tenants in the upstairs rooms escaped. but a cat and her three kittens died of smoke inhalation. The Tecumseh Products plant. a large refrigeration repair facility located next door to City Hall, burned down in February, 1954.

Historic Survivors

Despite earthquakes and fires. many of the old buildings on Park Avenue have survived. The venerable City Hall has been vacant for several years. but it remains an architectural curiosity and an historical landmark. The dormered shingle house on Park Avenue near Hollis Street. built at the turn of the century, is the last remaining home on Park Avenue. This two-story structure operated as a house of prostitution after World War II. but it has reverted back to a private residence.

Park Avenue. once the population center of Emeryville, now has only one lone house. The old hotels, restaurants. and saloons either closed or burned down long ago. The racetracks and ball park have disappeared. Streetcars no longer carry passengers from Emery Station to San Pablo Avenue.

However, one establishment has defied time and remained in business for over one hundred years. The Oaks Club, originally Congers Tavern, has been in operation since 1895. Located at the corner of Park and San Pablo Avenues, the Oaks Club consists of a bar, Hofbrau, and card lounge open 24 hours a day.

Emeryville in Miniature

Park Avenue is a microcosm of Emeryville, and its history reflects that of the town. The city encouraged industrial development during the formative years of its existence, and the factories that line Park Avenue today are the result of that policy. The city has traditionally been tolerant toward gambling and vice as well. and the race track, dog track, gaming rooms. card rooms, and houses of prostitution reflect this permissive attitude.

Those who know this street remember its past. A walk down Park Avenue reminds one of the early years when the race track crowd cheered the winning horse, and the swift greyhounds chased the mechanical rabbit. The old Del Monte cannery conjures visions of workers retiring to their tiny cabins every night after working a tough 12 hour shift. At Hollis Street one recalls the fire that destroyed Dugan’s Cafe in 1949. Those who know this street realize that every building on it tells a story.

---

This story was originally published in 1996 for the Emeryville Centennial Celebration and compiled into the ‘Early Emeryville Remembered’ historical Essays book.