Alameda County

History

Past and Present of Alameda County, California - S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1914

CHAPTER V
TRANSPORTATION

        There passed the Legislature on May 20, 1861, an act granting to certain persons "the right to construct and maintain a railroad through certain streets in the city of Oakland." The line ran from a point at or near the westerly end of the bridge leading from the city of Oakland to the town of Clinton to a point on the Bay of San Francisco, where the Alameda county shore approaches nearest to Yerba Buena Island, or at such a point as a railroad may be built from to said island. The right to so construct, maintain, and operate was granted to Rodmond Gibbons, William Hillegass, R. E. Cole, Samuel Wood, Joseph Black and George Goss, their associates, successors or assigns, for a period of fifty years. On November 20, 1861, right of way along Seventh street from its easterly limits to or near its junction with Market street, and thence in a straight line to the western boundary of the city, was granted and released to the San Francisco and Oakland Railroad Company, for the purpose of laying a single or double railroad track and the necessary side-tracks. On September 2, 1863, the first train of cars passed over the line, the track being completed from the end of the wharf to Broadway. After that date the cars made regular trips, in connection with the Contra Costa ferry-boat. The first engine and first three cars used on the line were built at Oakland Point by Mr. Young. The San Francisco and Alameda railroad was being constructed and its junction with the Oakland line was seriously contemplated. On April 1, 1865, the local line was extended to Larue's wharf, at San Antonio (Brooklyn) beyond which it did not go until purchased by the Central Pacific.

        The little locomotive "J. G. Kellogg" was the second built on the Pacific coast; it was constructed in Alameda in 1865, by A. J. Stevens, who at that date was master mechanic of the little San Francisco and Alameda railroad of which A. A. Cohen was president. It was built on the open Encinal. This was before the Central Pacific absorbed the Cohen road. After various uses, it was finally disused, but in 1891 was resurrected, fixed up, painted and sold to the Shasta Lumber Company and again put into service.

        On August 24, 1867, the council granted permission to the San Francisco and Oakland Railroad Company to erect a station at the Point. In 1863, the Western Pacific Railroad Company was formed, its route being from Sacramento via Stockton and Livermore to Oakland, and in the same year the Central Pacific Railroad Company was established. On August 24, 1868, an ordinance granting to the Western Pacific the right of way through certain streets in the city of Oakland, was passed; and on September 25, 1869, Leland Stanford, president of that company, petitioned the city council that it would be more convenient for the company, and beneficial to the public interests if the council would amend the ordinance granting the right of way through Fifth street so that the same should read Third and West Third streets. In October, 1869, the Western Pacific and San Francisco Bay railroad companies were consolidated into a new company, with Leland Stanford, C. P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, Charles Crocker, E. B. Crocker, E. H. Miller, Jr., and A. P. Stanford as directors, the capital being $10,000,000.

        Subsequently the Western Pacific Railroad Company took formal possession of the local line and ferry. Extensive additions were at once made to the Alameda wharf for the temporary accommodation of the overland and interior freight, which was discharged upon lighters, towed across the bay and delivered to consignees at the Second and King street wharf, at which point freight for shipment on the road was also received, thus making San Francisco practically the terminus of the overland road as soon as the rails were laid to the eastern shore of the bay. With the constantly increasing overland, as well as local freight, the necessity for some more expeditious method of handling it soon became apparent, and the steamer Oakland was accordingly fitted up as the first car ferry-boat, carrying five loaded cars. Suitable slips were provided at Alameda and Second street wharves and freight was thus landed in San Francisco with but little delay and without breaking bulk. Meantime, work had been commenced at Oakland wharf with the view of extending it to ships channel, and providing suitable slips for the reception of the largest sea-going vessels, as well as for the boats in the regular passenger and freight ferry service. The length of this wharf when it came into the possession of the Central Pacific Railroad Company was about six thousand nine hundred feet, with a width sufficient for a railroad track and a roadway for teams, having at the terminus a single slip for the ferry­boat El Capitan.

        Communication with San Francisco was at a very early day kept up by means of whale-boats, one of which, the Pirourette, plied regularly as a ferry-boat between the embarcadero at San Antonio and San Francisco. On August 4, 1851, the court of sessions of Contra Costa county granted a license to H. W. Carpentier and A. Moon to run a ferry "from Contra Costa (Oakland) in the township of San Antonio, to the city of San Francisco," and fixed the tariff as follows : For one person, $1; one horse, $3; one wagon, $3; one two-horse wagon, $5; meat cattle, per head, $3; each hundred weight, 50 cents; each sheep, $1; each hog, $1.

        In 1850 the Kangaroo was put on the route, but made only two trips per week, her point of departure being San Antonio (afterward East Oakland). A small steamer ran from Oakland in 1851 and in 1852, the Boston, and the Caleb Cope, Thomas Gray, master, commenced to ply. Towards the end of the year the Kate Hayes, the Red Jacket, and other boats were put on the route, until finally the Contra Costa Steam Navigation Company was established, with two steamers, making regular daily trips, and charging $1 for each passage. In 1852 San Antonio creek was declared navigable by the Legislature.

        As early as 1852 a steam-ferry was established between Brooklyn and San Francisco, the pioneer steamers being the Kangaroo, Hector and Red Jacket; they were followed by the Contra Costa (which was afterwards blown up and several lives lost) and the Clinton of the Minturn line. In the year 1857 James B. Larue, believing that the rates of fare then charged were excessive and detrimental to the interests of the residents of Alameda county, became associated with several others and established an opposition ferry line between Brooklyn, Oakland and San Francisco, under the style of the "Oakland and San Antonio Steam Navigation Company," its originator becoming president. Having purchased the steamer Confidence, from her was built the San Antonio, which made her initial trip in April, 1858. A general reduction in the rates of fare and freight ensued, one-half in the case of the former, and two or three hundred per cent in the latter. In the fall of the same year the Oakland was launched and placed on the line, and during the summer of 1859 a lively opposition was kept up by the rival boats. The enterprise did not pay as well as its promoters anticipated and a great majority of them were anxious to sell out. The California Steam Navigation Company purchased a large amount of the stock, and tried very hard to get the supremacy, thus Mr. Larue was forced to buy a sufficient amount to control the entire business or allow the whole scheme to fail; and, in doing so, he became largely involved. In 1862 the Oakland and San Francisco Railroad and Ferry Line was established, and the steamers were sold to them. But frequent and rapid communication with San Francisco and low fares and freights were established, which naturally increased the value of property.

        In time several steamers were used on the creek route. One of these was the Express. She was run by Wingate, and made trips from San Francisco to Oakland and Brooklyn. The Chi-du-Wan was another stern-wheeler of small capacity, which was on the creek route in opposition to the regular ferry and to two small side-wheelers, the Louise and another, run by the Central Pacific railroad, all three making their landings at the old wharf at the foot of Broadway. The Chi-du-Wan carried passengers across for ten cents. The S. M. Whipple, also a stern-wheeler, did service on the creek route for a while.

        In the month of March, 1865, the Contra Costa, or Minturn, ferry line of steamers was sold to the San Francisco and Oakland Railroad Company, and on April 1st that line was extended to Brooklyn.

        In 1869 there was formed the Oakland and Encinal Turnpike and Ferry Company, an association of residents of Alameda, who were desirous of some cheap and expeditious communication with Oakland, so that they could make their purchases there instead of in San Francisco, and in order that they could have the benefit of the Oakland day and night boats. They proposed a turnpike to the edge of the creek and a ferry across. E. B. Mastick, Charles Baum, Thomas Davenport, H. H. Haight, Charles Meinecke, Charles Minturn, B. H. Ramsdell, Henry Vrooman and C. H. King, were interested in this project. It finally became a law on June 21, 1869.

        In 1865 the contract for the construction of the Western Pacific railroad, from San Jose to Stockton, was let to Cox & Meyers, and work commenced in the Alameda canyon in the month of June; while the grading of the San Francisco and Alameda railroad was completed to San Leandro in January, and the laying of the track finished in March, the first trip being made from San Francisco, by boat and cars, to San Leandro in an hour and a quarter. In April the contract for the completion of the road to Haywards was let to C. D. Bates and an opening excursion, free, was had August 25, 1865. On the 22d of March the Contra Costa railroad, to connect the San Francisco and Alameda railroad with Oakland and San Pablo was incorporated, but no work was done on the proposed line. It was afterward carried out by the Central Pacific Railroad Company.

        In 1869 the great Overland railroad joined the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and all the country rejoiced in the accomplishment of this great feat. A most frightful railroad accident occurred on November 14, 1869 between the Alameda-bound train on the Alameda. railroad and the eastern-bound train on the Western Pacific railroad, about three miles below San Leandro. The Alameda train consisted of a locomotive, one box car, three passenger cars, smoking car, and one express and baggage car. The Western Pacific train consisted of a locomotive, two express and baggage cars, smoking car, two passenger cars, and one sleeping car. Two cars were "telescoped" on each train. The telescoped cars of the Western Pacific train exhibited a more terrible sight. In one end of the car were about sixteen men, most of them dead, all injured, jammed and tangled with a mass of sticks, splinters, and iron. But two persons were killed on the Alameda train—the fireman and one passenger. On receipt of the news Oakland was thrown into a state of the most intense excitement. On Tuesday, the 16th, several of the dead were buried in Oakland. The funeral of Judge Baldwin took place from the residence of his brother-in-law, the Hon. J. B. Felton, and was attended by the Masonic fraternity and members of the bar.

        A new freight ferry-boat, with a capacity for eighteen loaded cars, and additional room for sixteen car-loads of loose stock was built and ready for use as soon as the new wharf was completed in January, 1871, when the freight and passenger business of the company's roads was concentrated at that point. On March 24, 1870, an ordinance to authorize the San Francisco and Oakland railroad and the Western Pacific railroad companies to erect and maintain bridges across the estuary between .the city of Oakland and Brooklyn was passed. In 1873 an addition of 3.79 miles to the Oakland and Alameda branch, consisting of a second tract through Railroad avenue and Seventh street, Oakland, from Bay street to Harrison street, and a branch thence to Mastick Station, Alameda, was built. Two new steamers designed for the ferry line —one for passenger and one for freight service—were built in this year, the Oakland being launched in 1874, and the Transit in July, 1875. In this year, too, the construction of new ferry-slips was undertaken by the harbor commissioners of San Francisco, on East street, between Market and Clay streets. In 1875 a new wharf and slip for the ferry-boat running between San Francisco and Oakland via San Antonio creek (the creek route) was commenced, and completed in July of the following year, the steamer Capital being entirely refitted for service on the line. In 1878 a new wharf and slip for the car ferry-steamers were constructed near the mouth of the estuary of San Antonio. In June, 1879, was commenced, and in 1881 was completed the Oakland pier, or mole.

        On May 2, 1870, the right of way was granted to F. K. Shattuck and others for a street railway on Twelfth street; thence to Broadway; thence to Eighth street; thence to Wood street; thence to Railroad avenue. Another franchise was at the same time granted to them for a line on Adeline street and thence to the charter line. On August 29th an ordinance granting a franchise for constructing a street railroad from San Antonio creek along the center of Market street to the northern charter line of the city, was passed. On May 22, 1871, an ordinance granting to Edward Tomkins, Thomas J. Murphy, and others the right to lay an iron railway in certain streets and, June 2d, another, giving a like privilege to J. S. Emery and others for a steam railroad through Peralta street, were passed. The latter was again granted a franchise in 1872. June 24, 1872, an ordinance granting to the Oakland Central Railroad Company a franchise for a line on Second and Franklin streets was passed, and, on December 9th, a like privilege was granted to H. F. Shepardson, Theodore Meets, H. S. Slicer, and J. E. Whitcher. This last was the Alameda road. On March 9, 1874, the Oakland Railroad Company was authorized to lay down an additional track from Fourteenth to Durant streets. On September 21, 1874, an ordinance granting to the Alameda, Oakland & Piedmont Railroad Company the right to lay down an iron railroad on certain streets was passed. On April 12, 1875, the right to lay a track in certain streets was granted to C. T. Hopkins and others.  On February 7, 1876, the same privilege was granted to the Northern Railroad Company on Cedar street. On March 13, 1876, the right to construct a street railroad for horse cars was granted to the East Oakland, Fruit Vale and Mills' Seminary Railroad Company. On March 20, 1876, the same right was given to Grant I. Taggart and others for a line extending from West Oakland to the eastern limits of the city. On April 24, 1876, the right to construct a railroad on Market street was granted to the Oakland, Berkeley and Contra Costa Railroad Company, and, on June 26th, a franchise was given to the Broadway and Piedmont Railroad Company. On November 12, 1877, E. C. Sessions and others were granted like privileges on East Eleventh street. On February 17, 1879, an ordinance granting to A. C. Dietz and associates the right to lay a steam railroad in the city was passed. On April 3, 1882, an ordinance was passed granting to the California and Nevada Railroad Company the like privileges.

        In 1875 quick transit between Berkeley and San Francisco was dead-locked by the lack of two miles of street railroad to connect the University district with the wharf. There was an omnibus connection, but it was unsatisfactory—only a temporary makeshift. At this time the Central Pacific talked of building their Bantas extension or branch. The Central Pacific agreed to go to Berkeley for $50,000 and the right of way. Oakland desired that Berkeley should go to San Francisco via Oakland Point, but this was deemed a roundabout route and was rejected from serious consideration.

        In 1875 trains ran on double tracks every half hour to the ferry-landing and the steam ferry-boats carried in 1874 a daily average of 9,600 persons. The transportation was so excellent that San Francisco was as accessible from Oakland as from any of its outer suburbs. New ferry-boats were being built and trains at fifteen-minute intervals were contemplated; single fare 15 cents; monthly tickets $3. A passenger boat on the estuary with a landing at the foot of Broadway was contemplated. Oakland was bound to continue to be the railway terminus of San Francisco, owing to the location of the latter on a peninsula. Already large sums of money had. been spent by the government for the improvement of the harbor which when finished was to be land-locked with a frontage of twelve miles and a sufficient depth of water to admit all sea-going vessels at any tide.

        It was not until about 1875 that the real industrial development of the country around San Francisco bay had its commencement. In that year the great railroad syndicate which found it expensive to move all its trains over the heavy grades of the Coast range began building its water level line around the bay shores. The road was opened to Martinez in January, 1878, and remained in control until the Santa Fe system was constructed. The combination of trans-continental railroad and deep water navigation had a wonderful effect on the whole bay region—an effect which neither alone could ever have exercised. The coming of the railroads made the water front valuable by bringing vessels here, and conversely the vessels made business for the railroads. These surroundings attracted manufactures which came here late in the seventies and early in the eighties. The first blow at Oakland was when the industries began to locate at Port Costa instead of in this city or vicinity. It was believed that this was caused by the contention over the water front and to the lack of a suitable harbor at Oakland. As time passed other railroads and other industries sought Port Costa and vicinity, much to the surprise and disappointment of this city. When the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley railroad, the predecessor of the Santa Fe, was built and its terminus was established at Point Richmond the city was again disappointed. The managers of the valley road stated that Point Richmond was selected because it possessed good deep water facilities, was nearer to San Francisco and gave the railway immediate connection with the deep draught vessels of the ocean—in other words that the lack of deep water harbor at Oakland caused the terminus to be located at Point Richmond, where the depth though not sufficient was better than at Oakland. Also that the valleys of Contra Costa county afforded direct rail lines to deep water while such could not be secured at Oakland. Five different surveys through the hills and valleys were made before the route to Point Richmond was selected—one with a maximum grade of only one per cent.

        In January, 1877, Oakland had five street railroad companies occupying certain streets. The capital invested was about $282,000 and the total length of the lines was 21½ miles. Several were profitable, though all were built for the purpose of bringing real estate tracts into market and making them accessible. The real estate dealers should be credited with this improvement. Many franchises were granted, which were not acted upon, and it was demanded at this time that they should be nullified or put into effect. The franchise holders, in more than one instance, wanted large bonuses for the franchises which had cost them nothing and were a free gift from the city. It was insisted that this state of affairs should be summarily terminated.

        Late in April, 1877, the trustees of Alameda granted to the Dumbarton Point Narrow Gauge Railroad Company the right of way for a steam railroad through any avenue south of Central avenue so as to reach the bay near the foot of Central avenue. That company's new ferry-boat was launched at this time.

        The Alameda, Oakland and Piedmont horse cars were running on regular time early in May, 1877, from Park street, Alameda, to Seventh street, Oakland.  It was stated by the press in May, 1877, that 175 buildings were erected within the corporate limits of Alameda since the previous December. Others were commenced or contemplated.

        C. F. Delger and associates in 1877 were granted a provisional franchise to build a street railroad on San Pablo avenue. A franchise on this street had been previously granted to the Oakland Street Railroad Company.

        The enormous increase in travel between San Francisco and points on the east side of the bay became so marked in 1877 that additional trips per day were called for from all. To meet this demand the local railway lines between Alameda, East Oakland, San Leandro, Haywards, Niles, Berkeley and Oakland proper on this side and San Francisco on the other put a new time table in operation with six additional trains per day and several additional boats. Between San Francisco and Berkeley there were under the new schedule nine trips daily instead of five as before. This arrangement proved satisfactory for some time.

        In his message of February 2, 1880, the mayor used the following words: The last year has been characterized by an unusual activity in railroad enterprises, and there is a prospect that at no distant day the Southern Road, projected by Boston capitalists, will connect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The great prosperity that has resulted from the location of the terminus of the Central Pacific in this city, is a proper guide for estimating the benefits that may follow the construction of other railroads. The city must have open gates for all railway companies that are willing and able to extend to us their lines. The interests of the city will be best promoted by the location of depots and stations in a central part, and it is a proper time now for the council to outline a railroad policy that will serve in future contingencies. The Central Pacific extends through the city from east to west. It is proposed that another road shall pass through the city from north to south. It will double our ferry facilities, and thus greatly increase the desirability of Oakland as a place of residence for persons whose business is in San Francisco.  It will give to Oakland merchants the trade and traffic of an extensive territory not otherwise reached by rail. It is of prime importance to the people of Oakland that some strong corporation should have an apparent and powerful interest in the improvement of the Oakland harbor. A railway company whose road terminates at docks inside of the estuary could not fail to be a powerful ally of the city in securing from the Federal Government the aid that is needed for the improvement of navigation.

        From September 1, 1870, to August, 1883, there were granted and approved thirty franchises for the construction of street railroads in Oakland and not one of these franchises became operative by construction and use. It was an exception to find a street not covered by one of these grants, in fact recovered by them. A tracery of the lines contemplated showed "a wonderful co-mingling of rails." A special committee found in August, 1883, that, in view of the fact that these thirty franchises were sought and obtained and then allowed to become inoperative through lack of construction, it was a fair deduction that the grantees had obtained the concessions for speculative purposes. Recognizing fully the value and importance of street railroads, the committee recommended that no franchise should be granted except under conditions that would warrant an early construction of the line. It was at this time that a cable road franchise asked for over Webster and Broadway streets and another for a belt road along Alice, Jackson, Adeline and others. The council took action to secure bonds from all grantees who were given franchises for street railroads, and to require an early commencement of the work or the forfeiture of the franchises.

        At a meeting of the board of trade on October 29, 1886, it was decided to open negotiations with the Southern Pacific and the South Pacific Coast railroad companies for the purpose of securing the following improvements, changes, etc.: Water front and improvements thereon; direct communication with Berkeley; direct communication with Alameda; proper recognition of Oakland in all advertising schedules; round trip tickets to Oakland from interior points and tickets at proportionate rates as those charged to San Francisco; representatives in Congress to be required to advocate increased appropriations for Oakland harbor. Leland Stanford and James G. Fair were particularly addressed for assistance in securing the advancement of the foregoing measures.

        The proposition to construct a cable railroad to Piedmont was pushed early in 1888. Eighteen years before that date James Gamble made the first improvements in that suburb. Now in order to get the railroad he was assisted by F. M. Smith, A. S. Gamble, A. N. Towne, H. Watkinson, A. S. McDonald, I. S. Requa, F. C. Myers, Du Ray Smith and B. E. Handy. A meeting of the citizens was called to consider the question. In the spring of 1888 the people of Livermore valley asked the Southern Pacific Company to put on another daily train between Livermore and Oakland. There were at this date two trains daily each way between the two points—one the Sacramento passenger via Niles and the other the Livermore local.

        In February, 1889, John P. Irish of Oakland was appointed by the President one of the commissioners to examine and report on about twenty and one-half miles of railroad constructed by the Southern Pacific. On April 1, 1889, the trustees of Alameda granted a franchise to the Oakland, Alameda and Piedmont Railroad Company to construct and maintain a street car line on Park street from Santa Clara to Encinal avenue on which the Narrow-gauge then ran. The company already had a franchise on Park north of Santa Clara. Early in October, 1889, the council granted a franchise to F. K. Shattuck and others to construct an electric railroad along Second, Franklin, Thirteenth and Grove streets and on to Berkeley. This ordinance was vetoed by Mayor Glascock on the ground that it did not contain the five-cent-fare clause as specified in the city charter. The veto of Mayor Glascock to the electric street railway franchise ordinance in November, 1889, was nullified by its passage over the veto by the vote of 10 to 1.

        On May 30, 1890, the Narrow-gauge train plunged into the creek while crossing the Webster street bridge and about thirteen people were drowned. The danger signal was not noticed or was not displayed. An immense crowd gathered to view the awful spectacle. Nearly all the dead were residents of San Francisco. The train engineer was blamed. The engineer fled and hid. In 1890 a shipyard was established on the Alameda side of Oakland harbor near the freight slips of the Narrow-gauge railroad and was placed under the supervision of Captain White.

        On September 10, 1890, the county board was petitioned to grant a franchise to H. W. Meek, C. E. Palmer, W. J. Landers and E. B. Stone for an electric road connecting Haywards and Oakland. The petition was signed by Edward O. Webb, William Roberts, A. Jones, Franklin Moss, J. P. Dieves and S. Huff. The line was projected along the main county road connecting the two points.

        The Piedmont cable road was at last completed in August, 1890; the cable was put in on the l0th. The suburban section—from Piedmont to the cable house—had been in operation already for about two weeks. Work on this line was commenced in July, 1889. The length of the cable was 36,000 feet—both divisions. The road was built by the San Francisco Tool Company, the contract price being $600,000. When the Piedmont cable line was completed, over 20,000 people went to the end to see the new transportation line and view the city from the hills.

        In May, 1891, the project of an electric road from Oakland to Haywards was taken up in earnest and slowly carried into effect. The cost was fixed at $250,000 and landowners along the way were asked to donate the right of way or pay a bonus for the advantages gained. This was regarded at the time as the most important railroad project since the original railroad and ferry line was established. The Oakland and Berkeley Rapid Transit Company's electric road was put in operation in May, 1891; the cars were built at Stockton. The trial trips in the suburbs where the start was made were highly successful. It was regarded as an important historical episode. James Gamble of Piedmont was at the head of this enterprise. In June, 1891, Colonel Crocker of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company stated informally that the horse car and dummy service on Telegraph avenue would soon be replaced with an up-to-date electric equipment. In July, 1891, the board of trade decided formally to aid in raising means for the construction of the Oakland, San Leandro and Haywards electric road by raising a bonus of $10,000 to start with.

        In August, 1891, many residents of Alvarado, Irvington, Mission San Jose, Niles and Centerville asked the county board to grant a franchise to D. Chappellet and others to build an electric road from Haywards to the Alameda county boundary on the way to San Jose. Henry Miller addressed the board on behalf of the project. He declared they had the necessary means in hand and would make gauge and equipment correspond with those of the proposed Oakland and Haywards electric road. Half a dozen towns asked the board to grant the franchise. The road was designed to branch at Decoto, one branch taking in Niles, Mission San Jose and Irvington and the other taking in Alvarado, Newark and Centerville. There was much enthusiasm in favor of the project.

        In February, 1891, the county board passed a resolution requesting the members of the Legislature from this county to use every honorable effort to have the laws so amended as to permit the use of electricity as a motive power on street railways. This action was due to the growing demand for electric power and to the attitude of Mayor Glascock, who believed that such a franchise under existing laws was unconstitutional. There was great rejoicing in Oakland, and indeed in all parts of the county on February 12, 1891, when news was received that the electric street railroad bills had passed the Assembly. Not a vote was cast in the Assembly against either bill, although at one time there was sharp opposition to both. They went at once to the Senate where they likewise passed without difficulty.

The county board granted a franchise for a street railroad on Alcatraz and San Pablo avenues to the Oakland Railroad Company, and another to Herman Krusi on Washington and Fruit Vale avenues and Park street in May, 1892. In 1891 three horse-car lines yet remained in operation in Oakland—on Fourteenth street, on Telegraph Avenue road and on the Tubbs Hotel line. There were in operation a cable road on San Pablo avenue and another to Piedmont. The Berkeley electric road was in operation. The Sessions-Vandercook electric line and the Haywards electric line were to be built at once.

        For years before 1891 it was presumed by the citizens of Alameda that the Central Pacific Railroad Company owned a big strip through Railroad avenue and that therefore no improvement there could be taken into consideration by the municipality. Upon examination by a lawyer it was learned that the company had no franchise, because there was no municipality when the tract was laid. Attorney Taylor informed the trustees that the avenue was an open street and that the railroad company need not be consulted concerning its improvement.

        Late in October, 1891, the Southern Pacific Company definitely concluded, to the great delight of the citizens, to build at once an electric road on Telegraph avenue to take the place of the horse car line there.

        The construction of the Oakland, San Leandro and Haywards electric railroad in 1891-92 was followed by a marvelous change in the territory between the terminals. Several small towns sprang into existence. Whole farms were thrown into market by the real estate dealers who sold thousands of lots and acre tracts and reaped bountiful harvests. San Leandro grew rapidly and soon doubled in population. Haywards extended its limits, laid out new streets. Everywhere on that line growth appeared.

        The horse car service rapidly disappeared. The Consolidated Piedmont Cable Company had transformed its horse lines into cable lines. The Telegraph avenue horse car line was converted into an electric line. The Consolidated company adopted and developed an electric street railroad system which was followed by enormous growth in the northern part. The Fourteenth street branch was operated as an electric feeder of the main cable system. The Haywards electric line was succeeded by wonderful growth. The Oakland Consolidated Company was expanding and uniting with other lines. No city in the state showed such stupendous growth and improvement in street railroad construction as Oakland during this eventful year. All the "back country" was threatened by the car invasion.

        Cars on the new electric railroad of the East Oakland Company on Eighth street began to run regularly in November, 1892. The road was popularly called the Sessions and Vandercook line. The road ran from Broadway and Eighth streets eastward across the north arm of the estuary to near the Clinton station and thence northward past Peralta Heights, Lake Merritt Park and Lake View to East Oakland Heights and another branch ran out on Commerce street to Eighteenth where transfers were given to the Highland Park and Fruit Vale systems.

        In 1893 F. M. Smith bought from other parties the franchise for an electric street railway on Twelfth street from Broadway to West Oakland and soon afterward bought a controlling interest in the Oakland Consolidated system which included the Grove street, Shattuck avenue, Lorin, West Eighth street and Sixteenth street lines. Soon afterward the whole system was conveyed to the Realty Syndicate. A little later the Highland Park and Fruitvale electric road was annexed, and then came the Piedmont and Mountain View line, the Alameda electric line, the California railway which extended to Mills College and finally all others in the county. The Oakland Street Railway Company, a branch of the Southern Pacific syndicate sold its San Pablo and Telegraph avenue lines to the Realty syndicate in February, 1901. It was not until the death of C. P. Huntington that the last of the lines passed to the syndicate. The last act was the purchase in August, 1901, of the Oakland, San Leandro and Haywards electric line. Late in 1901 the Oakland and San Jose railway was incorporated by the syndicate, which at this time held seven-tenths of the capital stock of the Oakland Transit Company which operated 120 miles of street railroad in the three cities and elsewhere. It was necessary for the syndicate to change the road beds and the gauge from narrow to broad. The street lines and their extensions were built to aid the syndicate's realty sales in the cities and their suburbs, and Piedmont, Berkeley and their adjacencies began to grow as never before, and many other sections equally desirable were in a measure neglected. However, the syndicate was not narrow in its methods, but bought large tracts in all the suburbs, sold many lots, built many homes and promptly supplied such sections with satisfactory street railway facilities. In a statement issued in October, 1901, the syndicate was shown to own a frontage of 285,474 feet which had cost $2,282,129, or $7.99 a front foot, and to have sold a frontage of 10,670 feet at an average price of $18.02 per front foot. In their purchases were the Laundry Farm quarries of paving rock, where large quantities of pyrites ore containing sulphur, copper, gold, silver and iron was obtained. In the hills bought were valuable water supplies which were utilized. The Piedmont Springs had been known for many years.

        As early as 1893 Oakland had the most complete electric street railway system in the United States and nearly every mile was built in two years. There were lines on Seventh, Eighth, Twelfth and Fourteenth, Grove, San Pablo, Telegraph, Broadway in part, to Alameda, Piedmont, Fruit Vale and Haywards. Half a dozen others were projected or commenced. In May, 1893, the Alameda, Oakland and Piedmont line was changed from a horse road to an electric one and there was great rejoicing. It had been long called the "Bobtailed Car Line."

        The administration of Mayor Pardee took a pronounced and vigorous stand against the claims and pretentions of the Southern Pacific Company in June, 1893. Finally, under orders from the mayor, a strong force of police took possession of the company's wharf at the foot of Broadway, tore up the rails, threw out all the Southern Pacific Company's property and kept possession for the city. The railway company promptly brought injunction proceedings, and later suit in the United States court to restrain the city from interfering with the Broadway wharf. When this case came on for trial in San Francisco H. W. Carpentier was one of the witnesses for the company. At that time he was sixty-nine years old. In this case the array of lawyers was powerful. For the company were W. F. Herrin, H. S. Brown, A. A. Moore, J. C. Martin, J. E. Foulds and for the city J. A. Johnson, H. A. Powell, W. R. Davis, E. P. Pringle and Mr. Hill. The piles were finally sold at auction by the city authorities.

        In 1893 the Davie Ferry and Transportation Company established a rival line with the boats Rosalie and Alvira. It was called the People's Ferry and was designed to "secure cheaper rates. Soon the Southern Pacific improved its service and reduced the fare between San Francisco and Oakland to ten cents. A big mass meeting of 2,000 citizens declared the company was trying to kill competition—wanted a monopoly of its own. The Davie line was instrumental in forcing the other company to reduce rates and afford better service, but was not well sustained by the people and in a short time was tied up by creditors.

        In October, 1893, a large force of men under the direction of Mayor Pardee pulled out many piles recently driven by the Southern Pacific railway on the new mole. This act was in response to the proceedings of the council which declared the existence of the piles a nuisance. The railway company promptly secured an injunction from Judge Henshaw, but the same night the council obtained an order vacating the injunction, whereupon the pulling of the piles was resumed. They were brought to the city and heaped up on the city hall lots.

        In November, 1893, the Piedmont Consolidated Cable Company passed into the hands of a receiver. The Oakland and San Francisco Terminal Company was incorporated in November, 1893. This was an outgrowth of progress and not of hostility to any existing system of transportation. In December, 1893 Mayor Pardee vetoed the Dow Anti-Gate ordinance which prohibited the use of gates on railroad passenger cars. In 1894 the Oakland Terminal railway, of which F. M. Smith was president, embraced the following lines: The Grove Street road and its branches; Twelfth Street electric; Alameda and Piedmont electric; Laundry Farm (steam) railroad; control of the California and Nevada (narrow gauge and steam) railroad and others. On October 2, 1894, the smoking car on the rear of the Narrow-gauge train jumped the tracks on the south side of the Webster street bridge and plunged into the bay; two or three persons were killed and several injured.

        The San Joaquin Valley railroad received great stimulus early in 1895 by the large subscriptions of the Spreckels —$700,000. Berkeley from the start favored the construction of the valley railroad. Land for a terminus at West Berkeley was offered with the right of way along the water front and with piers and wharves. A meeting of the citizens pledged a donation of $50,000 in consideration that Berkeley should be chosen as the terminus. This progressive step set a spur in the side of Oakland. Mayor Pardee promptly appointed a citizens' committee to work for the terminus in Oakland. The mayor's committee called for subscriptions to be paid to secure the terminus. The subscriptions were not a bonus, but aid to a legitimate enterprise that would give Oakland a competing railway line. By February 20, 1895, $103,500 was subscribed by Oakland capitalists to secure the terminus, the heaviest subscribers being F. R. Delger, $15,000; James Moffitt, $10,000; Oakland Bank of Savings, $10,000; Oakland Gas Company, $10,000; Adams estate, $10,000. The subscriptions for the valley road amounted to $187,350 by March 9, 1895.

        On March 19, 1895, the Piedmont Consolidated Cable Company's entire property was sold at auction for $82,000 to Charles R. Bishop, vice president of the Bank of California; his bid was the only one.

        In January, 1896, Egbert Stone and several men began to deposit rails near the Plaza in San Leandro with the avowed intention of building a double track for the Oakland, San Leandro and Haywards electric line. Marshal Geisenhofer asked them to desist on the ground that they had no authority to lay a second track through the town. The marshal finally began to remove the rails. A large crowd gathered, the fire bell was rung; shots were fired to attract a crowd, blows were struck and several arrests were made. The company claimed the right to two tracks.

        In April, 1898, came the announcement of the consolidation of the Southern Pacific, Northern, California Pacific and the Northern California railways. In

April, 1898, the Oakland council passed an ordinance granting the railroad company a franchise to run its tracks from Second and Webster streets to the foot of Harrison street where it was proposed to build a bridge across the estuary.

        In the summer of 1901 there was little electric lighting in the county east of Oakland. Haywards had a small electric plant, but San Leandro was lighted from a private gas plant. By March, 1902, through the efforts of the Suburban Electric Company, dwellings and business houses from Oakland to Haywards and in the district around Centerville and Mission San Jose, were lighted by that medium. The Suburban Company secured its power from the Standard Electric Company's plant of the Bay Counties Company at Colgate on the Yuba river. Thus the Suburban Company acted as a distributing agent. Altogether there were about 1,500 lights in use by March 1, 1902. The lines were being extended in all directions.

        In July, 1901, William G. Henshaw bought two-thirds of the stock of the Oakland, San Leandro and Haywards Electric Railway Company. At this time the whole road was valued at over nine hundred thousand dollars. He took the stock subject to a considerable floating debt.

        In 1900-1 the Oakland Transit Company's lines were consolidated with those operated by the Oakland Railway Company. This consolidation thus had complete control of all the street car lines operating in Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda, the Oakland, San Leandro and Haywards road being the only one not in the combine. The consolidation took in the Telegraph and San Pablo avenue lines. The Transit Company's interest controlled the new corporation. As the majority of its stock was owned by the realty syndicate of which F. M. Smith the "Borax King" was president, the latter became practically the boss of the new system. The old Pacific improvement company owned a large block of the Oakland railway stock. The new corporation held 105¼ miles of track and of this 85¼ miles was owned by the Transit system. E. A. Heron as president, and W. F. Kelly, as manager, had charge of the consolidated company.

        In November, 1901, the county board granted a franchise to the Suburban Electric Company to erect poles and string wires along certain highways of the county.

        The close of 1906 brought with it a certainty of the settlement of the bitter contention over the right of shippers to demand access on equal terms to all lines of road having tracks in the city. The Southern Pacific, Santa Fe and Key Route were practically forced to this settlement by the Oakland council which passed a resolution refusing to grant a franchise for industry plants, spur tracks, or belt lines, unless provision for interchange switching was incorporated in the ordinance.

        Many new electric lines were planned by the Southern Pacific for Berkeley and vicinity late in 1908, all to cost about $3,000,000. Three roads were designed to converge at the north end of the Contra Costa county line and a fourth road was to extend from Adeline street to the University campus. The steam line to Berkeley was changed to an electric one. The Key Route, was also active in extending its lines and improving its service. West Berkeley was greatly benefitted by the changes. Ocean View was given better rail facilities. Previous to this date the Key Route and the Oakland Traction companies controlled the street electric lines, but now the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific systems planned to invade these fruitful fields.

        The entry of the first through passenger train of the Western road into Oakland occurred August 22, 1910, and was celebrated on a grand scale by the whole city. It was the completion of the fourth great trans-continental line into the city—Southern, Central, Western and Santa Fe. All four companies, realizing the great advantages they would gain by such a course, prepared to concede many points in order to meet half way the magnificent plans for municipal improvement in progress under the city administration. They planned great docks, the reclamation of vast areas of tide land, warehouses, track extensions, etc. The leasing by the Southern Pacific Company for fifty years of a strip of the city's western water front was hailed as an admission that lawsuits between the city and the company over water front claims were forever past.

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.