Laurel Street Fair

Saturday after the urban paths walk, I cycled over to the Laurel district for their annual street fair. Lot of folks out having fun, and as a bonus, I finally got a chance to try a Mamacitas Cafe donut kebab!

Oakland Urban Paths: Laurel to the Redwoods

This past weekend was the monthly Oakland Urban Paths walk. Saturday a group of about 60 people (and 6 dogs) joined us for a strenuous, somewhat less urban hike from Laurel up into the redwoods of Leona Heights Park. The walk was led by local historian Dennis Evanosky.

As we wound our way along streets and pathways, Dennis told us about some of the local history including the granting of Rancho San Antonio to Luis Maria Peralta by the Spanish government. Peralta never lived on the nearly 45,000 acre land grant, but his four sons did. Peralta was given everything from the water's edge to the crest of the hill, except for the port and the redwoods which the government kept for themselves.

Our route took us through George E. McCrea Memorial Park, which is home to some fly-casting pools. The park was originally nearby next to the McCrea family home on what is now part of Holy Names University. A pedestrian bridge took us across Highway 13, and it was into Leona Heights Park. The trail follows the stream, and starts off fairly wide and easy to walk on. At one point, the WPA crews didn't go any further, and the trail becomes narrower, steeper and unsurprisingly, less well maintained. But most people (and dogs) stuck with us. We stopped at one point to look at an albino redwood tree, and Dennis told us about the cutting of the redwoods and how they were transported to the sawmills.

More climbing took us up to a fire road, and from there we could see out across the bay. We also saw the Old Survivor Redwood Tree, one of the few trees in the area to not be cut 150 years ago. A core sample was taken years ago by city naturalist Paul Covel, and it's estimated the tree is about 450 years old. We followed the fire trail down the hill, past the old sulfur mine, and got views of the previous location of the Chabot Observatory. The newer Chabot Space and Science Center near Redwood Regional Park opened in 2000, but the first location of the observatory was downtown, in what is now Jefferson Square Park.

The return to our starting point took us past the Home of Peace, which was started by the Montgomery family in 1893 as a waystation for missionaries. Special thanks to Dennis for leading the hike, and thanks to everyone who came out for it! Be sure to look for Dennis' various local history books next time you're at Laurel Bookstore downtown at 14th and Broadway.

Lots more pictures from the hike:


An approximate map of our route on Google Maps.

petition: urge Walgreens to post a security guard at High Street store

After the shooting in the parking lot of the Walgreens on High Street last month, some neighbors are urging Walgreens to have a security guard on duty. This might seem extreme or unusual, but in fact other Walgreens in the East Bay have them, so why not the High Street branch?

To sign the petition, click here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/805/000/800/#sign

Private security isn't the answer in general, but for a store that's open late and that has had numerous problems with crime, it only makes sense.

signs: The Toy Shop

Anice sign along MacArthur in the Laurel. I'm not sure if this is Komodo Toys (which is what shows up in Google Maps) or a newer toy shop that replaced it, or just a rebranding. In any event, it's a nice sign when lit.

urban paths: Anza Trail

Earlier this month was a special Oakland Urban Paths walk put on in conjunction with the National Park Service. The tour featured the Juan Bautista de Anza trail, the route taken by some of the first European settlers in California. In 1775-1776, Lt. Colonel Anza of the Spanish army led more than 240 men, women and children 1,200 miles from what is now Mexico to Alta California here in the Bay Area. Prior expeditions had all been explorers, soldiers and priests, but these were some of the first families to settle.

We started the tour at Peralta Hacienda, which was fitting because Luis Peralta came to California on that expedition as a teenager. The tour was led by NPS ranger Hale Sargent, who handed us cards representing the settlers. And with a call that would have been familiar to the settlers, "¡Vayan Subiendo!", we were off. We crossed Peralta Creek and headed southeast to Courtland Creek.

We followed the creek up to Fairfax, where we heard more about the Anza expedition. Then we were treated to the stunning mosaics at Maxwell Park, and heard about the project from Nancy Karigaca, who spearheaded the project. Read more about the mosaics at Oakland Local.

Then it was up over the hill to Mills College. There we met up with local historian Dennis Evanosky, who told us about an earlier exploration by the Spanish. Captain Don Pedro Fages led six "bluecoat" soldiers and a muleteer. They camped at what is now Mills College, and were the first Europeans to see the entrance to the Golden Gate from contra costa, the opposite shore.

We returned to our starting point via the Laurel (where the Laurel Book Store had hosted a talk by Hale and Dennis earlier in the week) and Allendale. It was a long walk, but all the people and dogs managed it. The day wasn't over yet, though. Peralta Hacienda graciously opened their doors earlier than usual, so people who were interested could get a tour there to learn more about the Peralta family and the current community surrounding the museum. Another great OUP walk, and special thanks to Hale, Dennis, the Peralta Hacienda, and the Laurel Book Store!

Lots more pictures from the walk:

signs: Laurel Lounge

from the posted-before-but-much-cooler-at-night category

Laurel Lounge

Iwas in the Laurel last week for the National Park Service talk at Laurel Book Store about the Anza Trail. I've posted the Laurel Lounge sign before, but it's cool to see lit up at night, too.

And here's a a reminder about the Oakland Urban Paths walk on part of the Anza Trail on Saturday. It will be a 6 mile walk, leaves from Peralta Hacienda (yes, I've been there a lot lately), and is free! It's a great chance to explore some parts of Oakland you may not have seen.

Oakland Urban Paths: Laurel to the Redwoods

Last Saturday 50 people joined Oakland Urban Paths for a walk, Laurel to the Redwoods. The large turnout was due in part to people coming to hear our guide for the walk, Dennis Evanosky, a local historian and writer who is extremely knowledgeable about Oakland and East Bay history.

We started the walk at Saint Lawrence O'Toole Catholic Church in the Laurel. The church was originally closer to where I-580 is now, but before the freeway came through, the church moved up the hill to its current location. Then we walked a short distance to Scheberies Used Cars for the first of our urban paths. While Dennis told us about MacArthur Boulevard and the freeway, Gerry Scheberies came over to the edge of the lot. He's been part of Oakland for a long time—since before the I-580 freeway was built. MacArthur Blvd. was part of a national plan for a road, intended to go from Mexico to Canada, but only the Oakland segment was built. See pictures and info from my visit 1.5 years ago.

We took a number of urban paths and more traditional sidewalks through the Upper Laurel neighborhood into Redwood Heights, both of which are full of lovely homes. Then it was a big uphill on Carson Street to George E. McCrea Memorial Park, home to the Oakland Casting Club. That's right, Oakland has casting ponds for people to practice their fly casting. The park also has trout ponds, but those are no longer used.

Then it was over highway 13 to Leona Heights, once site of the Laundry Farm Hotel. Named for the laundry operations that once filled the area, someone doubtless recognized that a name like Leona Heights Hotel would have more appeal, and the hotel was renamed. The original plan for the OUP hike was to go up the York Trail near Horseshoe Creek, but the heavy rains we got a while back had damaged the trail and bridges, so we just viewed the area from trailhead and heard about the redwoods.

Nearby we saw part of a quarry operation. What's left is an odd concrete tube, which rock was pushed down (later they used railed carts) and delivered to a crusher. That rock was used for railroads, including the Feather River Canyon.

Up another nearby canyon took us to an abandoned sulfur mine. The original miners were excited because they thought they'd found gold, but it turned out to be iron pyrite (fool's gold). But they soon discovered that the sulfur deposits there could be profitably mined instead.

We went up the nearby fire trail a ways, where we could see the old Chabot Observatory below. That was actually the second Chabot Observatory; the original was on 11th and Jefferson in Old Oakland and dated back to 1883. They moved to the Mountain Boulevard location in 1915 because of light pollution, but access to that became limited in 1977 because of seismic safety concerns. The current facility, the Chabot Space and Science Center along Skyline, opened in 2000. Further up the trail we saw the approximate location where one of the first maps of the Bay Area was drawn.

We walked back through the triangle between highway 13 and I-580, and saw Montgomery House, a home which was built by the Montgomery family for missionaries to stay in while they prepared to ship out on their mission trips. There's a small chapel on the grounds which is still in use, and we were told the house across the street was one of the earliest orphanages in Oakland.

We worked our way back to our starting point, and I at least was definitely tired—as advertised, this was a strenuous walk. Thanks to Dennis Evanosky and Paul Rosenbloom for leading us on the walk, and thanks to all who joined us. The OUP walk coming up in May will definitely be less strenuous.

More info:

• Oakland Geology - Sulfur Mine Creek
• Oakland Geology - Horseshoe Canyon Tramway
• Chabot Observatory History (PDF)
• Home of Peace

Lots more pictures from our walk:


See our route on Google Maps.

update: Check out the post by Nika about the walk.

signs: High Street Pharmacy

Another two-fer on signs, the before and after at High Street Pharmacy in the Laurel. I can't say as either version of the sign is amongst my favorites, but at least the new one has some neon.

walking tour of the Laurel

Dennis Evanosky

Sunday morning was a special walking tour of the Laurel. It was organized by district 4 council member Libby Schaaf, and led by local historian and OHA member Dennis Evanosky. There ended up being a large group, including Libby Schaaf, BART board member Robert Raburn, a few folks from AC Transit, and 40-50 other people interested in Oakland history. (Plus a couple of dogs, who were indifferent about the history but enjoyed the people.)

Donut Time

One of the first stops on the tour was a familiar building, home to Donut Corner, with its awesome Donut Time clock. The building is notable because that's where much of the planning for the native American occupation of Alcatraz (1969-1971) was done. That became a major precedent for native American activism.

As we walked, we heard about different time periods in the Laurel's history, from hauling redwood logs down what is now 35th Avenue, to the heyday of the theaters (including a movie premiere delivered by the Goodyear blimp), to the major impact the building of the MacArthur freeway (I-580) had. We walked past the amazing gas station (c.1939) that I photographed back in May.

plot map

One question people had and the tour promised to answer: how did the Laurel get its name? It goes back to an early real estate development. The land had been part of the Peralta Grant, and then given to one of Peralta's sons. The land was then sold to developers, and the new development named for a grove of laurels near Peralta Creek: Laurel Grove Park. It took a while for the development to actually take off, but with the help of a streetcar line up 38th to the sales office, it eventually did.

Unfortunately, there were enough people on the tour that as a group we moved slowly. Which meant we didn't cover everything planned, so Dennis is hoping to do the second half of the tour in September. Stay tuned!

More photos here:

Laurel walking tour

signs: 7 Seas

7 Seas

Not a great sign by any stretch of the imagination, but notable because it's gone. 7 Seas closed some time back and the sign disappeared with it. If you look closely, you can see a little "7C" on the truncated rhombus at the top,

signs: Glenn's Hot Dogs

Glenn's Hot Dogs

Glenn's Hot Dogs in the Laurel has a great combo of neon, chaser bulbs, and a rotating middle. Any local residents know if it still lights up?

signs: Laurel Lounge

Laurel Lounge

The Laurel Lounge sign has the requisite martini glass, though an interesting 50s or 60s style one. It also has the vaguely atomic or space-themed orb at the top. Unfortunately, a man was senselessly shot and killed near here last night. I'm not sure if this is the bar in question, or the 7 Seas across the street.

signs: Laurel Gift Shop

Laurel Gift Shop

This simple sign in the Laurel looks like the 'Gift Shop' part might still work. Anybody know for sure?

signs: Thrifty 1 Hour Cleaners

Thrifty 1 Hour Cleaners

Behold the power of the atom! Able to get whites whiter, and colors, er, colorer! All in one hour! Or at least that seems to be the subtle message behind this sign at Thrifty 1 Hour Cleaners in the Laurel.

history: Scheberies Used Cars

Scheberies Used Cars

It was a short work day at Habitat with GRID Alternatives, so I rode the e-bike home by a different route scouting signs. I'd checked some things out with Google Maps Street View, and one sign had caught my eye. Not the main sign pictured here, which is nice enough but hardly classic. No, it was the sign that's made from part of a car. So on my ride home, I went a little out of my way down MacArthur from High Street to check it out. I'm very glad I did.

I met Gerald Scheberies. He was moving some cars around the lot while I was admiring the signs. I told him what a great set of signs he had, and he informed me that he'd painted them himself. He invited me inside to see more, and found he has an amazing history collection. Pictures of the original Caldecott Tunnel, Broadway when it was a set of muddy tracks, the toll bridge that used to span the end of Lake Merritt. Gerald also used to race cars, so quite a number of the signs he painted were for events that he raced in. And he and his used car lot have been around since before I-580 was there, so he's seen a lot of Oakland history. He coached wrestling at Skyline high school and all sorts of other things in his 70+ years. I saw at least one article on him in a scrapbook. I couldn't find any articles online, but did see references to his racing career. And when he commented on the slick tires on the e-bike, I said, "No, they're supposed to be that way -- haven't you seen a The World's Fastest Indian, where he shaved the tires down by hand?" He replied that he loved the movie, and he'd been at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the 60s, too.

great sign!

Gerald Scheberies, then and now

the original Caldecott Tunnel

signs: Oakland Imported Cars

Oakland Imported Cars

There looks to have more to this sign along MacArthur near the Oaks Motel, but 'service' and 'carburetors' are all that remain.

signs: Donut Time

Donut Time!

Hey kids, what time is it? It's donut time! Fortunately there's a handy clock to let us know. The building itself was a nice one originally, but rebuilt windows and doors have removed a lot of its character.

the Donut Corner building

signs: Oaks Motel

The Oaks Motel

Just north of 35th on MacArthur is The Oaks Motel. It looks to be of a similar vintage to the Colonial Chapel, with faux scroll lines instead of faux wood grain.