A century ago, on June 23, 1924, Berkeley Chamber of Commerce secretary Charles Keeler was advocating for the creation of permanent park land in the Berkeley hills.
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Keeler spoke at a San Francisco gathering of “commercial secretaries” representing Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and business organizations. The Berkeley Daily Gazette reported that Keeler “appealed to the secretaries present to assist the East Bay cities in securing the 45,000 acres of the East Bay Water Company lands as a permanent district park and forest preserve.”
Keeler’s suggestion came after a presentation by Stephen Child, an “eminent city planner formerly of Boston and Washington who has recently established his headquarters in San Francisco,” the Gazette reported.
He described a proposal to build a “President’s Highway” that would start at the Presidio, run south through western San Francisco, along the Peninsula to Santa Cruz, then circle back across San Jose to the East Bay, northward to San Pablo, then across the bay to Marin around Mount Tamalpais, and down to the Golden Gate. That this vision statement by Keeler came a decade before the formal establishment of the East Bay Regional Parks District in 1934 is interesting.
Claremont land: On June 14, 1924, the Gazette reported that the Claremont district’s last nonresidential property, the “old Claremont Ranch” would be sold and developed with upscale housing.
The property was north of Tunnel Road, adjoining the “junction of Vicente Road and Grand View.” Today, that area is just over the Berkeley border, in Oakland. Twenty-six lots were offered for sale.
“The steady encroachment of home building by wealthy residents of Oakland and Berkeley upon the Claremont hills has steadily obliterated what was but a few years ago one of the most famous stock breeding ranches in Central California,” the Gazette reported.
“Claremont Guernsey Farm has reared pedigreed cattle whose fame has reached beyond the seven seas, and few of the state fairs at Sacramento for the past 20 years have failed to be graced by Claremont guernsey’s which roamed the hills adjoining the Claremont Hotel.”
The Berkeley Daily Gazette reported June 14, 1924, that the “old Claremont Ranch,” the last nonresidential property in the city’s Claremont district, would be sold and developed with upscale housing. (courtesy of the Berkeley Historical Society and Museum)
Local suicide: On June 14, 1924, the paper reported “Miss Katherine Isaacson, age 25, employed as a maid in the home of Mrs. M.M. McLaughlin, 2703 Forest Avenue, committed suicide last night by hanging herself on the rear porch of a vacant house at 2709 Forest Avenue.
“Her body was discovered shortly before 9 o’clock this morning by Thomas Hughes who was planning to move into the house today. She tied one end (of a rope) to the top of a pillar on the rear piazza and jumped over the side wall.”
Traffic fines: On June 18, 1924, 14 “autoists whose machines were found parking all night on public streets enriched the city treasurer by $28 in court.” They were each fined $2 for the offense.
In that era — and through World War II, I believe — to leave a private vehicle on a Berkeley public street all night was illegal. Every automobile had to have some off-street parking or be out of town during at least part of the night.
Gas explosion: An item from the June 16, 1924, Gazette can speak for itself. “Residents of Hearst and Le Conte avenues were witnesses of a novel fire in the middle of the street last night shortly before 11 o’clock.
“Smelling gas, a passer-by investigated with a lighted match. There was a minor explosion and flame shot up 4 feet in the air. Firemen were summoned and for more than half an hour endeavored to extinguish the huge gas burner. Finally the gas was shut off at the main.”
Bay Area native and Berkeley community historian Steven Finacom holds this column’s copyright.