Glimpse history through old images of Oakland, California, in the USA.
Established as a town in 1852, Oakland was selected to be the western terminus for the transcontinental railroad. Oakland’s first transcontinental railroad depot was at 7th and Broadway.
In the nineteenth century the Pullman Company required that all local Pullman employees lived West of Adeline street, even though they worked for tips rather than a salary. George Pullman, the chicago-based industrialist who founded the Pullman Company, employed exclusively African Americans to serve as Pullman porters and maids. Along with African Americans, West Oakland was home to Italian, Serbian, Jewish and Irish families.
Old Photos of Oakland
Old stereograph of the High School, corner of 12th and Market, Oakland, california. Image: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. Old stereograph of the High School, at corner 12th and Market, Oakland. Image: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. Old Stereograph of the Mansion House, Entrance College Grounds,12th Street, Oakland, Alameda County, circa 1870. Image: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. Old stereograph of a View of a cemetery, 1875. Image: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. Old stereograph of the view from the Grand Central Hotel, Oakland, California, taken in 1880. Image: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library.Old stereograph of the View from the Grand Central Hotel, Oakland, in 1880. Image: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library.Old stereograph of the ferry landing from Oakland, taken in 1906. Image: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library.Old stereograph of the Seventh Regiment National Guards, from Los Angeles, camped in Lincoln Square, Oakland, in 1906. Image: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library.Old stereograph of a Government relief boat at Oakland loading supplies for the stricken city of San Francisco, following the earthquake of 1906. Image: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library.Old photo of the day after election at Oakland, California, on November 12, 1936. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. Old photo of a Real estate office, Oakland, California, taken in 1940. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library.
Vintage Postcards of Oakland
Old photo postcard of City Hall Square, Oakland, California circa 1903. Image: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. Vintage postcard Piedmont Springs Park, Oakland, California. Image: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. Vintage postcard of the Piedmont Springs Park Club House, Oakland, California. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library.
Old Maps of Oakland
Old map of the City of Oakland and surroundings, published 1888. Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library.Old map of the city of Oakland, Berkeley, Oakland & Brooklyn townships and Alameda, published in the early 1890s. Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library.
Oakland in 1982
While the 3 minute footage doesn’t have any sound, there are lots of people, businesses and vehicles seen in these Berkeley street scenes from 1982.
1982 Berkeley, Oakland Street Scenes, California in HD from 16mm – Kinolibrary on YouTube
African American Oakland 1852-1940
This video, produced by the Oakland Public Library, covers the following topics:
Struggles for Employment and Recognition
Integration of the fire department
Pullman porters’ fight for recognition
Influence on other workers’ rights
African American entrepreneurship
Education and advocacy
Brooklyn Colored School and Jeremiah Sanderson
Civil rights and educational opportunities
Lydia Flood Jackson and her contributions
The impact of the transcontinental railroad
Western terminus in Oakland
Pullman porters and their significance
West Oakland as an African American enclave
Growth and development of Oakland
Geographic advantages
Industrial town and population growth
Challenges faced by the African American community
Civic and philanthropic leaders
William and Julia Shorey
Beth Eden Baptist Church
California Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs
African Americans in early Oakland
Arrival and misconceptions
Work and occupations
Community building and institutions
African American Oakland, 1852-1940 – Oakland Public Library on YouTube
Hi, I’m Debbie. I’ve enjoyed books, films, and documentaries about history for more than 30 years. My favourite trips with friends and family are to museums, historic houses, archaeological sites, and I love unearthing old photos and archive film bringing history to life.
