Historic Homes & Buildings

Collection from the files of Ron Morra, leader of the Adams Point Preservation Society (APPS), formed in 1982 to preserve single-family housing in the Adams Point neighborhood, then being redeveloped into condominium and apartment complexes. Over the years the APPS addressed a range of quality-of-life issues in the Adams Point/Lake Merritt area.  (OHC COLL 2016-1) 5 boxes (3.5 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Dates: 1869-2008   Collection number: MS 189   Creator: African American Museum & Library at Oakland   Collection Size: 21.25 linear feet (30 boxes + 2 oversized boxes + 2 oversized drawers)   Guide to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) The African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection consists of 1,953 photographs documenting African Americans in California between 1869-2008. The photograph collection consists of photographs donated to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland, and its predecessor the East Bay Negro Historical Society. The collection is organized into 28 series by subject, and includes photographs of significant African Americans such Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and Byron Rumford, and documents various aspects of the African American community in Oakland including athletics, business, churches, civil rights, early pioneers, entertainment, military, fraternal and women's organizations. View online items We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Two "Golden Gate Drawing Books" containing sketches by Oakland, California, resident Albert D. Coplin in the 1880s or 1890s. Most of the approximately 30 small pencil sketches are of Mission-style churches and dwellings. (OHC MSS COPLIN) 2 v. in 1 folder Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Photographic images and architectural renderings showing existing area and proposed, but not realised, expansion for the Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Co. headquarters at 5929 College Avenue in Oakland, California. Most of the images depict potentially affected areas along nearby Claremont Avenue. (OHC COLL 2015-18) 9 items in 1 box, .2 linear feet. Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Primarily photographs and clippings relating to the restoration of the Cleveland Cascade in Oakland, California. Many materials in the project research folder are photocopies of images and newspaper clippings dating from as early as 1923. An umbrella partner under the larger Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation, The Friends of the Cleveland Cascade work to restore this 1923 Italian-inspired water feature, designed by noted landscape architect Howard Gilkey. (OHC COLL 2015-2) 3 folders and 1 binder in 1 box (.2 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

The Coalition of Advocates for Lake Merritt (CALM), formed in early 2000, opposes the sale of parkland and city-owned property at Lake Merritt for private development, and advocates for Lake Merritt revitalization. This collection focuses primarily on CALM's opposition to a 2000 proposal to sell off the Fire Alarm Building site and a 2001 proposal to sell off the parking lot at the Oakland Auditorium. John E. Klein, a leader of and spokesperson for CALM, donated this collection to the Oakland History Room. (OHC COLL 2015-3) 1 box (.4 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Newsletters, reports, meeting minutes, and other materials from the East Bay Conversion and Reinvestment Commission (EBCRC). Established in 1993, EBCRC was one of four local pilot programs for assisting local communities impacted by military base closures. (OHC COLL 2016-2) 3 folders in box (.42 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.      

This collection includes brochures and other promotional ephemera relating to individual hotels and motels in the East Bay. Tourist accommodation guides listing multiple hotels, motels, trailer parks, and bed and breakfasts are also included. (OHC COLL 2022-6) 6 folders in 1 box (.5 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Scrapbooks, historical information, and other materials relating to The First and Last Chance Saloon, located on the Oakland waterfront in Jack London Square. The saloon is notable for its connection to Jack London, who frequented the saloon and was friends with its long-time owner, John Heinold.  (OHC COLL 2016-4) 3 boxes (1.8 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Employee recognition lists, company newsletters (3 issues), and a chronology of the Oakland-based department store founded in 1889 by H.C. Capwell. (OHC COLL 2013-19) 20 items in 1 box (.3 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Record-keeping books for the Hellman family estate, called Oakvale Park, belonging to Alexander J. Kerr. Two account books document monies paid, presumably for work done on the estate, and the expenses of I.W. Hellman, Jr., and his wife. Two time books track the hours worked by various employees. (OHC COLL 2015-17) 4 v. in 1 box (.2 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Brochures, menus, concert programs, letterhead stationary, and other materials relating to the history and preservation of the Hotel Oakland. The Hotel Oakland was built between 1910 and 1912 and cost more than $3,000,000. Occupying one city block in Oakland's downtown, the hotel was a focal point for the city’s social life into the 1920s and hosted several U. S. Presidents and other celebrities. It suffered several bankruptcies in the 1930s due to both the depression and management difficulties and in 1943 the U.S. Army took possession of it for use as a military hospital, auctioning off all the historic furnishings in the process. Following World War II, several unsuccessful attempts were made to reopen the hotel to the public before the Veterans' Administration took over the building as a hospital. When the V.A. left in August, 1963, the building was vacant until a developer gained possession in 1978 and converted it into a senior living community. (OHC COLL 2012-3) 35 pieces in 1 box (.2 linear feet) Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Nine letters to Oakland resident Mrs. Jane Voiles containing the senders' personal reminiscences of their childhood homes, and surrounding neighborhoods, in Oakland, California. Includes the houses of Frank Soulé, W.G. Glascock, Nathaniel Gray (located at 760 10th Street), Edward C. Williams, Albert Miller, John Wedderspoon (located at 14th and Union, later owned by John L. Bradbury), George W. McNear, Henry D. Bacon, Ralph W. Kirkham, Edward Tompkins, and C.L. Shafter, as well as some information on Fabiola Hospital, the Adams Point district and Lake Merritt. Also includes a hand drawn floor plan for the Wedderspoon House, and a map of the Gray's block of 10th Street, between Brush and West Streets, listing most of the surrounding neighbors. (OHC MSS VOILES) 1 folder, (.02 linear feet) Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Descriptive text and photographic documents for six historic structures in West Oakland, prepared as part of the I-880 (Cypress Freeway) reconstruction project in the 1990s. Particular emphasis on the Southern Pacific 16th Street station, tower and shops. (OHC COLL 2012-9) 1 volume (129 pages, 28 cm) and 159 photographs in 1 box (.4 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.