Nostalgia & History > Early Pictures of the Oakland Mole, Part 1

The Oakland Long Wharf, later known as the Oakland Pier or the SP Mole, was a massive railroad wharf and ferry pier in Oakland, California located at the foot of Seventh Street. The purpose of the Mole was to allow the transfer of passengers, both commuters from the East Bay and long-distance riders to transfer to or from ferry boats to or from the Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street in San Francisco. Today commuters ride BART through the Transbay Tubes of take buses from the Emeryville Amtrak Station. And, of course, there now is the Bay Bridge.

Initially the Central Pacific Railroad took over a small existing wharf and expanded it. On April 1, 1885 the Central Pacific was leased to Southern Pacific Railroad and the wharf was eventually, as mentioned, called the SP Mole.

The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division has an online set of pictures of the Mole taken between 1869 and maybe 1930. The set is from the Historic American Buildings Survey, Southern Pacific Railroad Collection. The captions are from the collection.

The first three pictures allow a comparison between the earliest and latest pictures in the collection.

1. Photograph of 1869 Oakland Point Pier - Before Construction of Long Wharf - Southern Pacific Mole & Pier.

2. About 1869 Oakland Point Pier - Used by First Central Pacific Train to Enter Oakland -- November 8, 1869 - Southern Pacific Mole & Pier.

3. After 1919 Oakland Mole -- Aerial View Looking West by South - Southern Pacific Mole & Pier.


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Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/14 18:57 by MartyBernard.

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Here are some of the earliest pictures.

4. and 5. Photographs of 1871 OAKLAND LONG WHARF - Southern Pacific Mole & Pier.

6. Leslie Magazine May 11, 1878 OAKLAND LONG WHARF - CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILROAD TERMINUS - Southern Pacific Mole & Pier.

This is the end of Part 1. More to come.

Enjoy,
Marty Bernard



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/14 18:37 by MartyBernard.

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Seeing pics of the Oakland Mole reminded me of all the good pics posted in the past of the Mole by Ken Shattock (KeyrouteKen). Makes me wonder how he's doing. Anyone have an update?

MartyBernard Wrote:

> 4. and 5. Photographs of 1871 OAKLAND LONG WHARF -
> Southern Pacific Mole & Pier.

Note the freight ferry Thoroughfare on the aquatic side of the slip. Here's a not very good photo of her from the Western Railway Museum Archives:

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