Nostalgia & History > Streetcar action at 38th Avenue & Foothill Blvd--Oakland,CA

Hi Everybody--
Just wanted to run a couple of streetcar photos of where I used to live in the Fruitvale District of East Oakland !

Photo 1.     Car # 994  on the Last Day of Service---  Key System Line # 16  38th Avenue, just East of Foothill Blvd.
                                Photo by Vernon Sappers.

Photo 2.     Streetcar heading East, crossing Foothill Blvd..  Foothill Blvd was being torn up at 38th Avenue, removing the crossover
 trackage of the 16 and 7-Lines.  The Foothill trackage itself, from the 7-Line, was also being removed !   After the Foothill line was
abandoned, the #7 designation was assigned to the Arlington route in Berkeley.
                                Photo by Vernon Sappers.

Note:   "KRK" lived right smack next door to the SIGNAL gas station, behind the rear of the streetcar in the photo.

Photo 3.   Car # 960  on 38th Avenue (Key System # 16 Line)  between Foothill Blvd & East 14th Street.  (aka International Blvd), Oakland.
The precise area where Car # 960 is crossing, next to the Eucalyptus tree, was "Peralta Creek" , which is a major drainage creek from high in the Oakland hills out to the Bay.     After heavy rains, the creek looked like the Colorado River.  In 1955 and 1964, it went over its banks and flooded our neighborhood.  It was Christmas season both times.
      In 1955, a guy named  "Ritchie"  (who ran for Congress) built an ultra-modern "House of the Future" on 38th Avenue.  It was quite something to see.  He built it "straddling" over Peralta Creek because he wanted to hear the sound of "the babbling brook" ..  Or at least that's what he told everybody.  When Peralta Creek overflowed that first Christmas, Ritchie got 18-inches of water thru his house !  (grin)
SIGNAL Oil Co sold various "WHIZ" auto products.  Remember them ??    They also sold "Nickel-Silver" batteries !!
Well, Ritchie (who else ?)  invented an "Additive" to put in the batteries !   Great Memories !!

Photo by Vernon Sappers.

KRK

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Thanks for sharing these memories.
Streetcar photos such as these often show a different and equally fascinating piece of America than the train photos.
Bob

Damn, I walked by there many a time in the 1970's in all 3 photos. I particularly like #1. The car is between Foothill and San Juan Ave. Those garages being built on the right side of the street, i remember walking by those many a time after going to "Willie's" grocery store on the corner.

The line ran one way down 38th Ave? Which street did the line run uphill? 35th Ave?

I remember my dad telling me that the street cars lines crossed on Foothill and 38th but never saw a photo before. In 1968, Robert F Kennedy's motorcade stopped at that corner and he walked over and shook my 4 year old hand.

Gary

Posted from iPhone

SN711 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Damn, I walked by there many a time in the 1970's
> in all 3 photos. I particularly like #1. The car
> is between Foothill and San Juan Ave. Those
> garages being built on the right side of the
> street, i remember walking by those many a time
> after going to "Willie's" grocery store on the
> corner.
>
> The line ran one way down 38th Ave? Which street
> did the line run uphill? 35th Ave?
>
> I remember my dad telling me that the street cars
> lines crossed on Foothill and 38th but never saw a
> photo before. In 1968, Robert F Kennedy's
> motorcade stopped at that corner and he walked
> over and shook my 4 year old hand.
>
> Gary
>
> Posted from iPhone

Hey Gary--  When the late Robert F. Kennedy was campaigning for President, he visited my old neighborhod.  My old barber had a framed photo of 'Bobby' across Foothill from his barber shop at Harrington & Foothill.  He was standing on a bench or something in front of the apartment house that was right next door to "GAY's  HAMBURGERS" ...  You remember them ??  We all used to refer to it as the "greasy spoon" ......
Now then,  38th Avenue was always a two-way street--  not one-way.   The track on 38th Avenue was single-track (bi-directional) between East 14th Street  (aka International Blvd) and just about a block above Foothill.  Then since 38th Avenue became wider, it was double-track, until it became single-track at the top of the hill, and ended at Mac Arthur Blvd.

The Foothill Blvd line used to be LINE 7--  East 16th Street.    The 38th Avenue line used to be the "J",  then # 11, then # 16.

Please look at these two strips from rare "Car-O-Grams"   ...
KRK

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Thanks KRK,

Gary

Photo 4.  38th Avenue & Suter

Photo 5.  38th Avenue & East 14th Street

Photo 6.  Car # 961--  38th Avenue &  Brookdale

Photos courtesy of John Harder.

KRK

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Photo 7.   38th Avenue & Redding ---------  Looking toward MacArthur Blvd

Photo 8.   38th Avenue & Redding ---------  Looking toward East 14th Street

Photos courtesy of John Harder

KRK

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Krk,

Thanks for the extra images of 38th Ave. I am thinking that the Cozy Corner bar was still there when I was very young at 38th and E14th St. I have more memories of that lot being a gas station (Shell or 76).

Also interesting what it looked like when there were real business at 38th and Brookdale.

Gary

Posted from iPhone

SN711 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Krk,
>
> Thanks for the extra images of 38th Ave. I am
> thinking that the Cozy Corner bar was still there
> when I was very young at 38th and E14th St. I have
> more memories of that lot being a gas station
> (Shell or 76).
>
> Also interesting what it looked like when there
> were real business at 38th and Brookdale.

You're right, Gary--   When I lived on 38th Avenue for the first 14-years of my life, the COZY CORNER bar was there at 38th & East 14th Street.  Later on it was torn down and a SHELL gas station put in its place.  Across East 14th St from the SHELL was a Woman's clothing store known as the Fruitvale Toggery. A very popular place.  Also known as J. Malnick's !
KRK
>
> Gary
>
> Posted from iPhone