Oakland Township Railroad

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California / Common Carrier / South Pacific Coast Railroad

History

By John F. Hall

The 36 inch gauge Oakland Township Railroad was incorporated in January, 1881 as a leased line of the South Pacific Coast Railroad. The Directors were: Alfred E. Davis, Seth Cook, Daniel Cook, Joseph Clark, and Edward Barron.[1] But the story started two years earlier. A. E. Davis made the first attempt at obtaining a franchise for a railroad into Oakland in January 1879.[2] It was called the Dietz franchise by the press because the franchise was requested by A. C. Dietz, a prominent Oakland resident. It was the practice of A. E. Davis to have a prominent citizen of the franchise jurisdiction submit the initial petition. The petition requested a steam powered railroad up Fallon Street from the estuary around the west side of Lake Merritt, bridging Lake Merritt to Adams Point then northwest up the creek and across Broadway to the City Limits. This franchise was granted February 17, 1879[3] but on March 3, 1879[4] the franchise was amended by the City Council, without SPC input, to require a grade separation at the Seventh Street crossing of the Central Pacific and also Broadway. Due to the Southern Pacific on First Street and the 12th Street horse-car this would mean a sharp grade up and down to have a grade separation at Seventh Street. It would require double heading short commuter trains just to get them over the hump. The South Pacific Coast found this untenable and did not pursue the franchise.[5]

At the time the Dietz franchise was working its way through the City Council a second petition for a railroad franchise was also being considered. Known as the Elsey franchise it requested an alignment similar to the Dietz franchise. Unlike the Dietz franchise the Esley franchise was not approved. Naturally the press was curious why there were two similar franchises being considered. It turned out that the Elsey franchise was put up by some of the Council members with the hope that they could auction off an approved franchise to the highest bidder and line their personal pockets with the proceeds.[6] This caused a significant sensation in Oakland and resulted in Council members losing their seats.

Oakland Township RR 1879-1887.png

Had the Dietz franchise not required a grade separation of Seventh street it would have made a perfect franchise for the SPC. Once across Lake Merritt and on Adams Point no franchise was necessary as the railroad would only cross streets and not travel along them. The goal of the SPC was to get out of the City of Oakland and proceed east into the Central Valley. It's most likely path would have been to follow what later became the Sacramento Northern alignment up Temescal Creek and through a tunnel at the top of Shepard Canyon; then through Moraga, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, south to Pleasanton and east through a tunnel to Corral Hollow Road and into the Central Valley.[7] The SPC tried again and again to develop this connection.

The second Oakland SPC franchise request started with the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. In November 1879 the SPC requested permission to place a railroad across the Webster Street Bridge.[8] The public and press were confused about the exact proposal. All of the comment was about the existing wooden drawbridge not being wide enough nor strong enough for a railroad. The proposal was actually for a new bridge with an added width to accommodate a gauntleted double track railroad in addition to width for wagons and pedestrians. An additional protest came from the Alameda, Oakland, and Piedmont Railroad. This horse-car railroad originated in Alameda. Its rails occupied a portion of the carriage way of the existing Webster street bridge. Before the Board of Supervisors could approved the franchise for a new bridge Theodor Meetz of the AO&P filed a lawsuit for injunction against the Supervisors as an attempt to prevent the SPC from using the bridge.[9] The South Pacific Coast's attorney helped the City defend its position.[10] The Alameda County Board of Supervisors approved the SPC franchise for a new Webster Street Bridge that would support the railroad, and space for carriages and pedestrians across the estuary.[11] Right after the approval Mr. Meetz filed another lawsuit for injunction this time restraining the Oakland City Council from approving a franchise on Webster Street.

With the bridge problem out of the way the SPC tackled the Oakland City Council. This time the railroad approached the property owners first. The railroad acquired the permission of three quarters of the property owners along Webster Street before requesting a franchise along that street.[12] The proportion of property owners in favor of the railroad almost assured City approval. But this time the Southern Pacific Railroad openly joined the fight against the franchise. The SP attorney raised numerous points during the Council deliberations but to no avail. On March 6, 1880 the Oakland City Council approved a steam railroad franchise up Webster Street from the estuary to Fourteenth Street.[13] Immediately after the meeting SPC representatives searched the building for the Mayor and secured his signature on the ordinance. The same day Mr. Meetz's request for a restraining order was heard in Court and denied.[14] The South Pacific Coast Railroad now had a railroad franchise into Oakland. But there was one final piece. The Alameda Board of Trustees approved a franchise for a steam railroad for the very short section of Webster Street at the south end of the Webster Street Bridge on April 20, 1880.[15] Three franchises to run a railroad 0.82 miles. Construction began at the end of April 1880.[16] Thirteen months and one new steel drawbridge later the first train steamed up Webster street from Alameda Point[17]

Then a curious thing happened. In September 1881 a new railroad was incorporated, the Alameda and San Joaquin Railroad Company.[18] The Directors were all South Pacific Coast Railroad employees: George C. Prentice, a clerk; Ayscough Groves, a clerk; James L. McCarthy, First Mate on the ferryboat Garden City; Charles Iverson, bookkeeper; and William T. Fitzgerald, ticket agent. The purpose of the company was to build a 300 mile railroad from Alameda to Bakersfield. At the same time A. E. Davis was inspecting Corral Hollow pass south east of Livermore as a possible route for the railroad.[19] Having just recently fought and lost the way out of Oakland up Webster street Davis was looking for other possible routes. But nothing came of the Alameda and San Joaquin Railroad.

Next the San Francisco & Colorado River Railroad was incorporated in January 1883.[20] This railroad was to build 650 miles of track between San Francisco and the Colorado River in the far south of the state. This time the directors included A. E. Davis and: Asycough Groves; Charles Iverson; George C. Prentice; and R. M. Garrett, the SPC General Freight and Passenger Agent. A. E. Davis was also the Treasure, a position he held on all the SPC lines.[21] While details of this railroad can be found on the SF&CR page, its possible route out of Oakland was along East 12th and East 14th Streets to Hayward then probably up Crow Canyon and through a tunnel to San Ramon, then Livermore to Corral Hollow Pass. Making some inquiries A. E. Davis found the the owners of the East Oakland Horse Railroad would be open to selling and the residents of the area were enthusiastic about a steam railroad. Discussions were held and committees formed to canvas the neighborhood to determine which route would be acceptable to the residents. And there lay the problem. Everyone wanted the railroad but nobody wanted it on their street.[22][23]

Disappointed by the East Oaklanders the SPC tried again at extending the Webster street portion of the line. Except this time the railroad would not approach the city for a franchise. In November 1883 surveyors were locating the route of a railroad parallel to Webster Street but midway between Webster and Harrison streets. This would be private property and would not require a franchise to use the streets. The route was laid out up the creek crossing over the City Limit and on towards Temescal probably joining up with the route of the earlier Fallon Street franchise.[24] It looked as though the SPC had found a way out except for one thing. Some of the wealthier citizens living in this area knew the railroad was desperate for the route. So when the railroad agents approached the property owners the asking prices for the needed right-of-way were astronomical, approximately $60,000 per block. A mile of the Bay & Coast Railroad only cost the company $20,000 complete with track. This was more than the railroad was willing to pay knowing that if they tried condemnation even the courts would probably side with the property owners.[25] The only portion of the San Francisco & Colorado River Railroad that was built was the 2.5 mile long pier out into the Bay.

The last attempt to get the Oakland Township Railroad out of Oakland began in August 1885. James Fair purchased the Oakland Railroad.[26] In 1865 the Oakland Railroad was formed as a five foot gauge horse car railroad. The railroad had two routes; one up San Pablo Boulevard from Broadway to the City Limit, and the other up Telegraph Avenue all the way to the State University in Berkeley. The franchise restricted motive power to horses within the City of Oakland. In 1877 the Alameda County Board of Supervisors granted a franchise to allow steam power on Telegraph Avenue outside of Oakland which was promptly implemented.[27] This was the state of the railroad when purchased by James Fair. The plan was to convert the Oakland portion of the Telegraph Avenue route to a dual track steam powered narrow gauge railroad. The SPC agents surveyed the residents along Telegraph Avenue and collected the approval for a steam railroad from almost three quarters of the residents. There was just a short section around 19th street where the residents would not agree. The group of residents against steam power was lead by Frederick William Delger, a capitalist. He lived on Telegraph Avenue at William Street. William Street, still existing today, was between Frederick and Delger Streets, today's 19th and 20th streets respectively. In an attempt to change Mr. Delger's mind, knowing that he owned substantial property along San Pablo Avenue, James Fair obtained a franchise from the City to convert the San Pablo horse railroad into a cable railroad providing quicker access between Mr. Delger's properties and Downtown.[28] Cable car service began in November 1886 using Carter Bros. built cable cars.[29][30] Mr. Delger continued to oppose steam power along Telegraph Avenue within the City of Oakland.

Meanwhile James Fair and A. E. Davis requested a franchise for steam power along Telegraph Avenue within the City of Oakland. In anticipation of approval of steam power and under the existing franchise for the Telegraph Avenue horse railroad, Fair and Davis converted the single track five foot gauge horse railroad to a double track three foot gauge railroad.[31] The dual tracks connected with a new steam powered franchise from 12th and Webster crossing onto the block bordered by 13th, 14th, Webster, and Franklin Streets.[32]. Although not stated the probable goal was once again to connect up with the Fallon Street route through the East Bay Hills to the Diablo Valley. The dual tracks were finished in June 1886. SPC locomotive No. 1 was hauled out Telegraph avenue by horse power to 36th Street where it began service between there and the State University at Berkeley.[33] The SPC never obtained a franchise to use steam power on Telegraph Avenue between Fourteenth Street and 36th Streets.

Passenger service on the Oakland Township Railroad began at the Alameda Mole then up Webster Street to Fourteenth and Franklin Streets. For those who wished to travel up Telegraph Avenue a change to the 3 foot gauge Carter Bros. built horsecars took them to 36th Street where they changed back to a train pulled by SPC No. 1. Freight car movements started at the 12th and Webster Streets yard built in January 1885.[34] From there horses would pull the cars up Telegraph to 36th Street where the steam engine would take them to destinations in Temescal.[35] From time to time Locomotive No. 1 would need servicing. Horses would again bring up a relief locomotive and take down No. 1. Although sometimes it looked to the observer that the engine was pushing the horse.[36]

The Oakland Township Railroad ceased as a corporation May 25, 1887 when it was consolidated into the South Pacific Coast Railway.[37] The Oakland Railroad continued on under the new ownership of the Pacific Improvement Company a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad.[38]


References

  1. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune January 7, 1881, page 3
  2. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune January 21, 1879, page 3
  3. ↑ Sacramento Daily Record-Union February 18, 1879, page 4
  4. ↑ Daily Alta California March 4, 1879, page 1
  5. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune April 19, 1879, page 1
  6. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune February 19, 1879, page 5
  7. ↑ Livermore Herald April 28, 1881, page2
  8. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune, November 25, 1879, page 3
  9. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune December 8, 1879, page 3
  10. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune December 8, 1879, page 2
  11. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune December 22, 1879, page 3
  12. ↑ Daily Alta California February 17, 1880, page 1
  13. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune March 7, 1880, page 1
  14. ↑ San Francisco Chronicle March 8, 1880, page 2
  15. ↑ Alameda Argus April 22, 1880, page 3
  16. ↑ Daily Alta California April 25, 1880, page 4
  17. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune May 27, 1881, page 5.
  18. ↑ Daily Alta California September 15, 1881, page 2
  19. ↑ Livermore Herald September 29, 1881, page 2
  20. ↑ Sacramento Daily Record-Union January 17, 1883, page 3
  21. ↑ Sacramento Daily Record-Union January 17, 1883, page 3
  22. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune February 9, 1883, page 3
  23. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune February 13, 1883, page 3
  24. ↑ San Francisco Chronicle November 13, 1883, page 5
  25. ↑ San Jose Herald November 20, 1883, page 3
  26. ↑ Daily Alta California August 21, 1885, page 4
  27. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune November 6, 1877, page 3
  28. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune February 4, 1886, page 3
  29. ↑ Daily Alta California November 22, 1886, page 1
  30. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune April 5, 1886, page 3
  31. ↑ San Francisco Chronicle February 10, 1886, page 4
  32. ↑ Daily Alta California February 25, 1886, page 8
  33. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune June 29, 1886, page 3
  34. ↑ Oakland Daily Evening Tribune January 30, 1885, page 3
  35. ↑ San Francisco Chronicle July 29, 1886, page 8
  36. ↑ Alameda Semi-Weekly Argus February 19, 1887, page 3
  37. ↑ Daily Alta California May 25, 1887, page 2
  38. ↑ Daily Alta California November 12, 1887, page 8


California / Common Carrier / South Pacific Coast Railroad

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