Shafter Avenue Architecture I – Hudson to College

The reconstruction of Shafter Ave. begins where old meets new, where the only evidence of old is at our feet. Northeast view, Shafter just west of its Forest St. intersection. Unfortunately, the asphalt was resurfaced in 2018.

L9-05-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 1 of 25)

A northeast view of Shafter Ave., circa 1950. The asphalt now supports a SN 604-led freight. The houses behind the parked auto, left, on the north side of Shafter Ave., east of Forest St., have been replaced by the BART lot. The large palm trees and the Chimes Theater were landmarks in this neighborhood.

L9-10-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray , (Image 2 of 25)

Prior to the building of Highway 24 and BART in the 1960s, this map from the 1920s reveals that Shafter Avenue ran straight from Hudson across College as it curved to approximate the approach of current Miles Avenue to the northeast of the BART station. Much more on this later ...

L9-15-Courtesy California Board of Equalization, 862-1-1E, (Image 3 of 25)

A southwest oriented aerial view from April 8, 1953 shows the area to be discussed in this update. Private homes from Hudson St., along the top, to College Ave., along the bottom, along the glistening rails of Shafter Ave.

L9-20-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3301-16, Detail, (Image 4 of 25)

A further detail of the southwest oriented aerial view from April 8, 1953, demarcating Hudson St., along the top, to Forest St., along the bottom. Other than changes made by the homeowners to the properties, the private homes on this block remain largely intact.

L9-25-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3301-16, Detail, (Image 5 of 25)

Here is the starting point, the west intersection of Hudson St. and Shafter Ave. The slice of a home along the right edge is venerable no. 5380, the large Victorian landmark from 1895. Many SN rail photos included homes, providing useful period information in the background. SN 661 and 603-led freight, east view, circa 1950.

L9-30-Tom Gray Photo, Courtesy Tom Gray , (Image 6 of 25)

East of the Shafter and Hudson intersection, northeast view. The block contains a mixture of Craftsman bungalows, Victorians and a few Mediterraneans. The house on the immediate left has an added first floor relative to images to follow.

L9-35-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 7 of 25)

Same place and northeast view, only it is 1948 and the SN Birney car 62 has made its way from Sacramento to Oakland.

L9-40-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, (Image 8 of 25)

Moments later, SN 603 has stopped to accept the cameras of an admiring legion of rail fans anticipating the arrival of the Birney car. The house to the left of SN 603 is no. 5417, but may look a bit different since this was about a half-century before another story was added from below. Northeast view, 1948.

L9-45-Arthur Lloyd Photo, Courtesy Arthur Lloyd, (Image 9 of 25)

By the number of images found documenting this occasion, there truly must have been a crowd at this site. Another image here for the record. Northeast view, 1948.

L9-50-Courtesy Reginald McGovern, (Image 10 of 25)

MW 302 during the BAERA-sponsored Sept. 12, 1948 railfan excursion stopped by this typical Shafter Victorian on the north side between Forest and Hudson, no. 5455, southwest view. The lattice over the windows is gone today, but could lead one to believe that this is actually no. 5429 to the west.

L9-55-Walt Vielbaum Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 133549sn, (Image 11 of 25)

But the house in the previous image has to be no. 5455, as this southwest view, same date and excursion with MW 302, points more south to reveal the home next to it, and the palm tree on the south side in the front yard of no. 5442, today the tallest kid on the block!

L9-60-Fred Matthews Photo, Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch., 91469sn, (Image 12 of 25)

A circa 1950 northeast view up Shafter at the intersection with Forest reveals MW 302 and the signature palm trees during an excursion. These big corner palms did not outlast the SN, documented by their absence in the 1953 aerial. Familiar in ths view are no. 5467 along the left edge, and the home below the Chimes Theater sign is no. 350 Forest St.

L9-65-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archive, 52445sn, (Image 13 of 25)

A little further to the northeast, this northeast image circa 1952 of a SN 661-led freight provides details of the home, no. 5601, at the northeast end of the intersection with Forest St. This home would be removed to provide space for the Rockridge BART parking lot. Next to show what has been wiped off the map.

L9-70-Norman Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum, 52448sn, (Image 14 of 25)

This southwest-oriented aerial view from April 8, 1953 provides the section to be completed next, the homes along the SN between Forest St. and College Ave. More information is available in the following annotated copy.

L9-75-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3301-16, Detail, (Image 15 of 25)

This annotated version of a southwest-oriented aerial view from April 8, 1953 shows enclosed by the orange broken line all the structures on Shafter Ave., College Ave. and Miles Ave. removed to build Highway 24, BART and the BART lot. Unrelated to that process, the set of structures marked by the green arrow no longer exist as well. Finally, the area within the yellow circle is where Temescal Creek and Harwood Creek had once come together in an expanse, greatly diminished by culverts by 1953, but still exposed under the trees pictured.

L9-76-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3301-16, Detail 3301-16, (Image 16 of 25)

MW 302 on a circa 1950 excursion passes the home on the northwest corner of Shafter Ave. and Forest St., no. 5601, with a portion of no. 5605 in view. The car in the driveway in this northeast view will serve as a marker for the next image.

L9-80-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum, 98562sn , (Image 17 of 25)

Another view, here to the southwest, of MW 302 on a circa 1950 excursion. The car in driveway marks the location.

L9-85-Insley Brain Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum, 76623sn, (Image 18 of 25)

A better view of the second home from the corner, and the third one, no. 5609, as SN 654 with freight inches us closer to College Ave. circa 1950, southwest view.

L9-90-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 161832sn , (Image 19 of 25)

The white structure with the terra cotta roof is a garage for no. 5611 that sat to the east of no. 5609. This southwest view with MW 302 from a Northern California Railroad Club excursion on Oct. 24, 1954 also shows that the palm trees at the northwest intersection of Shafter and Forest have been removed.

L9-95-Courtesy Charles Smiley, (Image 20 of 25)

A further tour down Shafter is provided in this southwest view of a SN 1014-led three-car train taken just west of the Shafter-College intersection. It was also the last day of Sunday passenger service, June 29, 1941.

L9-100-David Merrill Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archive, 18824sn , (Image 21 of 25)

Next viewed to the northeast, SN 661 closes in on an auto parked perilously close to the warning line painted on the street. Undated, north view, circa 1947 based on small 661 numerals in the presence of striped pattern on motor. The license plates are consistent with 1947.

L9-105-Roy E. Covert Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archive, 55333sn, (Image 22 of 25)

Back to a southwest image, SN 1005 is about to pass the 3rd and 4th homes until the commercial structures began on the north side of Shafter Ave., circa 1941. The building housing the Bank of America is seen along the left edge.

L9-110-Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum, 64871sn, (Image 23 of 25)

A rare east view at the backside of the Bank of America on the south side of Shafter, and the edge of the last home on the north side of Shafter as SN 1005 leads another excursion to the 40th Street terminus in 1956.

L9-115-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archive, 54979sn, (Image 24 of 25)

One additional glimpse of Shafter Ave. and an additional slice of the 3rd home until the commercial structures began on the north side during a 1956 excursion with SN 1005 and Salt Lake and Utah Parlor car 751.

L9-120-Dave Gumz Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archive, 55125sn, (Image 25 of 25)