Rockridge Panoramas and the Berkeley Rim

The SN never entered Berkeley, but it got very close. This update will highlight the border with Oakland from railway-centric ground images. Northeast view, Apr. 8, 1953.

L66-05-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3300-41, Detail, (Image 1 of 21)

To start, a west view of the trestle spanning the section of the future Chabot Elementary School, prior to any significant road development in Chabot Canyon. The assigned date of the plate glass negative of 1913 could not be independently confirmed as the numbering of Eston Cheney photos has not been deciphered.

L66-10-Eston Cheney Photo, L-578B, Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, WRM Archives, 24121sn, (Image 2 of 21)

One Oakland note to start, with details from L66-10 to the west, of the area along Chabot Road, enclosed by Harwood Ave. and Ross Circle. This was the domain of John Ross Browne, writer, government employee, and champion of human rights. It was there he built his home, Pagoda Hill, in the mid-20th century, to which many locals still call this location.

L66-15-Eston Cheney Photo, L-578B, Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, WRM Archives, 24121sn, Detail, (Image 3 of 21)

The homes along the Oakland-Berkeley border were prominent parts of images taken of the railway. Here, a west view of the homes along Eucalyptus Rd., preceding right to left, starting with no. 32, the three story white house, center, an empty lot to the left, now no. 36, and the sprawling no. 40 to its left, and so on.

L66-20-Eston Cheney Photo, L-578B, Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, WRM Archives, 24121sn, Detail, (Image 4 of 21)

Further up to Hillcrest Rd., the west view with nos. 170, 166, and so on, preceding right to left, respectively.

L66-25-Eston Cheney Photo, L-578B, Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, WRM Archives, 24121sn, Detail, (Image 5 of 21)

This southwest view circa 1927 was taken just below the closest point on the Berkeley rim to the SN, where Hillcrest Rd. ends. Note Chabot Elementary School, completed in 1927, and its coexistence with the trestle and railway yard, both soon to be eliminated. An assist from Dina Weinshelbaum, correctly identifying her home at 6306 Roanoke Rd. in the foreground.

L66-30-Louis J Bradas Collection, Courtesy BAERA, WRM Archives, 68177sn, (Image 6 of 21)

Ahead to 1935, the trestle along the school has been filled in with dirt, to be discussed in “Origins of the Chabot School Berm”, and only a single spur track remains from the adjacent SN yard. The upper section of Roanoke Rd., just past the school, is still relatively wide open, and provides a view of the hill area where the previous image was taken.

L66-35-HJW Geospatial Inc, Pacific Aerial Surveys, Oakland CA, Courtesy East Bay Regional Park Distr, (Image 7 of 21)

This north view of SN 1014 and trailer from 1941 passing Chabot Elementary School shows the rear sections of the homes on the south side of Hillcrest Rd., starting at the top left or west edge of the image. The large home adjacent to the top of the catenary-telephone pole just to the left of SN 1014 is no. 214, the lodge of the Claremont Club, built in 1914.

L66-40-Vernon Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 68152sn4, (Image 8 of 21)

Moving eastward, this northeast view from Feb. 18, 1940 with a three-car train about to pass the school has the Roanoke Rd.-Chabot Rd. intersection placed centrally. No. 214 is seen to the left of the latter, while to the right, the home on the top of the hill above Rockridge Curve to the east is no. 280 Hillcrest Rd. The foreground shows the spur that originated at the Patton St. grade crossing, a subject to be presented in detail later.

L66-47-Ted Wurm Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 51722sn, (Image 9 of 21)

A final north view of the school also reveals the border below the top row of homes on Hillcrest Rd, serving as a backdrop to this 1942 image of the Deep Creek Railroad coach sitting on the now unused spur. More on the connection of this defunct Utah railroad car and the spur to be found in “Spur Stories II -Decline and the Deep Creek Coach.”

L66-50-Ralph Demoro Photo, Courtesy John Harder, 24438, (Image 10 of 21)

Next, a series of north-facing panoramic views from Broadway of long freight trains. The views clearly delineate the Oakland-Berkeley border running left to right. In this view from Feb. 28, 1939 with a four-car passenger train, no. 214 Hillcrest is prominently displayed toward the center-right portion of the image.

L66-55-Wilbur C Whittaker Photo, Courtesy Arnold Menke, (Image 11 of 21)

Now jumping to ca. 1950. The angle from this north view is aimed more west than the previous image. The bottom set of rear stairs of No. 214 Hillcrest are visible slightly closer to the right edge than in the last image. The architect for the structure was Charles Kaiser Sumner, also known earlier in life as Charles Sumner Kaiser.

L66-60-Don Olson Photo, Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch., 82339sn, (Image 12 of 21)

Fairly similar to L66-55, the camera has shifted more to the east relative to the last image. Kaiser flipped his middle and last names after negative sentiment against Germans developed during WWI, although he was born Pennsylvania in 1874.

L66-65-Victor B DuBrutz Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 51723sn , (Image 13 of 21)

This north view from 1956 with another long freight shifts slightly further east, but the big change is the removal of the trees shielding no. 214 Hillcrest Rd., making the homes around it more visible. Sumner had a connection with Stanford and Yosemite. Recommended reading at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_K._Sumner

L66-70-Dave Gumz Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 55847sn, (Image 14 of 21)

There is no doubt that this northeast image was taken from Broadway, just east of the overpass of Golden Gate Ave. MW 302 is seen at the trestle over Chabot Rd. on a BAERA-sponsored excursion of Sept 12, 1948. At the right edge above Rockridge Curve is no. 280 Hillcrest Rd., the lone home at the end of the isolated segment of Hillcrest Rd., the Berkeley home closest to the SN.

L66-75-Charles Bycraft Coll., Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch., 129251sn, (Image 15 of 21)

Behind this three-car train led by SN 1010 ca. 1940, the two featured homes stand out prominently in this northeast view. Completed in 1925, UC Berkeley-trained architect William R. Yelland designed no. 280 for Capt. and Mrs. Edwards, the latter the daughter of the Hind family that lived at 208 the Uplands. Peter Jenny noted that the upper half of this home burned in the 1991 fire, and was restored. Read more at http://www.margarettamitchell.com/Whats%20New/newsletter0511.html

L66-80-Paul Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 107998sn, (Image 16 of 21)

This west view of SN 654 and freight swinging around Rockridge Curve, may suggest that the homes on the El Camino Real cul-de-sac were closer to the SN than no. 280 Hillcrest Rd., the latter hidden by trees toward the left side of the image.

L66-85-J.C. Strong Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 159568sn , (Image 17 of 21)

This 1956 north-oriented aerial shows that no. 280 was much closer, orange arrow, than its eastward neighbors. Ref: G4364_B5_A4_1956_R6_no.116-2v.2

L66-90-RM Towill Photo, Courtesy Earth Sciences and Map Library, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 18 of 21)

Further into Chabot Canyon, nothing else in Berkeley came closer, the homes on the south side of Roble Rd. at the border being closest in that section. As this ca. 1950s north view of the rear of a freight shows, trees shielded many of the homes, although the EBMUD Chemical Laboratory was always in view.

L66-95-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 159569sn, (Image 19 of 21)

Lastly, the search for a photo taken next to a home on the Berkeley rim showing the SN came up with one example, that being 186 Hillcrest Rd. That home can be seen in this northeast view from Apr. 8, 1953, but you should look at the next image before you try to figure out where to look

L66-100-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3300-15, Detail, (Image 20 of 21)

The home at 186 Hillcrest Rd. was built in 1910, and has been maintained as it appears here in this undated southeast view. The SN trestle can be seen along the west flank.

L66-105-Eston Cheney Photo H-2140, Courtesy John Bosko, John Bosko Collection , (Image 21 of 21)