Missing From Chabot Canyon – Heimbold, MacDonald and Homes West of Roble Road

The previous presentation, “The Reyes-MacDonald Line”, introduced the early demarcation of Chabot Canyon in the mid-1880s. This 1892 Block Book map shows the property division: John Reyes, lots 3 and 4; John A. C. MacDonald, lots 5, 6 and 8; Julius Heimbold, lots 7, 9 and 10; and Ellen Chabot, lots 11 and 12.

L168-01-Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 1 of 33)

By 1912, John Reyes had taken possession of lot 6 from the MacDonalds, but aside from the family home at no. 6965 Chabot Rd., Reyes and family did not subdivide their land in the canyon for residential development.

L168-05-Thomas Block Book of Oakland, Courtesy Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library, (Image 2 of 33)

Returning to this 1935 north-oriented oblique aerial to summarize home identification, in contrast the Reyes, the MacDonalds built a family home on the north side of Chabot Rd. at no. 6973 and sold lots to the east, and the Heimbolds started selling off lots to the east of their border with Reyes on the south side of Chabot Rd. starting with nos. 7024 and 7034 as previously presented. This presentation will progress eastward, starting with the Heimbold property.

L168-10-HJW Geospatial Inc, Pacific Aerial Surveys, Oakland CA, Courtesy E. Bay Regional Park Distri, (Image 3 of 33)

To the east of nos. 7024 and 7034 was no. 7044, for which an original building permit, BP, could not be found. The WPA card indicates a build date of 1924, consistent with what will follow, and Oakland City records indicate that a permit to add a garage, BP 27796, was issued on Jan. 20, 1927 to owner WW Eadmont.

L168-15-Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 4 of 33)

To the east was no. 7058, although BP A51380 was listed in Oakland City records as being granted on Dec. 15, 1932 to owner and builder Jack C. Creagmile for a one-story, five-room home at no. 7054. There is no 1936 WPA card for that address, and the WPA card for no. 7058 indicates a six-room home. The BP A65589 granted to Creagmile on Dec. 9, 1936 for a one story shed lists the address as 7058 Chabot Rd.

L168-20-Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 5 of 33)

A south view of no. 7058 as it appeared in 1960 in a 1963 California Department of Public Works, Division of Highways, District IV document assessing the property for acquisition to build Highway 24. To the right or west, a small slice of no. 7044 is seen, the only ground image found that included that residence.

L168-25-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5525 , (Image 6 of 33)

A complimentary north view of no. 7058, again from 1960 from the District IV document. In the background, left, is the driveway for no. 7133, the Guy Hyde Chick House.

L168-30-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5525 , (Image 7 of 33)

Two pages from the District IV report on the assessment of the value of no. 7058 with the appraisal, left, and an insightful description of the property and its pluses and limitations, right.

L168-35-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5525, (Image 8 of 33)

The next home to the east was no. 7116 for which no ground images or the original building permit could be found. It is known that on May 19, 1937, BP A67695 was issued to R. Abernethy, owner, JJ Leeflang builder, for alterations and repairs. Another addition was made based on BP A93509 issued on October 28, 1941, with Abernethy listed as the owner and builder.

L168-40-Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 9 of 33)

Back to a detail of the 1935 north-oriented oblique aerial, the last three homes discussed are tagged, nos. 7044, 7058 and 7116.

L168-45-HJW Geospatial Inc, Pacific Aerial Surveys, Oakland CA, Courtesy E. Bay Regional Park Distri, (Image 10 of 33)

This three panel summary of the Heimbold property encompassing 1918 to 1923-4 of the homes on the south side of Chabot Rd. from no. 7024 through no. 7116 is presented here. The information is consistent with the information presented so far, and provides the names of earlier owners of the lots under discussion.

L168-50-Thomas Block Book of Oakland, Courtesy Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library, (Image 11 of 33)

The homes discussed so far are marked by red stars in this extracted section of addresses 6900 or greater with telephone numbers from the reverse directory of 1936. The blue stars indicate three homes presented in previous presentations. This list accounts for all 1936 WPA cards presented so far except for no. 6965. The red arrows indicate owners who built on the MacDonald property on the north side of Chabot Rd. to be reviewed next.

L168-55-Kelts' Geo. Directory, Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Dept, (Image 12 of 33)

First no. 7025 Chabot Rd., whose history indicates BP A2940 granted on Apr. 17, 1925 to Mrs. P. Kipke owner, JV Matteson builder, for a one-story, five-room home on the north side of Chabot Rd., 2000 feet east of Broadway. The WPA card only differs by the year assigned as 1924. No ground photos have been located.

L168-60-Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 13 of 33)

The WPA card for 7027 indicates a home with three rooms was built here in 1920. A building permit was found from May 1938, BP A72723, listing James Morse as the builder and owner for the addition of a garage. The 1920 census lists artist Selden Gile as the home owner, with the added description of his occupation as a bookkeeper for Tera Cotta Co. No ground photos have been found.

L168-65-Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 14 of 33)

According to Oakland City records, no. 7101 was built in 1929, BP A39123 granted to TM Hayes, owner, for a two-story, eight-room home, designed by architect Edwin Lewis Snyder, with builder Alfred L. Vezina, with a building cost of 11,000 dollars.

L168-70-Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 15 of 33)

Here no. 7101 is shown in a west view from 1931. This home was partially burned in the 1991 fire, but survives today along with no. 7133, the Chick House, as the only two pre-WWII structures east of Golden Gate Ave. still standing on Chabot Rd.

L168-75-Courtesy Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library, F-1031 , (Image 16 of 33)

To the east was no. 7111, listed as a six-room home built in 1920 on this WPA card. Oakland City records indicate BP 42406 was issued on June 19, 1916 for a 1-story, 4-room home to owner Lloyd E. Rabjohn, a furniture salesman, and CM Charman, builder. BP 43316 from Sept. 14, 1916 added a concrete garage, also by Charman. Both permits listed the home as North Side Chabot Rd., 1000 feet east of Brookside.

L168-80-Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 17 of 33)

No ground images of no. 7111 have been found, and the structure burned in the 1991 firestorm. It is the only empty lot not rebuilt on Chabot Rd. as shown in this north view from 2017. One further interesting tidbit is that Oakland records show that work was performed on the home starting Oct. 3, 1975, signed by Ms. Ruth Allison Logan. This brings us to the lot to the east ...

L168-85-Stuart Swiedler Photo, (Image 18 of 33)

The WPA card lists no. 7117 as being built in 1927 and composed of eight rooms. Permit records in Oakland indicate something more complex, starting with BP 42885 issued on Aug. 10, 1916 for a 1- story, 3-room structure with artist Maurice Logan as owner, and CM Charman, as builder, with an address as North Side Chabot Rd., 1000 feet east of Brookside. The 1920 census indicates a person Brockhurst, a real estate salesman, lived there as a renter, but other dates, 1918, 1924, and 1938 have Logan listed. No ground photos were found.

L168-90-Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 19 of 33)

While admiring this Logan picture looking south down Roble Rd., no. 7117 was enlarged several times by the Logans. On Oct. 29, 1920, BP 58301 was issued for a 1-story addition for 500 dollars by builder HS Pralt; on Dec. 29, 1922, BP 74608 was issued for an addition costing 1000 dollars, also built by HS Pralt; on May 12, 1925, BP A3917 with Pralt builder, this for an undisclosed 7000 dollar addition; and June 20, 1938, BP A73093, alteration and addition for 3000 dollars by Jensen and Petersen, builders, Newsom and Newsom, architects.

L168-95-Maurice Logan Picture, Courtesy Foster Goldstrom, (Image 20 of 33)

For completeness, the 1936 WPA card for no. 7133, the Guy Hyde Chick House, is presented. It has been covered in “Missing From Chabot Canyon - The Other Maybeck and its Neighbor”. It is here to note that the MacDonald property ended with no. 7117, and the Heimbold property on the north side of Chabot Rd. started here.

L168-100-Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 21 of 33)

To the east of no. 7133 was no. 7157, designed by Warren C. Perry for Chick’s brother-in-law and business partner, Frank Mott, Jr. Refer to an excellent article on their relationship and business activities by Daniella Thompson at http://berkeleyheritage.com/eastbay_then-now/guy_hyde_chick.html

L168-105-Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 22 of 33)

Looking at a northwest view from 1962, the reaction to locals would be that this home was 170 Roble Rd. where preeminent judge, Winton McKibben, was living from the 1960s until it burned in the 1991 firestorm. Indeed this is all true, but there is more to learn.

L168-110-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5668 , (Image 23 of 33)

The District IV summaries of comparable homes recently sold in Chabot Canyon circa 1962 can be aligned with the 1959 directory listing John W. Beckman living at no. 7157. This indicates the address changed to 170 Roble Rd. circa 1960-1961. BP 36025, dated Aug. 11, 1914, lists George M. Mott, Jr. as the owner and builder, Warren C. Perry as the architect of a two-story building costing $6000 to build. The address at that time was given as the north side of 59th, corner of Heimbold Road.

L168-115-Courtesy California Department of Transportation, 5668, (Image 24 of 33)

Going back to the 1935 north-oriented aerial, the last section covering the north side of Chabot Rd. from no. 7025 through no. 7157 included WPA cards for seven entries, but there are clearly less than seven seen within the orange-lined, boxed-in area. The five most easterly of the group can be assigned, appreciating that no. 7117 cannot clearly be discerned among the trees.

L168-120-HJW Geospatial Inc, Pacific Aerial Surveys, Oakland CA, Courtesy E. Bay Regional Park Distr, (Image 25 of 33)

Back to the 1936 reverse directory, the green stars indicate that six of the seven WPA cards can be accounted for, appreciating that a seventh may be unlisted. However, this list means that no. 7025 has to be in the 1935 aerial, so it would be the most easterly of the group. The area in doubt is to be the location of no. 7027.

L168-125-Kelts' Geo. Directory, Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Dep, (Image 26 of 33)

The block book of 1924 shows that there was a fair amount of land between no. 7025 and no. 7111. No. 7101 will fill the eastern part of that space, which would suggest no. 7027 should have been adjacent to the west, today’s spot for no. 7045.

L168-130-Thomas Block Book of Oakland, Courtesy Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library, (Image 27 of 33)

This Sanborn map circa 1950s-1960s indicates that the area between no. 7025 and no. 7111 has undergone revision several times, with nos. 7037 and 7045 added later. No. 7027 lines up with the east-side of the lot for no. 7045. A 1991 firestorm list from Oakland City noted permit BP A72723, May 26, 1938, for no. 7045, and the permit BP B36577, 1951 for no. 7037. An image after 1938, but before 1951 should confirm this. Recall that BP A72723 was noted to correspond to no. 7027 in L168-65.

L168-135-Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 28 of 33)

Indeed, this 1939 north-oriented vertical aerial shows another home next to 7101, consistent with it being no. 7045, the latter indicated by the red arrow. The space occupied between no. 7045 and no. 7025, yellow arrow, would coincide for the location of the original no. 7037, to be built in 1951. Ref: BUT BUU-289-66, Aug. 2, 1939

L168-140-USDA AAA Western Division Laboratories, Courtesy East Bay Municipal Utility District, Detai, (Image 29 of 33)

Selden Gile’s cabin painted by his Society of Six member Louis Siegriest in 1921 is the only known visual record of this structure. The Oakland Tribune of Feb. 5, 1923 reported that the cabin had neither a toilet or a bath, but it was the location of many weekend artist get-togethers. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Louis_Siegriest,_Gile%27s_House,_1921.jpg#filelinks

L168-145-Louis Siegriest Painting, from Wikipedia, Public Domain, (Image 30 of 33)

The exact position of the structure or structures on lot no. 7027 pre-1936 remains inconclusive. Chabot Canyon resident David Gowen thinks the Gile cabin was toward the back of the lot based on a Sanborn map that he provided shown here as an insert. The lot for no. 7027 has been pasted over, now showing a larger structure, but under the notation “R. 7027 Chabot” toward the back of the lot is a smaller structure that has been pasted over.

L168-150-HJW Geospatial Inc, Pacific Aerial Surveys, Courtesy EBRP and David Gowen, (Image 31 of 33)

For completeness, these block book images from 1918-1924 reflect the rapid transformation of the MacDonald property along Chabot Rd. after 1921. The green arrow points out the only activity along this stretch between 1918 and 1921, the transfer of no. 7111 from Lloyd E. Rabjohn to the O’Keefes.

L168-155-Thomas Block Book of Oakland, Courtesy Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library, (Image 32 of 33)

To end this section, the summary 1935 north-oriented aerial is presented to which identification of EBMUD facilities has also been added. Many thanks to Chabot Canyon residents David Gowen for sharing his research findings and Foster Goldstrom for his recollections of Chabot Canyon, and to Betty Marvin and Gail Lombardi for suggesting and providing Oakland City records and insight into other maps, census reports and directories.

L168-160-HJW Geospatial Inc, Pacific Aerial Surveys, Oakland CA, Courtesy E. Bay Regional Park Distr, (Image 33 of 33)