1951 Panoramic Views and 1st Ave. Clear Out

Progress on the Frickstad Viaduct construction into 1951 begins with a set of images taken on Apr. 17, 1951. Not much had advanced on the project relative to the previous update showing images through 1950. However, several interesting aspects of the area are revealed starting with this southwest view from 12th St. and Fallons St. All the space from the right margin to the row apartments on the south side of 10th St. between Fallon and Oak Sts. will be the site of the future Oakland Museum or California, OMCA. All these apartments survive into 2025.

L333-05-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 235953ov, (Image 1 of 19)

The camera now shifts to the west, and a view from the Oakland Civic Auditorium. The lawn in the foreground, and all of Fallon St. between 10th and 12th Sts., will become OMCA in the late-1960s. 11th St. will be tunneled under Oak St. and the new museum. The buildings on the west side of Oak St. between 10th and 12th Sts. remain in 2025 except for the apartment building on the northwest corner with 11th St., red arrow. For the moment, this area was not affected by the Viaduct construction, and the empty lot seen here would become a parking lot.

L333-10-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 235962ov, (Image 2 of 19)

From the same vantage point of the Oakland Civic Auditorium, shifting further to the northwest, the cluster of buildings along Fallon St. across from the courthouse will remain in place until OMCA is built. More about OMCA in the next update. The view here shows that creation of the eastbound lanes of the new road has not started. The Key tracks remain, although the overhead wire is gone.

L333-15-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 235982ov, (Image 3 of 19)

Yet another view pointed more to the north with no other construction visible.

L333-20-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 236008ov, (Image 4 of 19)

Views along the wall of the new westbound lanes, west, left, and east, right, on Apr. 17, 1951 are displayed here. Interesting that there are still no lane markers on the new road one half year after its opening.

L333-25-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 235954ov, l, 235955ov, r, (Image 5 of 19)

Back on the roof of the Oakland Civic Auditorium, this north view of Lake Merritt shows no further construction in progress.

L333-30-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 236007ov, (Image 6 of 19)

Finally, this northeast view from the same roof shows visible change on the north side of 12th St. just to the east of Lakeshore Ave. A detail follows.

L333-35-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 236002ov, (Image 7 of 19)

The detail of the previous northeast view shows the corner gas station and the store on the east side of the billboards are gone.

L333-40-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 36010ov, (Image 8 of 19)

As a reminder, this northwest view from late 1950 shows the gas station still intact. The combination of an orange license plate, and the absence of overhead wires from the Key System poles dates the image.

L333-45-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 237043ov, (Image 9 of 19)

This amusing west view showing the details of the two billboards also documents the date based on cars having dark license plates, and Key tracks with no overhead wires marking it as sometime in 1951, prior to the panoramic image shown from Apr. 17 of that year.

L333-50-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 237044ov, (Image 10 of 19)

Good reason Merritt Upholstering at nos. 1221-1223 1st Ave. is having a sale as seen in this north view, as the building will very soon be history, again from early 1951. The building providing three apartments to the left or west of the store, nos. 1217-1219 1st Ave. is already been removed by this time.

L333-55-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 237042ov, (Image 11 of 19)

Back to Apr. 17, 1951, and R. B. Montgomery is going to move this house at nos. 1223-1225 1st Ave. as it is also in the way of the planned Viaduct. The house to the right or east of this one, nos. 1237-1243 1st Ave., is already gone by this date. From the gas station until this house are only a portion of the 28 properties removed primarily to widen the entire south side of E. 12th St. from 1st Ave. to one-half block east of 2nd Ave., a tangential slice to accommodate increased traffic flow. This will be more apparent in the next update.

L333-60-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 235958ov, (Image 12 of 19)

This southwest view from the beginning of E. 14th St., International Blvd. in 2025, shows that several lots to the east of the house at nos. 1223-1225 have already been cleared. Note the Key tracks heading onto this street are still present on this Apr. 17, 1951 date.

L333-65-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 235957ov, (Image 13 of 19)

The Sanborn Maps from 1950, left, and 1952, right, show the extent of house and commercial building removal on the west side of 1st Ave. as part of the Viaduct project.

L333-70-Sanborn Map Company, 1911 - Nov 1950 Vol. 2, Panel 199, l, 1911 Republished 1952 Vol.2 , Panel 199, r, (Image 14 of 19)

Next to jump ahead to Aug. 16, 1951, and this northwest view from the Oakland Civic Auditorium roof shows the initial phase of creating the new eastbound lanes of the Viaduct by removing part of the land bordering the south side of that building.

L333-75-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 235946ov, (Image 15 of 19)

Turning to the north from the same vantage point on the same date, further early construction is revealed on the south side of the road across the dam …

L333-80-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 237039ov, (Image 16 of 19)

… and even further north now showing one of the major underpasses being constructed.

L333-85-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 235951ov, (Image 17 of 19)

The major activity, however, is at the east end of the dam. The west side of 1st Ave. reviewed previously is all cleared, as has been the east side. This east section will be the major focus of the next update. The panorama on the left has red arrows marking the railroad track used by Peralta Playland, the small amusement park along the channel between Lake Merritt and the estuary next to the Auditorium from 1950 – 1968. The detail on the right from a similar panorama shows the tail end of one of the trains. The green arrow points to the underpass at Lakeshore Ave. being constructed.

L333-90-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 235947ov, l, 2370390v, r, (Image 18 of 19)

This west view from Aug. 16, 1951 shows a detail of the underpass under Lakeshore Ave. being constructed. Appreciation to Betty Marvin for the preservation and donation of the images.

L333-95-Oakland Public Works Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 237039ov, (Image 19 of 19)