Before the Freeway – The Shelter, Hamilton’s Market and the East Side of Broadway Terrace 1941

This undated south view shows the SN Terrace Station, composed of the shelter and sign. In earlier years, the station was known as Wickson. Who was Wickson?

L29-05-Norman Smith Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archive, 56022sn , (Image 1 of 18)

This circa 1920s map indicates that GG Wickson provided land to the railway in Oct 1911. The 1920 census lists George Guest Wickson as a builder, 62 years old, living with his wife Mary, 60 years old.  The 1921 directory also lists him as a builder, and the 1925 directory as a real estate man living at 22 Glenwood Glade.

L29-10-Courtesy California Board of Equalization 862-1-1D , (Image 2 of 18)

City records show that George and Mary built the house at 22 Glenwood Glade in 1921. Building permit #60011 lists Mary Wickson as the owner consistent with this 1924 Block Book image, and George Wickson as the builder.  The house is described as a 1 1/2 story, 7 room dwelling at the junction of Broadway Terrace and Glenwood Glade, and the cost of construction was $6000. Note on the map that George Wickson also owned property to the south.

L29-15-Thomas Block Book of Oakland, Courtesy Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library, (Image 3 of 18)

George Wickson also owned land adjacent to the west of the right-of-way. Originally, Broadway Terrace was blocked by the railway berm. This map shows that Wickson owned the land that provided access to the grade crossing, later to serve as the on-ramp for the Warren Freeway. See “Broadway Terrace Mystery 1936” Landmark for more.

L29-20-Thomas Block Book of Oakland, Courtesy Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library, (Image 4 of 18)

A view above Broadway Terrace during the Broadway Low Level Tunnel construction circa 1937 from Campi House at Sheriden Road, white arrow, to the SN overpass, yellow arrow, and station shelter, orange arrow. Roads on the east side of the right-of-way marked with dots: Landvale Rd., blue; Glenwood Glade, red; Pinewood Rd., green; Caldwell Rd., white; Monzal Ave., purple; Mountain Blvd, turquoise.

L29-25-CALTRANS Legal Division, Courtesy Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library , (Image 5 of 18)

This undated east view down Broadway Terrace shows the SN overpass and shelter. Completion of the overpass was announced on Sep. 22, 1936, and this image appears to show a recently completed project relative to changes evident by 1941 in L29-40 to follow.

L29-30-Photo by Jenkins, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 6 of 18)

A detail from L29-30 shows the Full Value Market at 772 Landvale, building permit #A51989 from April 14, 1933 with P.G. Steccone as the owner and builder. This specific name was only associated with the market in 1936. Twenty-two Glenwood Glade sits prominently above the market.  The Wicksons lived there through 1930, and daughter Lucille and Walter Woolpert lived there from 1934 until at least 1967. George Wickson died in 1939.

L29-35-Photo by Jenkins, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, Detail , (Image 7 of 18)

This east view was taken on Jul. 23, 1941, about three weeks after the cessation of SN passenger service. The earliest available records lists Hamilton’s Market at 772 Landvale as of 1940, but Charles P. Hamilton and Edward R. Murphy, both formerly of the Continental Baking Company in Berkeley, occupy the market by 1938.

L29-40-Photo by Jenkins, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 8 of 18)

Once east of the overpass, a sign confirming the Hamilton name is now associated with the market. East view, Jul. 23, 1941. More background. The 1934 and 1935 directories list Peter G. Steccone as a grocer at 772 Landvale, and John D. Roonan as "meats" at 772 Landvale. Steccone took out a second permit #A67630, dated May 12, 1937, for alterations and repairs.

L29-45-Photo by Jenkins, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 9 of 18)

Moving further east of the previous image, Broadway Terrace from a west view, Jul. 23, 1941. More history, Steccone shows up on an alteration permit in 1941, and in 1959 he is making repairs for the drug store at 6769 Broadway Terrace.  A freight elevator and cement floor in the basement were added in 1944, and new sign permit applied for Hamilton’s Market in 1965.

L29-50-Photo by Jenkins, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 10 of 18)

Close-up of L29-50 with all those great signs on the building, and cars parked outside. An acknowledgment to Bear Photo Service for many of the images that have been displayed on this website. In 1970, Arthur and Evelyn Occelli, who ran the market, and their partner John Penna took out a permit to demolish both the one story store and the gas station on the lot.  Atlantic Richfield built a new gas station in 1970, and the partners built a new market.

L29-55-Photo by Jenkins, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, Detail, (Image 11 of 18)

The mystery surrounding Hamilton’s Market relates to its listing in the Oakland Phone Directory as 772 Landvale Road until 1947, and as 6773 Broadway Terrace thereafter. Both addresses appear in this 1951 Sanborn map. However, one permit indicates that 772 Landvale was changed to 6773 Broadway Terrace between 1941 and 1942.

L29-60-Sanborn Map, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 12 of 18)

Charles Chapman of Duncan Way noted that the market never moved, confirmed by this triptych of east views. The most obvious changes are the presence of the sign above the market and the darker shade of paint on 22 Glenwood Glade in 1936. The 1941 image is a detail from a Charles Savage photo.

L29-65-Courtesy Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department and Tom Gray , (Image 13 of 18)

Craig Sundstrom provided a missing piece from the 1924 Block Book tying together L29-15 and 20. His annotated red lines mark the revision of Broadway Terrace from 1936 that obliterated Quercus Court and provided the market with sides facing Landvale Road and Broadway Terrace, respectively. The tiny remnant of Landvale Road vanished for good in 1951 during freeway construction.

L29-70-Courtesy Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library , (Image 14 of 18)

All of the above can be summarized in this Eston Cheney west view documenting the rerouting of the east side of Broadway Terrace around the Full Value Market in 1936, eliminating the road with the Key buses, and expanding the former Quercus Ct., the latter requiring the culverting of Temescal Creek. Special thanks to John Bosko for this image.

L29-75-Eston Cheney Photo D-9120, Courtesy John Bosko, (Image 15 of 18)

Lining up L29-75 with L29-50 provides a concise before-and-after view of the east side of Broadway Terrace. The additions made to the original market, the addition of the of the SN overpass, and the fence demarcating the paired-back, externalized creek highlight the 1941 image. Lower photo by Jenkins, courtesy of Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey.

L29-80-Eston Cheney Photo, Courtesy John Bosko and Public Works, Oakland City Planning, (Image 16 of 18)

A composite summary of the changes to Broadway Terrace in 1936 that rerouted the road under the SN and straightened the portion to the east.

L29-85-Thomas Block Book of Oakland, Courtesy Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library, (Image 17 of 18)

This east view, Jul. 23, 1941, shows the intersection of Pinewood and Landvale, today approximating Pinewood and the entrance to Highway 13. The house in this image remains, but events tied to the loss of Landvale and appearance of the freeway were already in motion. Much appreciation to Gail Lombardi and Betty Marvin of the Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Craig Sundstrom, Charles Chapman, John Bosko and the team at the Oakland History Room.

L29-90-Photo by Jenkins, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 18 of 18)