Facing east at the eastern end of Rockridge Curve, the straight corridor along Chabot Canyon ends at the Landvale Rd. overpass in the background in this east view from Aug. 25, 1949. Before reaching Lake Temescal, there is much history to consider related to families that deeded land for the SN right-of-way.
L27-01-Vernon Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 68146sn,
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This east view, circa 1911, shows the gates, crossbuck and grade crossing of Roble Road. There was no Roble family, and as “Quentin’s Guide” notes, the road is named for the Spanish word for deciduous oak. To many, however, the flag stop was called Heimbold. Here is why ...
Julius Heimbold was born in 1837 in Cospeda, Germany, and immigrated with his family to America in 1854, eventually arriving in San Francisco in 1863. He married Ellen Kerwin in 1864, and moved across the Bay to Oakland. They had 6 children. Ellen died in 1876, and Julius married Catherine Janssen Myerhoff in 1877 and they had 2 children.
L27-10-Courtesy Steven Heimbold and Eve Newell,
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Julius lived in Berkeley for a short while before settling on Franklin Street in Oakland, but for our story it is key to know that sometime between 1873 and 1888 he purchased from the Hibernia Savings and Loan Society two plots of land separated by Bench Rd. above the City of Oakland corresponding to plots numbers 9 and 10 in this survey map.
L27-15-Courtesy Steven Heimbold and Eve Newell,
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Around 1900, the Heimbolds began work on the 12-acre estate with the construction of a seed barn, left. Around 1907, the barn was converted into a house, right, probably as a result of building supplies being in short supply after the devastating 1906 earthquake. The house was called Oakbrae and stands 160 feet south of the Oakland-Berkeley city line, corresponding to 75 Roble and 65 Roble Road, the latter just 170 feet from the former. According to the Tax Assessor, 75 Roble was the only house on Roble Road that dates back to the early 1900s.
L27-20-Courtesy Steven Heimbold and Eve Newell,
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The barn behind the house on Roble Road originally stood at the Heimbold house on 1411 Franklin Street, and was moved according to an Oakland Tribune article from Nov. 6, 1955.
L27-25-Anonymous Donor,
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The 1929 Sanborn shows the barn on the east side of Roble Road as 65 1/2 Roble, presumably the barn in the image. According to records, the barn was still there in the 1950s, to be consumed by fire soon thereafter.
L27-27- Anonymous Donor,
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In this 1935 northeast view, the Oakbrae home is marked by the yellow arrow and the barn with the red arrow. Son Fred Heimbold and his wife Madge lived at 75 Roble from 1925 until 1936, then he is listed at 65 Roble, that house lost in the 1991 fire. He lived on Roble Road until his death in 1961, Madge until her death in 1968.
L27-30-HJW Geospatial Inc, Pacific Aerial Surveys, Oakland CA, Courtesy East Bay Regional Park Distr,
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Julius Heimbold, shown here from 1907, passed away on Aug. 13, 1909 at the age of 72, and was buried in Mountain View Cemetery. His legacy included “Heimbold & Co.” which graded roads, constructed sewer lines, built rock walls and provided landscape gardening. He had a close association with the College of California in Oakland, and later he and older brother Henry worked at a nursery in Strawberry Canyon responsible for trees planted on the UC Berkeley campus.
L27-35-Courtesy Steven Heimbold and Eve Newell,
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Although Julius never saw the railway, an additional contribution by his family was a deed of right-of-way through the property to the Oakland and Antioch Railway as indicated by Catherine Heimbold’s name from this mid-1920s map. Important to note the contribution of other families, the McDonalds and Ellen Chabot Bothin.
L27-40-Courtesy California Board of Equalization, 862-1-1D,
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This 1923 record lists daughter Anna Heimbold et al. as owner on adjoining property below the SN right-of-way. Note that Roble Road is also designated by its former name, Bench Rd.
L27-45-Thomas Bros Block Book of Oakland, Courtesy Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library,
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This composite of 1939 versus 1956 marks the SN Roble Road grade crossing at the yellow dot and documents the development of the area by the mid-1950s. Left, Ref. BUT-BUU-289-66 8/2/39; Right, Ref. G4364_B5_A4_1956_R6_no.117-2.
L27-50-USDA AAA Western Division, RM Towill, and Earth Science and Map Library, UC Berkeley,
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Now imagine viewing trains from the Heimbold flag stop. From circa 1950, SN 604 in stripes is framed from a west view approaching the grade crossing.
L27-55-Anonymous Donor,
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Moments later SN 604 has crossed the grade crossing, west view, circa 1950.
L27-60-Anonymous Donor,
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Last day of operation, west view Feb 28, 1957, SN 652 with freight and Birney car struggle up the 4.6 per cent grade to the crossing in a light rain. Note the warning "Private Crossing, Not for Public Use".
L27-65-EK Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 45018sn,
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A west view to Rockridge Curve from east of the Roble Rd. grade crossing from June 2, 1957 shows the right-of-way after removal of the catenary poles and wire, but just prior to removal of the rail.
L27-70-Vernon Sappers Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 68828sn,
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Now, turning 180 degrees, views of trains coming from the east. SN 1014 crosses the Roble Road grade crossing in 1940, east view, with the Landvale Road overpass in the background.
L27-75-Roy E. Covert Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 55654sn,
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Roy Covert came back in Sept. 1948 and captured a similar east view of SN 660 from a point slightly west of L27-75.
L27-80-Roy E. Covert Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 52060sn,
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Much evidence for the association of this corridor to a railroad is still evident looking west, left panel, or east, right panel, here standing just to the west of Roble Road. However, the overgrowth of vegetation has obscured the views from the SN days.
L27-85-Stuart Swiedler Photos,
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Coming down Roble Rd. from Berkeley ...
L27-90-Anonymous Donor,
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South view of the home. Special acknowledgement and appreciation to Heimbold family members Steven Heimbold and Eve Newell for their generosity supplying images, prepared text and information, to Gail Lombardi of the Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey for providing information from records residing at Oakland City Planning, and the staff of the Oakland History Room of the Oakland Public Library for providing source material and maps.