Moraga Avenue – 1954 Makeover

Extending the freeway south from Thornhill Drive to Ascot Drive was preceded in 1954 by the widening of Moraga Ave. and preparing a retaining wall for a exit ramp to Thornhill Drive. Southeast view, left, northwest view right, Sept. 23, 1953. Yellow arrow, Moraga Ave. and Mountain Blvd. intersection, white arrow, Montclair playground. Details of images.

L60-05-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 1 of 26)

Mountain Boulevard Unit 1 opened on Jan. 15, 1951, Unit 2 in Oct 1956 after transfer to State Division of Highways in mid-1954. Southeast view Feb. 1, 1956, left, northwest view right, Mar. 10, 1957. Yellow arrow, Moraga Ave. and Mountain Blvd. intersection, white arrow, road at level of fire station.

L60-10-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 4809-5, left, 5398-1, right, Details , (Image 2 of 26)

Preparations are being made to transform the previously leveled hill west of Moraga Ave. produced to facilitate construction of Unit 1. Note SN Thornhill Drive overpass in background. North view, circa early 1954.

L60-15-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 3 of 26)

The new retaining wall separating the freshly graded exit ramp from the widened Moraga Ave. are compete in this Nov. 11, 1954, north view. The SN Thornhill Drive overpass, SN right-of-way, and homes along Moraga Ave are now exposed. Frank Johnson’s images were from Oakland Public Works.

L60-20-Frank Johnson Photo, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 4 of 26)

A southeast view from Mar. 19, 1954 up Moraga Ave. from Thornhill Drive highlights the state of the area prior to building Unit 2. Almost a century earlier on Mar. 15, 1863, The Daly Alta California noted that Hiram Thorne was given permission by California Legislature to build a toll road.

L60-25-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 5 of 26)

The same southeast view from Nov. 11, 1954 showing the new retaining wall and widened Moraga Ave. Thorne’s Road connected the present Thornhill Dr. to Sobrante Rd. to Skyline, and then down Huckleberry Path into the north section of Canyon and his logging operation.

L60-30-Frank Johnson Photo, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 6 of 26)

The Montclair fire station, left, is the highlight of this southeast view up Moraga Ave from Mar. 19, 1954. Oakland City records confirm the 1927 building was designed by Eldred E. Edwards, draftsman in the Oakland Department of Public Works, not by Julia Morgan. The contract price was $18,900, with finishing touches, $22,826. The eucalyptus trees are said to have been planted by JH Medau.

L60-35-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 7 of 26)

Road widening and eucalyptus tree removal are now complete in the same southeast view from Nov. 11, 1954. A Montclarion account from 1970 states that JH Medau owned 500 acres from 1852 to about 1898 comprising what today is Montclair Village. First growing grain and hay, then 100 head of cows for dairy, the entire property sold circa 1898 for $130,000.

L60-40-Frank Johnson Photo, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 8 of 26)

The fire station and Montclair playground recreation center are obscured by eucalyptus in this north view from Bruns Drive, Mar. 19, 1954. The Recreation Center was built in 1939. City records do not identify an architect, and the cost of construction was $6,000.

L60-45-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 9 of 26)

Ahead to Nov. 11, 1954, and all is revealed in the same north view. Bruns Drive would soon be truncated by the freeway extension, forming Bruns Ct. to the west of the road, and an overpass would be built to allow easy access to the playground. See L60-10.

L60-50-Frank Johnson Photo, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 10 of 26)

This southeast view from Mar. 19, 1954 was taken toward central Montclair at the level of Montclair park and playground. The park was designed by Howard Gilkey, the city's landscape designer, and city records indicate it was completed in 1939 at a cost of $90,000.

L60-55-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 11 of 26)

The stone wall of the park and playground can be seen several months later in this southeast view, Nov. 11, 1954.  A plaque at the recreation center entrance to the park indicates that the stone walls and landscaping were developed as a WPA project.

L60-60-Frank Johnson Photo, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 12 of 26)

Further south, an east view of Montclair Village from Mar. 19, 1954 showing Medau Place, the Pay Less Grocery Market lot filled by cars and the SN right-of-way in the distance. Today, the Lucky Supermarket would obscure this view.

L60-65-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 13 of 26)

Same scene, east view, now Nov. 11, 1954 and the four lanes of Moraga Ave. are complete. Continuing on the Medau family, there were ten children, the last being Henry, who died in San Leandro at age 90 in 1970. The family home was 40 feet from the duck pond in the park, and one of the barns was where Lucky sits today.

L60-70-Frank Johnson Photo, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 14 of 26)

A northwest view at Moraga Ave. and Medau Pl., Mar 19, 1954. The sign to the northeast, behind the Pay Less lot indicates “Montclair Playground, Oakland Recreation Department”.

L60-75-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 15 of 26)

By Nov. 11, 1954, four lanes of traffic and a much more tidy Pay Less lot in this northwest view.

L60-80-Frank Johnson Photo, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 16 of 26)

Further south to the La Salle intersection in this northwest view from Mar. 19, 1954. The heavy traffic obscures most of the businesses, save Signal Gasoline.

L60-85-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 17 of 26)

A much better view of the same scene, northwest view, Nov 11, 1954, and now the stores become visible. Better to come, next ...

L60-90-Frank Johnson Photo, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 18 of 26)

Back to Mar. 19, 1954, northwest view, and now starting from the northeast corner, the Siena Deli, Montclair Donuts, Simons Cleaning Center and Ray Smith Co. Realtors come into full view. None of these businesses can be found at these locations in 2013.

L60-95-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 19 of 26)

Ahead to Nov. 11, 1954, northwest view, and a more complete view of Siena Delicatessen. This retail space will later become Crogan’s Montclair Restaurant and Bar.

L60-100-Frank Johnson Photo, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 20 of 26)

To complete this section, several images related to the Moraga Ave makeover. Here a northwest undated “pre” shot showing the path between the Pay Less lot and the park marked as “This is not a street”. Based on previous updates, however, it may have served as one in 1939, although maps from that era do not provide a name.

L60-105-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 21 of 26)

A few images “during” rather than “before“ or “after” are also important for documentation, so here in a northwest image is the construction of Moraga Avenue north of Medau Pl. from mid-1954.

L60-110-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 22 of 26)

Further north, a northwest view from mid-1954 during the construction of the retaining wall that will eventually separate the road from the freeway exit off-ramp.

L60-115-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 23 of 26)

A west view of the same scene, mid-1954, showing the retaining wall and construction of Mountain Boulevard Unit 2 in progress.

L60-120-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 24 of 26)

It would be remiss not to address that Moraga Avenue was and still is a path to Moraga from central Oakland, hence its original name, Moraga Road. This west view from Sept 23, 1953 starts at the SN right-of-way, lower right edge, and continues up the hill past Estates Dr., Masonic Ave., and Harbord Dr.

L60-125-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department , (Image 25 of 26)

Finally, much of Moraga Ave. west of the freeway sits in or borders Piedmont, here seen in a northeast view above Blair Park, with Scenic, Alta, Bell and Blair Avenues all established, Sept. 23, 1953. Many additional thanks to Gail Lombardi, Betty Marvin and the Oakland History Room for vital details in this section.

L60-130-Public Works Photos, Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey, Oakland City Planning Department, (Image 26 of 26)