History Of Oakland City

The history of Old Oakland begins in the late 1860’s, when the Transcontinental Railway opened its western terminus in Oakland, on Third Street near Broadway. This event marked the beginning of the move of the City’s central district away from the waterfront, and northward along Broadway. The prosperity brought by the Railway began a cycle of growth for Oakland which resulted in the commercial hub of the City being firmly established at Ninth Street and Broadway by 1877.

During the late 1800s Old Oakland was the place to be. It was in this neighborhood that City parades began and ended. Old Oakland was home to the City’s best hotels (boasting the luxury of grand ballrooms and “modern,” semi-detached washroom corridors), offices, stores and elegant restaurants. The neighborhood could offer the prosperous businessman prime property, grand shops, a thriving fresh-food market, and the most modern amenities. Old Oakland became home to fine established businesses operated by wealthy entrepreneurs.