Oakland, the Story of a City

by Beth Bagwell

The long-awaited second edition of Oakland, The Story of a City faithfully replicates the entire original text and index, using new scans of the images, with better resolution. Erika Mailman, longtime Montclarion columnist, has contributed a 32-page Afterword, The City in a New Century, covering major Oakland events since the original publication, and incorporating 17 new images. Paperback

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Adult

323 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Ken-ichi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Supposedly the authoritative history of the city I've called home for over a decade, this book was certainly amusing and informative, but I have to say at the outset, the editing was horrendous. Typos were legion and punctuation seemed applied at random. If anyone from the Oakland Heritage Alliance is reading this, I hereby volunteer to give the third edition a re-read with a red pen (I'll do a better job than I do with my Goodreads reviews, promise).

The other thing this book could use is an expanded epilogue! The one in this edition is wonderful, but I desire more. There was no mention of Occupy Oakland, the Knowland Park debacle, Oscar Grant, etc. I guess you can't cover everything.

Some notes (well, two):

jute (n): a cheap fiber used for string and fabric produced from plants in the genus Corchorus.

On p. 4 Bagwell quotes one Piedro de Alberni, who, upon surveying the current site of San Francisco as a possible location for the Villa de Branciforte, supposedly called it "the worst place or location in California." It's almost too good to check, but I had to try because I am who I am. She cites Dwinelle's "The Colonial History of the City of San Francisco" ("Dwindle" in her citation, ugh), which quotes the good Don as describing SF thusly: "I am convinced that the worst place or situation in California is that of San Francisco for the establishment of such a villa." So, in addition to misspelling Dwinelle's name, she misquoted the work... but where is the original? Surely Don Piedro didn't write this letter in English, and I can't find this "California Archives, Vol. 1, Missions and Colonization, page 874." I went so far as to write the Bancroft Library asking for more information. My hope is that they will be so delighted that someone sought the services of a librarian to find information that they will leap at the chance to help. Somewhere someone is having a good laugh, but hope springs eternal. Insulting San Francisco must have a bulletproof citation!

Update

The library did respond! They said, "the original documents cited by Dwinelle, 'California Archives, Vol. 1, Missions and Colonization, page 874' in his publication 'The Colonial History of the City of San Francisco' went up in flames in the 1906 Earthquake and Fire (they were stored in City Hall which burned to the ground)." They went on to suggest this letter might be in some Mexican governmental archives they have on microfilm, and that while I was welcome to register as a researcher to access them, they are very poorly-organized and finding this letter would be "one very long and arduous research project."

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and well-written (though in need of a copy editor for some weird typos). I loved learning more about Oakland's past!

[Shomeret · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was reasonably well-written. I had no problems with it, but I'm not inclined to go into details about my reactions. I read it because I used to live in Oakland a long while back.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live in Oakland and relish these historical, true tales of my city. Required reading for all East Bay dwellers or visitors, especially as we watch the enormous changes happening today. It is good to walk around and sense the layers of development that a city presents--cultures lost and found, both good and bad.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was Ok considering it was a very white-centric & seemingly sexist/old fashioned in tone retelling of the history of Oakland. Better written otherwise with useful bread crumbs to follow for further research.

[Ross Miletich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent intro, but fairly shallow and definitely out of date. Glosses over much of the city’s history post-1930 when Oakland became the city it is today. Fine if you want a more-or-less cultural history of Oakland or are interested in ~1846-1905. Otherwise, seek better and more up to date volumes.

[Gretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an education. I loved the images and the landmarks that she used to orient the reader. A must read for those hoping to learn about this great city. Though the books was written in the mid-80s so it’s not up to date :)

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ASK ME ABOUT: the string of lights around lake merritt, why it’s called “temescal,” how the 1906 sf earthquake affected oakland, and fun facts about child labor. Before i forget everything!!

[Lindsay Dadko · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable read.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly readable!

[Nicole D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable and informative, with many excellent photos. Largely focused on the period from Oakland's founding, ca. 1849, to the early years of the 20th century, an earlier history of this city than most of us are aware of these days.

One thing I wanted to address: To paraphrase the author at the end of the book, post-WWII Oakland became, in people's minds, a "poster child" for urban problems, yet there was and is much more to the city than that.

Here is my take: In the WWII years, the industrial city of Oakland became a magnet for large numbers of people, including many black Americans, working in the war industry. Prior to the war, there had been only a tiny percentage of blacks in Oakland, but that event more than doubled the city's black population. It makes sense that strife, both racial and likely also due to overcrowding, was probably inevitable, given a change of such speed and magnitude. One also cannot discount the openly racist nature of American society at this time. Events then followed a pattern typical of that era, with those who could afford to move to the suburbs (the better-off segments of the white population) doing so, and those who could not remaining in the urban areas. Let me also say that one cannot discount the effects of America's history of slavery and its resultant economic effects. This is what lies behind the common perception of Oakland as nothing more than a place of urban blight.

[Stuart Woolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as I know, this is the only comprehensive history of Oakland out there. It was published 30 years ago but basically ends its coverage in the 1950s. Even then, its coverage of the 20th century reads more like a catalog of various technological advancements. The only part that is especially good or illuminating is the story of Oakland's founding and founder, Horace Carpentier. (Carpentier sold off parcels of the Peralta estate without ever owning the land himself, monopolized the waterfront, and charged a toll for the bridge crossing at the San Antonio Slough, the waterway between Lake Merritt and the Port of Oakland.)

I am guessing the author, Beth Bagwell, was not a professional historian, but rather, an active member of the local historical society. (Much of the history she covers pertains to historical structures, their addresses, and their preservation status.) She obviously wrote the book because there was a need for it - and it does serve that need - but a lot has happened in this city since 1982. But that's not to say this book simply needs to be updated: the definitive history of Oakland has yet to be written, and it will require more social history, more analysis, and more of a narrative arc.

[H Grimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should really be on every Oaklander's shelf, both natives and transplants. It really gives you a great overview on Oakland's origins and gives you a whole new perspective. The book is also readable and unbiased. However, it leaves you wanting more. Oakland's neighborhoods are all so unique, I would have loved to read more details on the history of each individual neighborhood. There's also not much depth on anything that happened post-WWII, including in the new edition that was just released that includes a new chapter on modern Oakland history. Oakland has a fascinating history and I hope someone hurries up and writes the missing pieces.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Agree with previous comments. The facts are really interesting, but it's not very well written and dry at times. Eg, they enumerate every church in the city and where it was first built, then where it moved when it got too big for its space, etc. but that may be the point of the book - to get all these facts down for posterity.

I especially enjoyed the sections on the railroad and the factories.

[Dian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love history books that really delve into a particular time and place. For anyone who wants to know about the past history of Oakland and indeed the Bay Area, this is the book. It's out of print and hard to find (my copy is borrowed) but I recommend it highly if you like local history.

[Richard Curry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book at DeLaurer's news stand at the Oakland Civic Center BART station 12th Street. Really helpful to read this book! Puts all around you in an historical context when you are in Oakland! Re-read in July 2014.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just about the only complete history of Oakland available, so I thought it was pretty good. It's not the most compelling book, but with no competition out there, it's the best!

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful read and fulfilling for this long-time san franciscan, who has worked the past 10 yrs in Oakland, to finally learn some of Oakland's history.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting facts, poorly written.

[tallulah · Rating 3 out of 5]

someday i will pretend i am a local