East Bay Yesterday

Idora Park was much more than just the largest amusement park that ever existed in Oakland. Developed by real estate moguls who also owned a network of electric streetcars, this “mecca of pleasure seekers” played a significant role in the development of the East Bay, especially after the park sheltered thousands of refugees following San Francisco’s devastating 1906 earthquake. Idora served as a showcase for cutting edge technological marvels, it helped launch the careers of several early Hollywood superstars, and it functioned as a vast testing ground for the emerging amusement industry until its closure in 1928. Nearly a century after Idora Park was bulldozed into history, curator Justin Limoges is resurrecting the memory of this mostly forgotten landmark through his upcoming “Idora Idora” exhibit*. In addition to showcasing historical materials, “Idora Idora” will explore the relationship between the amusement park and the very unique neighborhood that now exists in its footprint. In order to stimulate all the senses, Limoges has also commissioned an Idora-themed fragrance and an original song, performed by Greg Gardner with Jeremy Brown, Cass McCombs, and Ben Sigelman. [*The exhibit’s site isn’t live yet, but I’ll post links on social media as soon as it’s up.] Listen now to hear my conversation with Justin Limoges about what Idora Park’s history can teach us about the evolution of amusement, collective memory, and the development of Oakland in the early 20th century. To see more images and links related to this story, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/the-mecca-of-pleasure-seekers-in-california/ Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, tours, exhibits, and other local history news: https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday Special thanks to the sponsor of this episode: UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals are committed to supporting the health and development of all children. In 2010, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals and the Taylor Family Foundation co-founded Camp Winning Hands, a Bay Area summer camp for children with limb differences. Hosting activities like archery, rock climbing, and kayaking – Camp Winning Hands has welcomed nearly 100 campers, for free, at its specially-designed, accessible East Bay campground every summer for over a decade. Click here to learn more about Camp Winning Hands: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2023/08/426021/how-unique-summer-camp-connects-kids-limb-differences East Bay Yesterday can’t survive without your donations. Please make a pledge to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday.

Alfred Peet, a pioneer of America's coffee culture, transformed the way coffee was experienced after opening his first shop in Berkeley in 1966. He discusses the evolution of coffee from a bland commodity to a celebrated craft, delving into the impact of beatnik culture and iconic local cafes. Alongside coffee industry veteran Evan Gilman, they explore coffee's rich history in the Bay Area, the rise of specialty coffee, and the significance of quality and sustainability in today's coffee scene. Discover how Peet's legacy influenced the likes of Starbucks and beyond!

Explore the history and potential future of the 16th Street Station in Oakland, a significant landmark now crumbling. Learn about preservation efforts by the Oakland Heritage Alliance and personal memories of the station. Discover the challenges, proposed revitalization, and visions for transforming the station into a vibrant community hub. Hear about fundraising events, community involvement, and the station's unique architectural charm.

In 1949, a group of pacifists launched America’s first listener-supported radio station. Despite government repression, infighting, and countless financial crises, KPFA has managed to survive 75 years. This episode explores the stories of some of the people who helped the station achieve this remarkable milestone. Featuring interviews with former and current staff members and volunteers: Larry Bensky*, Emiliano Echeveria, Adi Gevins, Bari Scott, Robynn Takayama, and Kris Welch. Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, tours, exhibits, and other local history news: https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday *This was the last recorded interview with longtime KPFA broadcaster Larry Bensky, who passed away on May 19, 2024. To learn more about Benksy’s legendary career, visit: https://kpfa.org/featured-episode/larry-bensky-may-1st-1937-may-19th-2024/ Special thanks to the sponsor of this episode: UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals Oakland. I encourage you to read the story of how UCSF research and UCSF Benioff Oakland clinicians transformed treatment for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and became a model for other hospitals: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2024/05/427576/race-save-one-infants-chance-hear-cochlear-implant

With the weather warming up, now is the perfect time for a deep dive into Lake Merritt (not literally!). First, this episode explores the wild side of this body of water (which is technically a tidal estuary) with Constance Taylor, a naturalist with California Center for Natural History. Next, I interview C.J. Hirschfield, former director of Children’s Fairyland, about the enchanting amusement park that’s been entertaining families on the shores of Lake Merritt since 1950. Listen now to hear about the origin of the lake’s geodesic dome, the real story behind Walt Disney’s “inspiration,” and much more. Don’t forget to check out the trailer for the upcoming documentary Reflections on Lake Merritt: https://www.gofundme.com/f/CreativeDiasporas Follow East Bay Yesterday on Substack to receive news about upcoming events, tours, and other local history news: https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode: UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals Oakland and the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. To get tickets to Children’s Hospital Oakland’s upcoming event at the historic Fox Theater, visit: https://www.notesandwords.org/ To learn more about BAMPFA's summer program, which features the films of Les Blank and much more, visit: https://bampfa.org/film

There’s a small stretch of Oakland’s shoreline unlike any place else. Nestled between the restaurants of Jack London Square and the modern apartment blocks of Brooklyn Basin sits 5th Avenue Marina. This collection of rusty warehouses, eclectic studios, and surreal art installations recalls a bygone era, when crafty Bohemians dwelled amongst decaying shipyards. Schultz, a man who bought a chunk of this area in 1979, calls it “the neighborhood time forgot.” Although developers have attempted numerous times to dislodge the scrappy community at 5th Avenue Marina, these efforts have been stubbornly blocked, most notably in 2017 when residents formed a nonprofit called SHADE (Shadetree Historical Artisan Development Engine) and purchased the property formerly owned by Schultz. This episode traces the long history of the 5th Avenue Marina, from its days as a World War I shipbuilding facility up through its transformation into an unusual compound sometimes referred to as “Oakland’s Riviera.” Our tour guide for this voyage is the legendary Schultz, who is still a feisty storyteller at 88 years old and, like Rihanna or Cher, prefers to go by a mononym. To see images related to this story, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/the-neighborhood-time-forgot/ Follow East Bay Yesterday's Substack for news & upcoming events: https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode: UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals Oakland and the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. To learn more about UCSF Benioff Oakland’s new program BLOOM: the Black Baby Equity Clinic, visit: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2023/07/425846/new-black-baby-equity-clinic-helps-infants-and-moms-flourish To learn more about BAMPFA's upcoming exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration,” visit: https://bampfa.org/program/movement-every-direction-legacies-great-migration East Bay Yesterday can’t survive without your donations. Please make a pledge to keep this show alive: https://www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday

It would be easy to overlook the significance of Indian Rock and Mortar Rock, two relatively modest outcroppings located in the Berkeley Hills. Unlike the towering cliffs of Yosemite, which dominate the landscape, these boulders are partially obscured by the homes and trees that surround them. But for nearly a century, some of America’s most influential climbers have used these rocks as a training ground to test new techniques and technologies. The guidebook “Golden State Bouldering” calls these rocks “the heart and soul of Bay Area climbing.” In a recent Berkeleyside article titled “How Berkeley’s famous boulders took rock climbing to new heights,” reporter Ally Markovich explored the history of these influential outcroppings and the loyal community of climbers who have spent decades scrambling around on them. Her article uses these Berkeley boulders as a lens for tracing the emergence of modern climbing, the rise of “dirtbag” culture, the relationship between outdoor climbing and the current proliferation of indoor gyms, and sport’s growing diversity. To hear our conversation about all these topics and more, listen to the new episode. https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/climbing-was-all-i-had/ East Bay Yesterday can’t survive without your donations. Please make a pledge to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday. Subscribe to my newsletter at: https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode: UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals Oakland and the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. To learn more about UCSF Benioff Oakland’s new program BLOOM: the Black Baby Equity Clinic, visit: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2023/07/425846/new-black-baby-equity-clinic-helps-infants-and-moms-flourish To learn more about BAMPFA’s current exhibit “What Has Been and What Could Be,” visit: https://bampfa.org/program/what-has-been-and-what-could-be-bampfa-collection

After spending more than three decades working in the underground economy, Titus Lee Barnes compiled his stunning stories of “the street life” into a self-published book titled “Drug Lords of Oakland: The untold stories of California’s most notorious kingpins of the 1970s, 80s and 90s.” Starting with the rise of infamous heroin kingpin Felix Mitchell, Barnes traces the trajectory of bloody turf battles and shifting allegiances throughout the emergence and implosion of the crack era. His personal connections with many of the young kingpins he profiles provides a uniquely nuanced view into a world of notorious figures that most people are only familiar with through mugshots. Although “Drug Lords” details the flashy cars and lavish parties that accompanied booming profits, Barnes doesn’t shy away from the heartbreaking consequences that inevitably followed. In this interview, he shares his own experiences of being shot and incarcerated as “a cautionary tale” and offers some surprising insights into the Bay Area’s ongoing crime woes. Listen now to hear Barnes’ memories of growing up in Ghost Town, the improbable romance between a small-time East Oakland hustler and Colombian “cocaine godmother” Griselda Blanco, drug dealer investment strategies, and much more. See images related to this episode at: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/the-streets-have-changed-drastically/ East Bay Yesterday can’t survive without your donations. Please make a pledge to keep this show alive: https://www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday Don’t forget to follow East Bay Yesterday’s Substack newsletter to stay updated on upcoming tours, events, and other local history news: https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday

Emeryville is a tiny town – less than 2 square miles. It’s nestled between Oakland and Berkeley, right at the foot of the Bay Bridge, and most people probably think of it as a place to go shopping. Two major freeways cut through Eville and from your car, while you’re inevitably sitting in traffic, you can see giant signs for Ikea, Target, and Bay Street mall. If you’re not from the Bay Area, you might know it as the home of Pixar. This era of Emeryville as a mecca of cartoons and commerce is relatively new. A generation ago, the landscape looked drastically different. Media often described it as an “industrial wasteland” due to the toxic pollution left behind by factories that fled in the 1970s and 80s. It was also known as a place where corruption festered during the reign of an allegedly corrupt police chief who “ruled the town with an iron fist,” according to former city manager Joe Tanner. Flash forward to 2024 and Emeryville’s brand new mayor Courtney Welch, the first Black woman to hold that position, can legitimately claim that the town is “having a bit of a renaissance.” Brand new parks, apartments, and shops now occupy land that was littered with junked cars, rusty warehouses, and crumbling buildings. Taking notice of this transformation, I wrote about some of my favorite things to do in Emeryville recently for SF Gate and the article got a huge response. So, since a lot of people seem to be checking out Emeryville for the first time, I though it would be a good opportunity to look back at Emeryville’s history and ask some important questions… Like: How did it become such a hell hole in the 80s? How did it transform so radically since then? Why does this extremely unique tiny little town even exist? Spoiler alert: The answers to all these questions are pretty crazy. There’s a good reason why former Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren famously called Emeryville “the rottenest city on the Pacific Coast.” Today’s episode features interviews with Rob Arias, publisher of The Eville Eye community news site, and creator of the Emeryville Historical Society’s new Park Avenue District walking tour; and also Joe Tanner, who served as Emeryville’s city manager in the 1980s. https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/rotten-city-no-more/ Note: Note: To hear my previous episode about the history the “Emeryville shellmound” and battles over Ohlone sacred sites, click here: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/where-are-those-ancestors-now/ This episode is sponsored by UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. For over a century, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland has upheld a long legacy of providing essential healthcare for kids and families across the East Bay. Today, UCSF is continuing the tradition of care by making a major investment which includes a new hospital building that will expand critical treatment options for those that need it most. To learn more about the future of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, click here: https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/12/01/ucsf-benioff-childrens-hospital-expansion.html?b=1701377706^22331569 East Bay Yesterday can’t survive without your donations. Please make a pledge to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday. You can also support East Bay Yesterday by purchasing the official t-shirt or hat from Oaklandish.

In 1970, Dr. Marcus Foster was hired as the first Black superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District. Widely recognized as one of the greatest educators of his generation, he was brought here to help rescue a deeply troubled system. Within three years of his arrival, exactly 50 years ago this month, Foster was assassinated by a shady militant group that called itself the Symbionese Liberation Army. Even though many of the details of Foster’s death are known, it remains one of the most mysterious murders of a notoriously turbulent era. Although the SLA supposedly emerged from Berkeley’s revolutionary underground, there are some startling connections that point to a far more complicated story. On the anniversary of this tragic killing, this episode celebrates the legacy of Foster’s impact on Oakland school and also delves into the murky origins of the group responsible for this death. The first segment features Patanisha Williams, the curator “The Audacity to Believe,” an exhibit about Dr. Marcus Foster currently on display at the African American Museum and Library at Oakland. The second half of the show includes bestselling author and investigative journalist David Talbot, who wrote about the SLA in his book “Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love.” Music for this episode was generously provided by Jason Stinnett and Justin Lee. To see images & more, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/he-was-bringing-people-together/ Note: As I was finalizing production on this episode, KQED Arts published an article about alleged financial mismanagement by the Marcus Foster Education Institute. You can read about the allegations here: https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937772/artist-as-first-responder-marcus-foster-education-institute This episode is supported by UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. I highly recommend checking out their new podcast, “Revolutionary Care: An Oakland Story,” a series about the history of treating sickle cell anemia: www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/sickle-cell East Bay Yesterday can’t survive without your donations. Please make a pledge to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday.