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Port of Oakland aerial, 1935
Currently on display
Not a part of the official Smithsonian Collection
This aerial view of the Port of Oakland on San Francisco Bay was made before the Bay Bridge was completed. It shows the location of port facilities at the terminus of the Southern Pacific Railroad as well as the level land on the east side of the bay. |
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Physical Description |
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Photograph
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Details |
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History |
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Oakland, like its more famous counterpart across San Francisco Bay, had Gold Rush beginnings. The town sprang up in the 1850s but, unlike other settlements around the bay, Oakland's waterfront was owned for years by an individual who controlled development of the port. All of that changed in 1869 when Oakland became the terminus for the Central Pacific (later Southern Pacific) Railroad. The railroad formed a partnership with the property owner, Horace Carpentier, who transferred his waterfront holdings to the company. In turn, the company granted rights-of-way for rail yards, terminals, and tracks. This early transportation infrastructure was sustained and expanded in the 20th century, when the Western Pacific located its terminus near Oakland's waterfront. The harbor itself was improved by dredging in the early part of the century, allowing large merchant ships to access the port.
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