Published July 31, 2023
Ya’ll looking for some sweet East Bay Train related history? Here you have it!
We know the Bay Area train system as the BART, but did you know there was a early 1900s electric train system that carted commuters from SF to the East Bay back in the day? Furthermore, were you aware that lots of the originations of Bay Area streets were shaped by this old train track? The Key system was the Bay Area’s original electric train system that ran from 1903 to 1958.
Have ya'll ever been to the Claremont hotel and spa and walked around the tennis courts there? Turns out, right there on the border of Oakland and Berkeley those Claremont tennis courts used to be the end of the line for the OG East Bay train system, how cool is that? The Claremont was actually built back in the day by the same company that owned the Key System railroad. People in SF could ride the train directly to the Claremont hotel, on what was then called the E line. Folks would disembark right there where people are playing tennis today.
There’s a Thai spot in Piedmont currently called Charm Thai Bistro, at 4063 Piedmont Ave. This restaurant was the original Key System station. In 2005 a dude painted a cool Key System mural on the back of the building depicting the old trains and a crowd of riders and a golden key, but in 2014, a remodel caused most of it to now be windows. Supposedly if you look closely and with intention, you can still kind of make it out.
As the landscape of cars and commuters changed in the 1950s not so many people rode the Key System anymore. The transit company that bought the Key System turned most of the train lines into bus lines in 1960. Much of that is still AC Transit bus line today. You can check out some legit remnants of The Key at the Western Railway Museum in Solano County.
If you’re super-duper interested, the Oakland Heritage Alliance will be holding a walking tour on the border Berkeley and Oakland expounding on the topic of electric trains on August 5th. Get you some fantastic old ass train history.
Another interesting bit of train related history directs us to Old Oakland, right about Washington or Broadway Street between 8th and 10th street by Chinatown. Oakland had nothin on San Francisco in the mid 1800s.
But things really took off for Oakland when the First Transcontinental Railroad came to town. Oakland grew three-fold in its inhabitants between 1870 and 1880. That area we now know as old Oakland, was the booming downtown of shops and restaurants that were built during that time. We’re talking bakeries, tailors, markets, and hotels.
When a big ole fire tore up SF in 1906 even more people moved to Oakland, and the downtown area grew to encompass more area up Broadway. After World War 2, lots of folks moved out of the city to the suburbs and it was the start of that Old Oakland downtown flame burning out. By the 50s and 60s it was pretty bleak and empty.
In the 70s and 80s a developer and city leaders got interested in redevelopment because of the beautiful old Victorian buildings. Fortunately, the earthquake in 89, did not take out the historic buildings in Old Oakland. Present day developers have done a lot of restoration and revitalization in the neighborhood.
It’s back to being full of busy businesses and shops. When you pop down there for an espresso or deli meat- take a moment to appreciate how long those buildings have withstood the rest of time, and how they weathered the ups and downs of Oaklands history. The entire area would never had been built as it was, without that train station bringing the party.
We forget sometimes how cool it is, to be in the presence of architecture that has seen so much.
If you really dig Oakland architecture history, check out the podcasts 99% Invisible and East Bay Yesterday for your informational fix.
