Moving shoreline - Emeryville, CA - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Moving shoreline

Oakland's 19 mile shoreline underwent continual change after the Gold Rush, as marsh and tidelands was reclaimed for development. The natural shoreline now lies buried under dredged bay sediments and landfill. Here, by the Emeryville border, the West Oakland marsh once extended as far inland as San Pablo Avenue. The first reclamation projects in the area occurred in the late 19th century, when the marsh was filled for train tracks, factories, and houses. The elevated freeways Mark the site of the old marshland shore.

Emeryville

Marshy land, garbage dumps, and raw sewage flowing into the bay made this part of Oakland a backwater district for many years early residence included a community of Scandinavian seafarers. The city of Emeryville, North of here, was incorporated in the 1890s. For much of its history, Emeryville flourished as a blue-collar town of steel mills, factories, and canneries. It was also known as a "City of Vice" rife with racetracks, laundry shops, speakeasies, and brothels. Build factories in legal card clubs still exist, the city is now known for upscale lofts and high-tech firms.

The key system

The street cars, trains, and varies of the Key System, or "Key Route", once provided East Bay commuters with reliable transportation to San Francisco. From home to office, the trip could be made in less time it takes to drive today. Though the railroad system was officially known as San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose railway, the name "Key Root" was coined in reference to the shape of the company's ferry pier. The pier had ferry slips at its and that resembled the teeth of a key. The pier itself represented the shank of the key and East Bay cities formed the key's handle.

From the beginning of its ferry service in 1903, until the opening of the Bay Bridge to trains in 1939, the Key Root dominated public transit in the East Bay and competition with the trains and ferries of the Southern Pacific. The Key System yards and shops, where the orange and silver trains were repaired and sometimes built, were located in Emeryville, adjoining the three-mile long ferry pier. The pier lay alongside the site now occupied by the Bay Bridge. By 1949 motor buses have replaced streetcars on local lines, though transBay Key trains continued running on the lower deck of the Bay Bridge until 1958. The tunnel visible to the West is a remnant of the old interurban train system.

Group that erected the marker: San Francisco Bay Trail Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: 3700 Mandela Parkway Emeryville, CA USA URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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