Annalee Allen

Oakland became a transportation and industrial hub in the late 19th century as its oak-studded ranches and fruit orchards evolved into urban neighborhoods. Just as the postcard was born at the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition, Oakland began its transformation into a major city. As postcards grew in popularity, Oakland grew astride, led by two ambitious mayors, Frank K. Mott and John L. Davie. Mott, a proponent of the "City Beautiful" movement, fostered the creation of grand boulevards and imposing civic buildings, while his successor Davie oversaw expansion of the port, a regional parks system, and one of the first commercial airports in the nation. All of these, along with picturesque Lake Merritt, made excellent subjects for hundreds of postcards.

The landmark Oakland Tribune clock tower has been telling the time in neon in downtown Oakland since it was built in 1923, but the paper itself first appeared on city streets as early as 1874. For over a half century, the paper was owned and published by the influential and civic-minded Knowland family, who spearheaded efforts to modernize the Port of Oakland, construct the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, and establish a regional park system for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Following the Loma Prieta earthquake, the damaged clock tower on Thirteenth Street-where Harry Houdini once hung by his heels above gawking crowds on Broadway-was sadly vacant, but today it is once again busy with the buzz and bustle of the newsroom.