Oakland Underfoot

3409 Mirasol Avenue

This mark, by a Fruitvale contractor, feels out of place here—earlier than the rest. I have since found another one on Excelsior Avenue.

Peralta Avenue is now known as Coolidge Avenue. The street was renamed after Oakland annexed this part of town in 1909, so that puts this mark in the first decade of the 1900s if not before.

2413 109th Avenue

I’ve shown another example of Holt’s mark. This one shows the phone number more clearly.

This is the last of a big series of marks I collected from 109th Avenue. It was an unexpectedly rich hunting ground.

2030 109th Avenue

Could hardly make this one out, but the low sun helped. I hope to find more examples at this end of town.

Lakeshore Avenue at Walavista Avenue

The Piedmont Paving Company was founded in 1893 to operate the quarry in the Davie Tennis Stadium, which was originally the home of the Alameda Macadamizing Company quarry, upon the death of that company’s partner Hugh Slicer. Its offices were downtown in the Union Savings Bank Building. It remained in business into the 20th century.

Its sidewalk stamps are quite rare, and undated.

724 Mountain Boulevard

2800 block 19th Avenue

This is the back side of 2820 14th Avenue.