Boat tours, book store event, big pants
I can’t believe that 2022 will be my fourth year of hosting historical boat tours on the Bay. It all started almost accidentally when the friend-of-a-friend asked if I’d be interested in telling some local history stories on a fishing boat and now it’s one of my favorite things about this whole East Bay Yesterday project. Normally I wouldn’t be interested in doing the same thing over and over again, but I love the boat tours because every trip is different: there are always so many interesting people aboard, the landscape is constantly changing, and no two sunsets are ever identical.
From talking to passengers, I know that most people who join the tours hear about them word-of-mouth from a friend or family member. So I’m not going to hype up the tours and spoil all the surprises by giving previews of the stories. I’ll just drop a link to the tickets for the Oakland tour here and the Richmond tour here… and look forward to seeing who will be aboard the Pacific Pearl this March (more dates for spring and summer 2022 coming soon).
-Liam
PS: OK, fine, if you want a tiny bit of information about what to expect, read this.
MORE EAST BAY YESTERDAY NEWS
I’m doing a live Q&A with José Vadi about his new book “Inter State: Essays from California” at Green Apple Books on January 6 (you can also watch it on Zoom). This will be my first in-person public event (not happening on a boat) in quite a while, so I’m really hoping it goes well and will be followed by many more live events throughout 2022. My favorite essay from José’s book is the one about moving to downtown Oakland in the early aughts – remember when you could still find an apartment for $400?
I’ve been getting lots of email from folks who want to buy the Long Lost Oakland map as a holiday gift. There aren't many copies left, but the gift shop at the Oakland Museum of California is currently the only location with posters in-stock. If you head over there, make sure to check out the current Afrofuturism exhibition, which is ending in February. The show includes some very cool photos of Sun Ra in Oakland, artifacts from the Pullman Porters, and much more.
Speaking of Pullman Porters, I’ve released a few new podcasts since my last newsletter. “The Porters were fed up: C.L. Dellums and the rise of America’s first Black union” covers one of the most important (and often overlooked) civil rights struggles of the pre-WWII era and features an interview I did with C.L.’s daughter Marva for the Black Liberation Walking Tour. And episode 83 – “More than just the 1960s: Following in the footsteps of rock & roll legends” – digs into the origins of homegrown superstars like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Metallica, and Green Day with the authors of “Rock & Roll Explorer Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area.” Besides talking about these bands, we also lament the loss of so many of the great venues that the Bay area has lost over the past few decades (but at least 924 Gilman is still around!) [Photo credit: Murray Bowles]
IN OTHER NEWS
I didn’t know Chris Treadway personally, but I always enjoyed his articles about local history and in more recent years I was fascinated by the constant stream of vintage photos that he shared on Twitter. By all accounts, Chris was a great guy and I was deeply saddened to learn of his passing last month. According to his obituary in the East Bay Times, Chris “was working on a book about local gambling dens and nightclubs from the 1910s to the 1950s” at the time of his death and his wife and friends are determined to see his final work published. I'm sure I'm not the only one eagerly anticipating the publication of Chris's final work.
A short documentary about “Oakland’s last Black cowboy” Wilbert Freeman McAlister is now streaming for free on YouTube. I heard that the premiere screening at Eli’s Mile High Club was so packed that many folks were left standing outside the venue, so it’s great to hear that everybody can now watch this wonderful video. In other Eli’s-related news, my former guest Brontez Purnell recently filmed a segment of his new cooking show there. Fun fact: Brontez’s great-uncle JJ Malone used to play at Eli’s back in its heyday as a blues club.
East Bay history is littered with awful examples of racist displacement, but the destruction of Russell City stands out as one of the most disgraceful. Not only was the unincorporated village one of the few areas in Alameda County outside of Oakland where people of color were permitted to live, but it also hosted a thriving music scene that attracted top blues musicians from around the country. Tragically, Hayward’s political leaders evicted all of Russell City’s residents and bulldozed the neighborhood to make room for an industrial park in the early 1960s. Hayward has finally apologized for this “cultural genocide” but some of the former residents’ ancestors are still waiting for more than words: “You can’t give us that land back, you can’t give us those memories back, so make it better for us. It’s almost like asking for you guys to finally give us our 40 acres and a mule.”
Want to get a look inside one of Oakland’s most historic homes? Oakland Heritage Alliance is looking for volunteers to help clean up the Moss House this weekend. Register here.
If you’ve ever wondered why the road out to the Berkeley Marina is so unpleasant, this Berkeleyside article revealed the answer: The street was built atop the old pier! Now it makes sense why riding along that stretch feels like rolling over bumpy logs.
FINALLY
I recently had the pleasure of doing a short Q&A with Samantha Durbin for the book release party she organized to promote her memoir "Raver Girl." Due to Covid, this event was limited to close friends and family, but if you want to hear all about Sam's memories of the local '90s party scene, check out my "Neon Space Carnival" episode. Props to Sam for trying to bring back the "phat pants" look that we rocked during our high school years...