A century in the past, Sept. 17, 1925, was the second anniversary of Berkeley’s devastating 1923 hearth. The Berkeley Day by day Gazette selected to commemorate the date by emphasizing the progress in rebuilding after the catastrophe. The Berkeley Day by day Gazette’s fundamental front-page headline was “Lots of of New Properties Cowl Fireplace Space of Two Years In the past.”
“New residences and condo homes having an estimated value of $2,869,724 in the present day adorn the inventive hills north of the College campus which two years in the past this afternoon had been swept by a conflagration inflicting a $10,000,000 loss,” the Gazette reported. “Inside these dwellings are … furnishings far exceeding the private property losses of the nice hearth.”
“Berkeley has rehabilitated itself … (in) one other yr there hardly might be left a hint of the terrific blow which pretty staggered the inhabitants of this school group however didn’t cease its ahead steps.”
The paper famous that 285 new properties had been constructed, together with 45 condo buildings. 9 fraternities and sororities had rebuilt, and the primary buildings of what would make the Northside into “Holy Hill,” the Pacific Faculty of Faith’s new campus, was below development. Of buildings broken by the fireplace, 23 had additionally been repaired.
The paper additionally famous “the structure of 10, 20 and extra years in the past has given place to the way more inventive and enticing kinds of this contemporary day. From bungalows to mansions, the brand new structure holds sway. … Whereas the so-called California sort which is a modified Mission or Spanish, or Mediterranean, use as one likes to name it, predominated, there are numerous examples of colonial and different homes that present the affect of the northern thoughts in structure.
“Gone are virtually the entire shingle-sided homes so standard a decade or so in the past. Unusually sufficient a number of of those had been spared by way of a kind of ironies of destiny. Maybe it’s properly sufficient that some ought to stay as a distinction to the prevailing stucco end.” That public tastes had modified a lot by 1925 for an assault on shingle “hillside” structure to be printed is fascinating.
A separate article within the concern famous that greater than 630 complaints had been filed towards Pacific Gasoline and Electrical Co. asking for damages of some $6 million. Sept. 16, 1925, had apparently marked a deadline for submitting claims or fits.
“The fits allege that the fireplace was the results of the negligence of the defendant firm and that it originated from the ability traces of the corporate again of this metropolis.”
School children: “The College — Berkeley’s Perpetual ‘Fountain of Youth’ ” was the tagline in a Sept. 16, 1925, commercial that first Nationwide Financial institution in Berkeley positioned within the Gazette.
“Every year brings a brand new faculty technology, breezy, invigorating, lovable. Every year pours into our hospitable metropolis the very best of the youth of California. Small surprise Berkeley remains to be younger at coronary heart … there’s a zest to life right here … and that this metropolis breathes the spirit of progress.”
Ladies workers: On Sept. 17, 1925, Berkeley’s metropolis supervisor “in the present day instructed division executives to provide choice to single girls candidates for positions on the metropolis corridor.” The article famous that Berkeley employed 50 girls “on the metropolis corridor” (which housed most municipal places of work on the time) and that 20 of them had been married or widowed.
“(Metropolis Supervisor John) Edy mentioned he believed that the primary requisite of a husband is to help his spouse and that (with) all {qualifications} being equal, choice ought to be given to single candidates for positions sooner or later. He mentioned that he firmly believed in using girls in metropolis positions and that there are numerous locations which can’t be crammed besides by girls.”
Bay Space native and Berkeley group historian Steven Finacom holds this column’s copyright.
