Temescal Creek culvert 2000


Description:
The old Temescal Creek culvert (looking east toward Telegraph Avenue), revealed during site preparation for the new North Oakland post office, Temescal district, Oakland, Calif. A new, re-routed culvert had been built in 1992 during construction of the first phase of the Temescal Plaza shopping center. To prepare the site for the second phase, which consisted of the new post office, the old culvert was excavated and filled in. The shopping center site formerly had been home to the Key System s Western Car Barn. In 1949, following the end of streetcar service on Telegraph Avenue in 1948, the car barn was converted to the Fairway Market, which in 1952 became Vern's Shopping Center. Vern s was closed in 1985 and demolished in 1987 to make way for the Temescal Plaza shopping center, a project of the Berkeley Land Development Company (owned by the Sabatte family, which founded Berkeley Farms Dairy).

Date of Document:
2000

Document Author:
Jeff Norman

Geographic Location:
Shattuck Avenue and 50th Street, Oakland, Calif.

Context:
Flowing down from the Oakland hills through the flatland communities of Rockridge, Temescal, and Emeryville to San Francisco Bay, Temescal Creek forms one of the largest watersheds in Oakland. Three main tributaries feed the creek: Harwood Creek in Claremont Canyon; the Thornhill branch running from the Montclair district; and Tunnel Branch roughly following Highway 24 west of the Caldecott Tunnel. Today, virtually the entire creek, from Lake Temescal to the bay, is confined to an underground culvert. In many places, the upper reaches of Temescal Creek s tributaries and smaller branches are still visible, although their banks and creek beds often have been altered.





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