Fiscal Year 2013-2015 Special Budget Meeting

CITY FACTS A BRIEF HISTORY 1200 B.C. Ohlone Indians settle in the area that would become Oakland. 1772 Spanish explorers are the first Europeans to visit the East Bay. 1797 Established in Fremont, Mission de San José extends Spanish jurisdiction over the area that would become Oakland. 1849 During the California Gold Rush, Oakland becomes the mainland staging point for passengers and cargo traveling between the Bay and the Sierra foothills. 1852 Oakland was chartered as a city and almost immediately thereafter, construction of shipping wharves began. Building the large wharves and dredging a shipping channel positioned Oakland as an independent point of destination. 1869 The Central Pacific Railroad selected Oakland as the terminus of the new transcontinental railroad, providing a vital link to the East. 1910 Oakland’s population more than doubles in ten years from 66,960 to over 150,000 as people and businesses relocate from earthquake-ravaged San Francisco. Oakland regains control of the long- lost waterfront by final settlement of litigation, which had lasted over half a century and cost several millions of dollars. 1936 The Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge, one of the engineering wonders of the world, opens months before the Golden Gate Bridge. 1942 The Permanente Foundation Hospital is dedicated in Oakland, the first in the chain of Henry J. Kaiser’s health plan hospitals. 1950 Children’s Fairyland opens in Lakeside Park. Swelled by huge numbers of workers who flocked to the city for WWII jobs, the U.S. Census puts Oakland’s population at 384,575. Oakland’s African American population soars from 8,462 in 1940 to 47,562 in 1950. The military makes substantial improvement to the Port’s facilities. World War II brought tremendous changes to Oakland. Huge numbers of workers moved to the Bay Area to work in local shipyards, and many of these people, as well as large numbers of military personnel who mustered out at Treasure Island and the Oakland Army Base, chose to remain in the Bay Area. As a result, the City’s population increased by nearly one third between 1940 and 1950. Late 1950s – 1970s Under the Urban Indian Relocation Program, Oakland saw large numbers of Native Americans move to the city. 1970s Following the end of the Vietnam War, Oakland welcomed Cambodians, Vietnamese and Muong from war-torn Southeast Asia. 2010 The U.S. Census ranked Oakland as the eighth largest city in California, with a population of 390,724. According to a University of Wisconsin study, Oakland is the most ethnically diverse city in the United States. There are at least 100 different languages and dialects spoken here. A new generation of restaurateurs and specialty food producers has fueled an epicurean renaissance. Oakland’s sizzling arts and dining scene is no longer a local secret as national media outlets spread the word on our vibrant city. Oakland has a rich literary and cultural heritage. Such historical notables as writers Bret Harte, Jack London, Joaquin Miller, Ina Donna Coolbrith, Jessica Mitford, Narman Jayo, Ishmael Reed and Gertrude Stein; architect Julia Morgan; and dancer Isadora Duncan are just a few who have left their cultural mark on the City. It is also the birthplace of the West Coast Blues. C - 3