Downtown Oakland in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Crossroads

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, November 10, 2020

1. Crossroads Marker

Inscription. Latham Square is actually a triangle, an accidental space created by the meeting of new and old roads. Broadway did not extend above 14th Street until the late 1880s, when it was needed to channel the city's expansion to the north. Telegraph Avenue was an older country road and telegraph route that linked Oakland to Berkeley and the UC campus.

Horse car and cable car lines were established during the late 19th century, and electric streetcars ran regularly along both Telegraph and Broadway. Riders arrived in the heart of Oakland's business, civic, and entertainment district. City Hall, an early high-rise government building, opened in 1914, and bank and office towers lined Broadway. Kahn's department store, now the Rotunda Building, opened in 1914, and Roos Brothers, a branch of the department store chain, opened across Broadway in 1923.

Erected 2016 by City of Oakland.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.

Location. 37° 48.335′ N, 122° 16.235′ W. Marker is in Oakland, California, in Alameda County. It is in Downtown Oakland. It is at the intersection of Telegraph Avenue and Broadway,

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on the left when traveling south on Telegraph Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Oakland CA 94612, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area

and on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: General Strike! (here, next to this marker); Uptown Saturday Night (here, next to this marker); Latham Square (here, next to this marker); The Lathams (here, next to this marker); Latham Memorial Fountain Unveiled (a few steps from this marker); Breonna Taylor (within shouting distance of this marker); 1946 General Strike (within shouting distance of this marker); Oakland City Hall (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oakland.

Crossroads Marker - wide view, looking north image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, November 10, 2020

2. Crossroads Marker - wide view, looking north

The Crossroads marker is the closest one on the left; the Cathedral Building is in the background.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 385 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 21, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.