Bret Harte Boardwalk

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The Bret Harte Boardwalk was a small shopping district in a stretch of historic buildings on 5th Street, near where writer Bret Harte lived as young man in 1854. The boardwalk was created in 1962 by Jan Mills and Dixie Stoll, who owned shops in the block. The boardwalk consisted of 4 Victorian houses and a barn. ^1,2

The house on the northwest corner of 5th and Clay where Bret Harte lived is no longer standing; it was demolished for the freeway. It was owned by Harte's stepfather, Colonel Andrew Williams, who became Oakland's 4th mayor in 1857.

Jan Mills was married to Paul Mills, the director of the Oakland Art Gallery (later part of Oakland Museum of California.) She owned a shop in the boardwalk, Roaring Camp Mercantile.

Trivia

Actress June Lockhart, of star of TV's Lassie and later Lost in Space, visited the boardwalk in 1964. She was reportedly thinking of buying into the project. Columnist Bill Fiset notes that she did not bring Lassie with her. ¹²

Would-be politician and long-time government gadfly, Gene Hazzard, was co-owner of The Caribbean, a restaurant in the Bret Harte Boardwalk. He opened it in 1980 along with Sandra Blair, Elaine Fripp and Nathaniel Fripp. ¹³

Businesses

1981 ⁵

Several of the addresses had separate businesses at street level and upstairs, and the "barn" at the corner with Jefferson has several spaces. Years are earliest and latest known.

1951 Sanborn excerpt

from 1962 ad ⁷

Present Day

The buildings still exist and there are some businesses in them, but the boardwalk moniker isn't used much anymore. Newspaper references to it as a shopping and dining area faded from view in the late 1980s. Ads for a law office at 571 - 5th Street in 1994 ¹⁷ mention Bret Harte Boardwalk, but references after that refer to the boardwalk in the past tense.

The old-timey street lights were gone by 2008. c.2008 most of the buildings appeared to be vacant; c.2011 they had been fixed up and the Autobahn Cafe had opened. Other businesses have moved into some of the spots.

Links and References

1963 ¹⁴

1. Bret Harte Boardwalk Previewed Oakland Tribune September 12, 1962
2. The Dynamic Mrs. Mills Robin Orr Oakland Tribune September 19, 1969
3. Bret Harte Boardwalk parking by Perry Phillips Oakland Tribune October 25, 1985
4. Where Bret Harte Used to Walk San Francisco Examiner June 23, 1968
5. A haven of tranquility in Oakland Oakland Tribune January 18, 1981 (p2)
6. Era of Bret Harte Recreated Oakland Tribune July 15, 1962
7. Gallery to Open on Boardwalk Oakland Tribune December 9, 1962
8. The 'Marjorie' Behind the Sign Oakland Tribune October 28, 1969
9. Frustrated bandit executes woman in beauty parlor Oakland Tribune January 25, 1985
10. Oaklander hair style winner Oakland Tribune April 8, 1982
11. Young couple has knack of converting junk The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington) September 7, 1972
12. Man Alive by Bill Fiset Oakland Tribune May 25, 1964
13. A Caribbean influence Oakland Tribune June 8, 1980
14. 1st birthday ad Oakland Tribune September 20, 1963
15. 4th birthday ad Oakland Tribune September 14, 1966
16. Man Alive by Bill Fiset Oakland Tribune June 3, 1966
17. ad for Curotto Law Offices Oakland Tribune September 1, 1994
18. ad for The Coffee and Sweet Shop KPFA Folio March 1985

• Bret Harte Shops To Be Expanded Oakland Tribune June 19, 1963
• History show sheds light on present Oakland by Annalee Allen Oakland Tribune June 16, 2002
• New life for quirky Gingerbread House building by Annalee Allen Oakland Tribune March 25, 2016
• Polk's Oakland Directory 1967
• Polk's Oakland Directory 1969