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(Woodcut from The Knave, Oakland Tribune, Feb 25, 1973)

The Hotel Galindo was a luxury property built in 1877 by Francisco Galindo (1824-90) on 8th St. between Franklin St. and Broadway.

Galindo was the husband (and first cousin) of Inez Peralta Galindo (1840-1913; when she died she was the last surviving child of Antonio and Maria Peralta).

The site had previously been squatted by Edmond D. "Old Man" Hogan https://oaklandwiki.org/Edmond_D._Hogan

The hotel (possibly the first brick structure in Oakland) was gutted by fire 1880 shortly and suspiciously before what had been a planned visit by President Rutherford B. Hayes. The building was subsequently restored.

Ad from The Overland Monthly, June 1891 (Vol XVII, #102) p. 557

At some point the property was renamed the Golden West Hotel.

The Oakland Tribune offices and printing plant were located at the building 1884 - 1906, eventually occupying it entirely. After the 1906 earthquake the Tribune moved and greatly expanded its operations; there was no major damage to the building.

"New building Occupied Exclusively by Oakland Tribune. One of the Finest Newspaper and Job Printing Plants in the West. Not Surpassed by any in San Francisco."

The building was purchased 1923 by Julia Baldwin of San Jose. (There is a Julia Baldwin Elementary School in San Jose, but that Julia Baldwin was an Oak Grove School District volunteer in the 1950s-70s; these two Julia Baldwins may or may not be related.) 

The front left storefront was rented by the Masuda family for its Wanto Co. retail store at least as early as 1924. On Dec. 8, 1941 they displayed the "I AM AN AMERICAN" sign pictured in the famous 1942 Dorthea Lange photograph. 

In 1944 the building was converted to wartime housing as the Galindo Tenants Council. After the war it eventually became Oakland Housing Authority apartments.

(View of Franklin St. side; note first floor split into two floors for a total of four. The Wanto Co. storefront was on the right, shaded side facing 8th St.)

The building burned (again) Dec. 14, 1971 in a five-alarm fire that began in the attic (SF Examiner, p. 13, Dec. 15, 1971). https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156601633553271&set=p.10156601633553271&type=3&theater

[what was there 1972-1989?]

The Phoenix Plaza mixed-use development was completed in 1989 and stands there today. It has 42 condominium units above first-floor businesses.

Part of one original wall of the Hotel Galindo is still in place facing Franklin St. near 7th St.

 

 

Oakland Tribune, March 21, 1944, p. D 10:

 

 

[There is an advertising card that appears in library catalogs, "Galindo Hotel B. Wright, proprietor. Pleasant sunny rooms, single and en suite. Eighth Street, bet. Broadway and Franklin, Oakland, Cal. ..." but I haven't been able to get an image. "B. Wright" was "Ben Wright."]

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