March 29, 1919 1
March 30, 1919 2
"Nutty" Jack Williams, aka the "Human Fly", was a building climber in 1919. He caught the attention of many in Oakland when he climbed City Hall. For a warm up, he climbed the Tribune Building (NB: this was before the tower was added in 1923.)
Williams' business model was simple: travel from town to town, make some money with one or more climbs by splitting proceeds with a local charity (usually 70% for Williams, 30% for the charity), and then moving on. 4 In Oakland, the beneficiary was the Elks' Salvation Army Fund. Williams even climbed the 55-story Woolworth Building in New York. 3
At least one local merchant took advantage of the event to call attention to their ad.
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Links and References
- Thousands on Hand to View Ascent Oakland Tribune March 29, 1919
- Fly Perches on Top of Tribune Oakland Tribune March 30, 1919
- Human Fly to Climb to Top of City Hall Oakland Tribune March 25, 1919
- 'Nutty' Jack Medford Mail Tribune November 17, 2019
