William Harwood - Oakland

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Captain William Harwood (December 10, 1812 – April 12, 1885) was on the Oakland City Council in 1855 and 1857, ¹ and later served as the wharfinger of the city wharf.

Not to be confused with his son, William Douglas Harwood, who was a journalist.

William Harwood was born December 10, 1812, in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, to William Harwood and Mary Ann Douglas (Harwood). He married Elizabeth Douglas (Harwood) (February 20, 1812 – December 9, 1886) of New York on May 2, 1837. They had one son, William Douglas Harwood (December 16, 1845 – April 15, 1883), who graduated from the College of California then studied to become a lawyer, but soon switched to journalism.

The 1850 census lists William working as a seaman, and the Harwoods living in Southampton, New York. He soon became captain of the John Jay. Several sources say the Harwoods came to Oakland in 1853; the 1860 census lists William as a farmer in Oakland township. The 1870 census lists William as a a sea captain, and William Douglas as a lawyer. The family lived at 272 - 4th Street near Harrison, while the farm was "two miles out on the telegraph road (now Claremont Avenue) near where Judge Garber's place is now." ⁸ This puts it about where the Claremont Hotel is now, alongside Harwood Creek (now known as Claremont Creek.)

Finally, the 1880 census lists William as wharfinger and William Douglas as a journalist. William was a wharfinger from at least 1871 on Merritt's wharf, and the city's new wharf from 1872 until 1881 when the city council removed the position.

William Douglas was on the Board of Education in 1868, and served as editor of the Oakland News, then as editor of the Oakland Times from 1878 to 1882, until his health forced him to retire. ³

William's sister, Mary Harwood (Fowler) was married to John T. Fowler and lived in Oakland as well.

Death, Burial, and Legacy

William Douglas Harwood died April 15, 1883, after a long battle with tuberculosis. Captain William Harwood died April 12, 1885. Elizabeth Harwood died December 9, 1886, after a short battle with pneumonia. The family is buried in plot 8 in Mountain View Cemetery. ^3,4,5,6

Claremont Creek was originally known as Harwood Creek. It may have been named for Capt. Harwood who farmed in the area, or it may have been named for another Harwood who owned property further up the canyon. ² Harwood Avenue was likely named for the creek, which runs through the area (mostly underground these days.) The street name doesn't appear in the newspapers or on maps until 1906, as part of the Brookside Park development. Wikipedia says the canyon and creek were named for Capt. Harwood, but doesn't give a source.

Several years after his death, the Oakland Enquirer published excerpts from Captain Harwood's logs as a weekly series. ⁷