This photograph exhibits up each from time to time, with variations on the identical fundamental information:
“A George J.P. Turner operated as bootblack from early 1900’s to about 1918 based on Oakland Metropolis Directories. Had outlets listed at varied locations together with Slender Gauge Depot on Franklin, 14th road and Clay road in Oakland.”
It is from the California State Library (CSL).
Coming throughout the photograph once more, with a better decision than the same old copies, I made a decision to take a better take a look at it, each actually and figuratively. Who was George Turner? The place and when was the photograph taken?
I began by making an attempt to substantiate the data above from CSL. I by no means did discover a point out of a location on Clay St., however the remaining appeared principally correct if a bit imprecise. The 1913 listing listed each 411 – 14th St. and 501 – 14th St. The latter was in all probability the supply of the Clay St. point out, however the tackle was on the now not extant intersection of Washington and 14th, throughout from metropolis corridor, a block from Clay. In any occasion, the directories all confirmed the 411 tackle, so we had a possible location for the photograph.
On condition that “George” and “Turner” are pretty frequent names, George was Black residing within the early 1900s, and he was a shoe shiner not a politician or the like, I did not anticipate finding a lot within the Oakland Tribune archives. However I bought fortunate, and located his obituary from 1919. This did not give me many details moreover the date of his dying, nevertheless it was a begin. It additionally let me know that George was somebody individuals remembered, and he had been in enterprise for about 20 years.
Subsequent I discovered references to George being married, punctuated by this vignette concerning the ceremony in 1889. It was the primary marriage carried out by superior court docket choose John Ellsworth. It tells us Turner was married, and his spouse’s identify was Josephine. Now we’re getting someplace! For the file, Choose Ellsworth says he didn’t kiss the bride as was the customized of Choose Gibson.
Whereas persevering with the search by means of the Tribune archive, I created a household tree on ancestry.com and began wanting on the Sanborn insurance coverage maps. I often do the primary when researching an individual or household, and the second when researching the situation of a house or enterprise. Oakland has modified quite a bit over time, not the least of that are road names and road addresses (typically greater than as soon as), so discovering historic areas for an tackle can typically be an even bigger problem than you may suppose.
Even figuring out his spouse’s identify, the approximate 12 months of his delivery, and the date of his dying, researching the household tree did not flip up a lot moreover (in all probability) narrowing down George’s delivery to April 1861 in Virginia. However it did give some addresses for the place the Turners lived, and recommended they in all probability did not have any youngsters.
Trying on the Sanborn insurance coverage maps proved a bit extra fruitful. The 1911 Sanborn for 411 – 14th exhibits a location in a constructing between the MacDonough Theatre and the beforehand talked about slender gauge railroad station. Trying extra intently at that confirmed a constructing labeled “Boot Black” instantly behind the station. OK! This together with the listing information recommended that someday between 1911 and 1913 is when George moved his parlor from the close to the station to 411 – 14th St. Refining the search within the Tribune archives turned up a categorized discover confirming the transfer. In 1912, George was compelled to maneuver his stand from close to the practice station to 411 – 14th St.
Did George begin his enterprise behind the practice station? And if not, the place? Extra looking turned up this discover of metropolis council actions, indicating that in 1903 they handed a decision permitting George to construct a metallic constructing close to the practice station. Now we have some higher parameters. From c.1903 to 1912 he was close to the practice station, and from 1912 till at the very least 1918 he was at 411 – 14th St.
Primarily based on the constructing within the photograph, we will in all probability rule out the metallic construction close to the practice station. So probably we’re 411 – 14th St., except it is the c.1913 location of 501 – 14th St. Taking a look at later images of 501 doesn’t mean that, however does not rule it out, both. So I set about searching for images of that space from the suitable time, however with no luck. Apart from the MacDonough Theatre on the nook of 14th and Broadway, I did not know any constructing names or companies to reference for refining the search.
However then I remembered the 1909 photograph of Albert Vander Naillen and Captain Park A. Van Tassell’s launch of the Metropolis of Oakland balloon that exhibits that space. Out of the blue it clicked, that the imprecise letter kinds on the signal on the prime of the unique photograph matched the “Tribune” signal seen within the 1909 photograph. Bingo! The situation matched, the time vary matched…we have now a location!
The time vary remains to be pretty broad, although. It might be any time after the 1912 transfer, and possibly earlier than George’s dying in 1919, however not essentially. How will we slender down the time? (Now we’re beginning to get into the intense historical past nerd vary.)
For those who look intently on the proper facet of the CSL photograph, you may discover a poster for the Pantages Theatre which was close by on twelfth St. The signal is generally illegible, however “Co-Eds” is seen close to the highest, and “Clara ??? Co.” with a manufacturing referred to as “Self Protection” is seen close to backside. Combining these with the date vary turns up a short article from October 1, 1914, describing the most recent choices on the Pantages, together with “The Honest Co-Eds, Menlo Moore’s latest musical tabloid of campus life” and “Clara Beyers and co. in a tense playlet entitled Self Protection.”
Earlier than we will declare victory and say the photograph is from 1914, think about that performs and theatrical performances typically run for a very long time, and typically are revived at later dates. So wanting intently on the photograph once more, discover the smaller poster close to the middle. That exhibits “D? Wolf” and “Trial by “Ju?”. Narrowing the search with all of the above, we come to “Trial by Jury” that includes DeWolf Hopper, enjoying on the Greek Theater in Berkeley. Whereas this nonetheless does not pin the date down precisely, it is additional proof for late 1914.
None of that is absolute, although the situation of the CSL photograph appears to be fairly conclusively at 411 – 14th. And the details counsel late 1914 for the date. Like numerous issues in historical past, the day and time could by no means be identified. However now at the very least we all know the place the photograph was taken and have a fairly good concept on when.
However again to George and Josephine. We all know after they had been married, and when George died, however not a lot else. Did they’ve youngsters? What did they do moreover work?
Persevering with the search within the Tribune archives turns up a dying discover for George. That is shorter than his colourful obituary, however tells us a bit extra. George was a Mason. His physique was ready on the Hudson and Butler Funeral House, and a funeral held on the First A.M.E. Church, which was then on fifteenth Road. And his stays had been interred at Evergreen Cemetery. However no subsequent of kin talked about, including credence to the idea that he and Josephine did not have any youngsters. And why is not Josephine talked about?
The identical version of the Tribune additionally turns up a short article noting that George left a will, nevertheless it was declared invalid. Josephine had died about 6 months earlier than, George died following an operation for appendicitis, and… that they had two adopted youngsters?
That is sadly the place the path goes chilly, at the very least for now. I have not discovered any additional mentions of adopted daughter, Genevieve Howard, or adopted son, Brown. Hopefully extra info will flip up over time. However at at the very least we all know just a little extra about George and Josephine Turner.
