|
Year
|
Event(s)
|
|
|
1950
|
- Elizabeth Sanborn Clubhouse dedicated.
- Fairyland in Lakeside Park dedicated.
- Woodminster Light Opera Series created.
- Peralta Park created.
|
|
|
1951
|
- City Charter amended to change name of Board of
Playground Directors to Recreation Commission.
|
|
|
1954
|
- Remodeled Sailboat House.
- Mosswood Center and Live Oak Pool opened.
- Workreation Program created.
- Rotary Science Center dedicated.
- Holiday Decoration Shows established.
|
|
|
1956
|
- Arroyo Viejo and Montclair Recreation Center buildings
completed.
|
|
|
1957
|
- Associated Agencies project started with close cooperation
among police, recreation, schools, county probation office
and California Youth Authority.
- Knowland Park acquired (formerly Durant Park); Oakland
Zoo established in Knowland Park.
- Ranger Station in Joaquin Miller Park dedicated.
- Geodesic Dome, Lakeside Park, constructed.
|
|
|
1958
|
- Brookfield Center and Arroyo Viejo Children's Theater
opened.
- San Antonio Park rededication.
- Franklin Plaza dedicated.
- Leona casting pools dedicated.
|
|
|
1959
|
- Dimond Recreation Center and modernized Lions Pool
opened.
- Garden Center dedicated.
- Leona Lodge dedicated.
- Lafayette Square rededication for senior citizens.
- Rotary Camp dedicated.
- Morcom Amphitheater dedicated.
|
|
|
1960
|
- New Poplar Recreation Center opened.
- Junior Theater organized.
- Japanese Garden at Garden Center dedicated.
- Montclair Golf Course completed.
|
|
|
1961
|
- Chabot and Pinto Recreation Areas purchased and
developed.
- Franklin Recreation Center opened.
- Mosswood playground for senior men relocated.
- Community Orchestra organized.
- Sally Rutherford Thales Memorial Fountain, Lakeside Park,
dedicated.
|
|
|
1962
|
- Brookfield Recreation Center Multipurpose Room complete.
- Nine-hole par 3 golf course completed at Lake Chabot Golf
Course.
- Youell Field completed and placed in service.
- Department shared in Ford Foundation Interagency Project.
- Bushrod playground renovated.
- George Hammer Amphitheater at Montclair completed.
- Dunsmuir House acquired.
|
|
|
1963
|
- Tassafaronga playground completed.
- City wide Carnival of Drama started in cooperation with
Children’s Fairyland.
- Whitton Handicapped Teen Club organized.
- Brookdale Lodge and Shafer Field dedicated.
- Designation of Abbey in Joaquin Miller Park.
- Lake Merritt Wild Duck Refuge registered as a National
Historic Landmark.
|
|
|
1964
|
- The Oakland Children's Chorus organized.
- Trailblazers, adult handicapped group, organized.
|
|
|
1965
|
- Oakland Civic Theater organized.
- New kiln rooms at Studio One and Two completed.
- Owen Jones Field opened.
- Hellman playground opened.
- New clubroom added at Poplar Recreation Center.
- Department pioneered first neighborhood facilities grant
application in East Bay.
- Voluntary recreation service organizations chartered by
Commission.
|
|
|
1966
|
- Youth Participation in Community Action program initiated
with State Youth Commission.
- Lockhaven Recreation Center opened in Lockwood Housing
Project.
- Children's Folk Dance Festival started.
- Sheffield Recreation Center completed.
- All family camping located at Feather River; Children's
camps at Tuolumne.
|
|
|
1967
|
- Lew F. Galbraith Golf Course completed.
- Harrison Railroad Park dedicated.
- New Sequoia Lodge completed.
- San Antonio Villa program started.
|
|
|
1968
|
- YPICA Program sponsored by Downtown Oakland Christian
Parish.
- New Careers program initiated with Federal New Careerist
Agency.
- Chinese motif playground completed at Lincoln Square.
- Davie Stadium tennis courts reconstructed.
- Brookfield baseball and lighted softball fields completed.
- Mosswood Home refurbished in cooperation with Junior
Center of Arts and Science.
- Tassafaronga Recreation Center completed.
|
|
|
1969
|
- Parks and Recreation Departments merge: new Office of
Parks and Recreation organized, encompassing Parks,
Recreation and Visitor Services.
- Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission held first
meeting.
- Port-A-Pools introduced.
- Burckhalter recreation area completed.
- Park Boulevard Recreation Center renamed Francis Marion
Smith Recreation Center.
- Senior Aide program developed with Oakland Council of
Churches.
- Montclair tennis courts completed.
- deFremery Recreation Center interior renovated.
- Chabot-Rockridge tennis courts opened.
- Lake Merritt Channel Park and recreation project
completed.
|
|
|
1970
|
- Columbian Gardens Recreation Project dedicated.
- Tassafaronga Neighborhood Center Gym dedicated.
- Lakeside Park California Spring Garden Show introduced.
|
|
|
1971
|
- Montclair Recreation Center craft rooms completed.
- Hellman Park-Dunsmuir House Corporation created Land
and Water Conservation grant received for Madison Square
Park.
- Clubhouses opened for summer recreation at San Antonio,
Sanborn and Brookdale Parks.
|
|
|
1972
|
- Estuary Park dedicated.
- Grove-Shafter /MacArthur Interchange playground
completed.
- Chabot playground completed.
- Dunsmuir House accepted for National Register of Historic
Places.
- Oakland Neighborhood Basketball League initiated.
|
|
|
1973
|
- Madison Square Park dedicated.
- Knowland Park site deeded to city by State.
- California Spring Garden Show moved to Dunsmuir House.
- Helen MacGregor Mall dedicated.
|
|
|
1975
|
- Manzanita Recreation Center completed.
|
|
|
1976
|
- Central Recreation Area opened.
- Raimondi Field renovated.
|
|
|
1977
|
- Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center dedicated.
- Marston Campbell Park completed.
|
|
|
1978
|
- Peralta Hacienda declared State Historical Landmark.
- Maxwell Park and Training Center opened.
- Carter Recreation Center opened.
- Shepherd Canyon Park acquired.
|
|
|
1979
|
- San Antonio Villa renovated.
- Grove-Shafter Park completed.
- Concordia Campus acquired.
|
|
|
1980
|
- Oak Park opened.
- Wade Johnson Park constructed.
- Rainbow Recreation Center dedicated.
- Commencement of redwood reforestation at Joaquin Miller
Park.
|
|
|
1981
|
- Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation incorporated as a
non-profit organization whose purpose is to develop ways to
support Oakland's parks and recreation system.
- Phase I of Shepherd Canyon Park completed.
- Phase I of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park completed.
|
|
|
1982
|
- Art Festival at Lake Merritt started.
- Disabled Persons Boating Program started.
- Sanborn Park renovation completed.
- Tennis court lighting installed at San Antonio Park.
- San Pablo Avenue and Fruitvale commercial area
landscaping completed.
|
|
|
1983
|
- Raimondi Clubhouse rebuilt.
- Coliseum Gardens Park completed.
- Brookdale tennis court rehabilitated.
- Lake Merritt Channel Park completed.
- 51st Street landscaping completed.
- Rotary Natural Science Center renovated.
- Special Populations Project, Lakeside Park.
|
|
|
1984
|
- Vantage Point Park completed; Caldecott Park completed.
- deFremery swimming pool renovated.
- Arroyo Viejo Park renovation completed.
- Peralta House restored.
- Bushrod Recreation Center building rehabilitation
completed.
|
|
|
1985-1986
|
- Allendale Rec Center renovated.
- Youth Advisory Commission established.
- Street median restoration project begins.
|
|
|
1987-1990
|
- Herbye K. White director.
- Youth Services division added.
- Dept. reorganized into operating divisions -Recreation,
Parks, Youth & Administration.
- Recreation Division reorganized into three districts to
improve service to the community.
- Fremont & Temescal pools renovated.
- Curt Flood Sports Center dedicated.
- OPR receives Lucky-A's ballpark renovation grant for Arroyo
Viejo.
- A's-Shappell Industries Youth Baseball Camp Opens.
- Outdoor education program established.
- Children's Fairyland turns 40.
- Oakland 52-Mile Scenic Drive project initiated.
- Holiday tree recycling programs begins at Joaquin Miller.
- Tree division modernized with new aerial lift trucks.
- Sequoia and Leona Lodges become wheelchair accessible.
- Open space parklands unit and city-wide youth sports
program created.
|
|
|
1992
|
- Redwood Heights Community Recreation Center and
Brookfield (Ira Jinkins) Community Recreation Center open
new facilities.
|
|
|
1993
|
- Oakland is recognized as an All-America City.
|
|
|
1994
|
- Parks and Recreation initiates development of the
Community Gardening Program.
|
|
|
1995
|
- Tassafaronga Recreation Center opens a new gym adjacent
to the East Oakland
recreation center.
|
|
|
1999
|
- Poplar Community Recreation Center opens a new facility
in West Oakland. Poplar Community Recreation Center
rebuilt with Measure K funds.
- Rainbow Recreation Center's basketball court is renovated
by the Makin' Hoops Program sponsored by the Golden
State Warriors.
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|
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