Key Route Inn
Encyclopedia
The Key Route Inn was a major hotel in Oakland, California
in the early decades of the 20th century. It was constructed by the Realty Syndicate of Francis "Borax" Smith and Frank C. Havens
, a subsidiary of which was the Key Route
transit system. The Inn first opened on May 7, 1907 straddling what is now Grand Avenue along the west side of Broadway. President William Howard Taft
and his party were guests in 1909. Key Route Inn was a massive wood-framed structure with open timbering, in imitation of an old English style. One of its most remarkable features was the large archway and corridor through which the tracks of one of the Key Route's transbay lines passed. In this corridor was a stop which connected to the main lobby of the hotel.
The Key Route Inn suffered major damage from a fire which occurred on September 8, 1930, and combined with the Great Depression
just getting underway, as well as the desire of the City of Oakland to connect Grand Avenue with 22nd Street, resulted in the Inn being fully demolished in April and May, 1932, 25 years after it had first opened.
The rail line, however, continued, becoming the "B" transbay line upon the opening of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge railway. The rail line was replaced by the "B" bus route in April 1958, and was subsequently incorporated into the publicly-owned AC Transit
system.
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
in the early decades of the 20th century. It was constructed by the Realty Syndicate of Francis "Borax" Smith and Frank C. Havens
Frank C. Havens
Frank Colton Havens was born into one of the founding families of Shelter Island, New York, the son of Wickham Havens of Sag Harbor.-Biography:...
, a subsidiary of which was the Key Route
Key System
The Key System was a privately owned company which provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area from 1903 until 1960, when the system was sold to a newly formed public...
transit system. The Inn first opened on May 7, 1907 straddling what is now Grand Avenue along the west side of Broadway. President William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
and his party were guests in 1909. Key Route Inn was a massive wood-framed structure with open timbering, in imitation of an old English style. One of its most remarkable features was the large archway and corridor through which the tracks of one of the Key Route's transbay lines passed. In this corridor was a stop which connected to the main lobby of the hotel.
The Key Route Inn suffered major damage from a fire which occurred on September 8, 1930, and combined with the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
just getting underway, as well as the desire of the City of Oakland to connect Grand Avenue with 22nd Street, resulted in the Inn being fully demolished in April and May, 1932, 25 years after it had first opened.
The rail line, however, continued, becoming the "B" transbay line upon the opening of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge railway. The rail line was replaced by the "B" bus route in April 1958, and was subsequently incorporated into the publicly-owned AC Transit
AC Transit
AC Transit is an Oakland-based regional public transit agency serving the western half of Alameda County and parts of western Contra Costa County in the western, Bay-side area of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area...
system.
See also
- Claremont HotelClaremont ResortThe Claremont Hotel Club & Spa is a historic hotel at the foot of Claremont Canyon in the Berkeley Hills, providing the resort with scenic views of San Francisco Bay. The hotel building is entirely in Oakland, bordering Berkeley....
, a sister hotel opened in 1915 which still exists as the Claremont Resort.