Trestle Glen, Oakland, California facts for kids
Trestle Glen is a cool neighborhood located in Oakland, California. It sits just east of Lakeshore Avenue, which is a busy street with lots of shops. Trestle Glen shares this shopping area with another neighborhood called the Grand Lake District. This area is about 144 feet (44 meters) above sea level.
The streets in Trestle Glen are curvy, not straight. This design was popular in the early 1900s for "garden suburbs." Many of the homes here are tucked into the hills. They were built a long time ago, just before a tough economic time called The Great Depression.
Contents
The Story Behind the Name
How Trestle Glen Got Its Name
Trestle Glen is named after an old railroad bridge. This bridge was called a "trestle." It was built in 1893 to help trains cross a valley. But the trestle didn't last forever. In 1906, it was taken down because the train tracks were moved to a different path.
The Creek and Its History
The old railroad line followed a creek called Trestle Glen Creek. Early settlers in the area called this creek "Indian Gulch." This was because a village of the Huchiun people, a Native American group, was located nearby. That village was close to where Lakeshore Avenue and Trestle Glen Road are today. Most of Trestle Glen Creek now flows underground.
Streetcars and Neighborhood Growth
Streetcars, which are like electric trains that run on city streets, were very important for Trestle Glen. They helped new homes and neighborhoods grow in this area. People could easily travel to and from their homes using the streetcar.
There's a fun story that the famous writer Mark Twain rode on the very first streetcar trip here. However, this isn't true! Mark Twain was actually living in Europe at that time.
