East Bay Yesterday

East Bay Yesterday
East Bay Yesterday

East Bay history podcast that gathers, shares & celebrate stories from Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and other towns throughout Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

  1. Industry makes and breaks the Bay Area: A crash course with Richard Walker

    APR 24

    Industry makes and breaks the Bay Area: A crash course with Richard Walker

    From the gold rush to the tech boom, this region has been shaped by successive waves of business growth and decline. Every generation, new investments, innovations, and industries have led the way in building the Bay Area, attracting immigrants, and impacting every aspect of life here. For better or worse, the legacy of these trends is the world we live in today. In this episode, urban geographer Richard Walker, author of “Pictures of a Gone City: Tech and the Dark Side of Prosperity in the San Francisco Bay Area,” discusses the pros and cons of these boom/bust cycles and explores the history of local development through the lens of Big Business. As the Bay Area’s economy faces an uncertain future under the threat of a global trade war and a looming “AI revolution,” this wide-ranging conversation gives context to our often bewildering present. Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: https://eastbayyesterday.substack.com/ For photos and links related to this episode, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/industry-makes-and-breaks-the-bay-area/ Donate to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday

    1h 11m
  2. People of the Pacific Circuit: Oakland’s place in the global economy

    APR 2

    People of the Pacific Circuit: Oakland’s place in the global economy

    On March 25, I interviewed Alexis Madrigal and Noni Session in front of a sold out crowd at Spire in West Oakland. Madrigal is the author of an essential new book called “The Pacific Circuit: A Globalized Account of the Battle for the Soul of an American City.” He is also host of KQED’s Forum, a longtime journalist, and a dear friend. Noni Session is a third generation West Oaklander and the executive director of East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative, a community-funded organization that challenges displacement with cooperative economic strategies. Through her groundbreaking work with EB PREC, Session is rebuilding local institutions, such as Esther’s Orbit Room, and also removing housing from the speculative market to create permanently affordable, community-controlled homes. Our discussion explored themes that connect Madrigal’s book and Session’s revitalization projects, the history of West Oakland’s role in the global economy, and much more. Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: substack.com/@eastbayyesterday For photos and links related to this episode, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/people-of-the-pacific-circuit/ Donate to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday

    1h 12m
  3. “Crockett became Italy”: How a sugar factory created an immigrant enclave

    MAR 12

    “Crockett became Italy”: How a sugar factory created an immigrant enclave

    On the western outskirts of Crockett, on the bluffs overlooking the Carquinez strait, there’s a small unincorporated neighborhood called Valona. These days, this community isn’t that different from any of the others that stretch along this northern edge of Contra Costa County, but things used to be a lot different. If you were in Valona a century ago, you might have felt more like you were in a traditional Italian village than a Bay Area suburb. You would’ve seen kids stomping grapes to make wine during harvest season and families making salami from scratch to hang in their cellars. And you definitely would’ve heard people speaking Italian, which was more common than hearing English around these parts. But one thing hasn’t changed – looking down from Valona back then, and now, you’d see a giant brick factory, flanked by huge silos and loading docks. That is the C&H Sugar Factory, and in a lot of ways, that factory is the reason why Valona and the entire town of Crockett exists. Today’s episode is a journey into the history of Valona and Crockett, and our guide is Barbara Pangi Denton, the author of a new book called “Sweet Success: How Industry, Immigrants, and Working Women Shaped a Town.” Listen now to hear Barbara discuss her deep Italian roots, the downfall of Crockett’s “golden age,” and the importance of community cookbooks. Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: substack.com/@eastbayyesterday For photos and links related to this episode, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/crockett-became-italy/ Donate to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday

    1h 2m
  4. “A town in the middle of a city”: Live from Jingletown with the Co-Founders crew

    FEB 20

    “A town in the middle of a city”: Live from Jingletown with the Co-Founders crew

    Anyone who has ever driven on 880 and noticed that there appears to be ancient brick walls closing in on you as you pass through Oakland’s Jingletown neighborhood has probably wondered about the history of this post-industrial landscape. The California Cotton Mill was founded in 1883 and employed more than 1200 workers at its peak. Many of the workers were Portuguese immigrants who created a tight-knit, working class community, which eventually dwindled down after the Mill closed and the Nimitz Freeway tore the neighborhood in half in the early 1950s. On February 13, 2025, I co-hosted an event in the former Cotton Mill, a sprawling 4-acre complex of brick lofts and warehouses, with Adesha Adefela, Ryan Nicole Austin and Beau Lewis, the creators of an upcoming hip hop musical called Co-Founders. We discussed how being in this historic, industrial space influenced the development of their show, the global impact of Oakland music, and their personal stories of being artists in the Bay. The event also featured an interview with Mario Hernandez, an assistant Professor of Sociology at Mills College at Northeastern University who specializes in the study of gentrification. Listen now to hear a deep conversation about art, tech, and history… plus an exclusive clip from a new E-40 song on the forthcoming Co-Founders soundtrack! Special thanks to TK Campbell from Stay Diff for recording this event. Tickets for Co-Founders available now: https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2024-25-season/co-founders/ Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: substack.com/@eastbayyesterday For photos and links related to this episode, visit: https://eastbayyesterday.com/ Donate to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday

    1h 21m
  5. Punks on film: How Murray Bowles captured “the physical expression of drama”

    JAN 27

    Punks on film: How Murray Bowles captured “the physical expression of drama”

    Since the dawn of the smartphone era, everybody has carried a camera with them at all times. If anything, there are too many photos and videos being recorded at concerts. We all know the annoyance of being distracted from the music by outstretched arms holding up glowing screens in front of the stage. During the early years of the Bay Area punk scene, however, there was usually only one person with a camera documenting the action – Murray Bowles. Back when this aggressively self-marginalized genre was relegated to sweaty basements, decrepit warehouses, and outdoor wastelands, Murray could consistently be found in the mosh pit, snapping photos of the glorious chaos erupting around him. As the scene’s popularity grew, buoyed by local institutions like all-ages club 924 Gilman and Maximumnrocknroll magazine, Murray’s images became the defining visual documentation of a punk rock renaissance. He was even immortalized (in cartoon form) on the cover of Green Day’s “Dookie,” the biggest selling punk album of all time. “Hail Murray: The Bay Area Punk Photography of Murray Bowles, 1982-1995” (Last Gasp) is the first book to compile his explosive photographic catalogue and pay tribute to the man behind the lens. This episode features an interview with Anna Brown, a lifelong friend of Murray who compiled this posthumous retrospective. https://lastgasp.com/products/hail-murray Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news. https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday Donate to keep this show alive: https://www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday

    1h 18m
  6. A century of mysteries: Exploring the Fox Theater’s hazy history

    JAN 8

    A century of mysteries: Exploring the Fox Theater’s hazy history

    Despite being one of Oakland’s most iconic buildings, the history of the Fox Theater is filled with unsolved mysteries. In preparation for his ongoing tours of the nearly century-old structure, architectural historian J.M. Marriner has been digging into the archives and looking for answers. This episode features our conversation on everything from arson and art theft to mushrooms growing in the balcony carpet.  If you want to see more photos related to this episode, check out my SF Gate article: https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/fox-theater-oakland-landmark-mysteries-19988446.php You can contact J.M. Marriner to get a copy of his booklet about the history of the theater and I also highly recommend checking out one of his tours: https://www.instagram.com/jmmarriner/ Subscribe to the Oakland Heritage Alliance email list to find out about upcoming dates: https://www.oaklandheritage.org/ Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday East Bay Yesterday can’t survive without your donations. Please make a pledge to keep this show alive www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday Special thanks to the sponsor of this episode: For 112 years, Children’s Hospital in Oakland has been a foundational part of keeping our local communities healthy and happy. UCSF is proud to celebrate its award-winning care at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in Oakland, throughout the East Bay, and around the Bay Area. Thank you to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in Oakland for being a proud sponsor of East Bay Yesterday.

    1h 11m
  7. Freight trains, plants, and a vanishing world: Joey Santore on industry and ecology

    12/10/2024

    Freight trains, plants, and a vanishing world: Joey Santore on industry and ecology

    About 20 years ago, Joey Santore went from illegally riding freight trains across the country to working as a “train man” for Union Pacific. His official duties, which included driving the trains, gave him a unique look at the decline of the East Bay’s industrial sector and blue collar workforce. Spending time in decaying factories and train yards also sparked his interest in nature, as he saw plants and animals returning to repopulate these post-industrial spaces. Eventually Joey finally got fed up with his corporate railroad bosses and quit working on trains in order to focus full-time on nature. His wildly successful podcast and video series Crime Pays, but Botany Doesn’t now attracts legions of fans from all over the world who tune in to hear Joey share his vast knowledge of plants along with a healthy dose of socio-political analysis thrown into the mix. Although Joey no longer lives in West Oakland, he returned for a visit recently to check on “the illegal garden” he left behind. While he was in town, we caught up on everything from his craziest memories of the train years to his observations about the Bay Area’s many fascinating ecosystems. Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday Special thanks to the sponsor of this episode: For 112 years, Children's Hospital in Oakland has been a foundational part of keeping our local communities healthy and happy. UCSF is proud to celebrate its award-winning care at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in Oakland, throughout the East Bay, and around the Bay Area. Thank you to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in Oakland for being a proud sponsor of East Bay Yesterday. East Bay Yesterday can’t survive without your donations. Please make a pledge to keep this show alive www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday. More details here: https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/freight-trains-plants-and-a-vanishing-world/

    1h 5m
  8. The missing chapter: Filling in the blanks of the Bay Area’s Native American history

    11/22/2024

    The missing chapter: Filling in the blanks of the Bay Area’s Native American history

    “Contrary to popular belief, most Native American people in the United States live in urban areas and not reservations.” Those words are from “Refusing Settler Domesticity: Native Women’s Labor and Resistance in the Bay Area Outing Program,” a new book by historian Caitlin Keliiaa. Caitlin grew up in Hayward and her family is part of what she describes as the Bay Area’s large, thriving, and diverse Urban Indian population. Just to be clear, Caitlin isn’t Ohlone. She’s not a descendant of the Indigenous tribes who’ve lived in the Bay Area for millennia. Like many Urban Indians, her family has only been here for a few generations – and her new book helps answer the question of how they, and many other Native families, got here. The book is important, because as Caitlin explained: “A lot of people think about Indian relocation in the 1950s as the moment when Native people come to the Bay, but actually they were here decades prior.” Listen to the episode now to hear about a mostly forgotten chapter of Bay Area history that is crucial to understanding the roots of this region’s Urban Indian community. https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/the-missing-chapter/ Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: https://substack.com/@eastbayyesterday Special thanks to the sponsor of this episode: UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals are committed to supporting the health and development of all children. At UCSF’s Pediatric Heart Center, doctors are using cutting edge 3D modeling technology to provide lifesaving treatments for Bay Area children. Using state-of-the-art 3D heart imaging, the team at Children’s can diagnose previously unseen complications, unlock solutions, and empower life-saving surgical approaches. To learn more, click here: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2023/04/425186/how-3d-printer-heart-technology-changed-teens-life East Bay Yesterday can’t survive without your donations. Please make a pledge to keep this show alive: https://www.patreon.com/eastbayyesterday

    1h 2m
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4.9
out of 5
420 Ratings

About

East Bay history podcast that gathers, shares & celebrate stories from Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and other towns throughout Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

Information

  • Creator
    East Bay Yesterday
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2025
  • Episodes
    131
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    East Bay Yesterday

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