April 2024 - History Corner

Once Upon a Hillside: 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 years ago

April 1899

Apr 15: The Berkeley Hillside Club will hold its next meeting on Tuesday evening at 4 o’clock at Mrs. Atterbury’s new home on Ridge and Le Conte Avenues.

Apr 28: “Foothill Architecture – B. R. Maybeck to Lecture Before Hillside Club”

The Hillside Club will meet on Thursday, May 2, at 4pm, at the residence of Mrs. Frank Wilson, on Ridge Road. B. R. Maybeck of the University will address the club on “Hillside Architecture.” As Mr. Maybeck is authority an on architecture, an entertaining and instructive lecture is in store for the listeners.

The Hillside Club was organized for the purpose of better studying architecture appropriate to the sloping ground of the foothills. All interested in the subject of making the homes in Berkeley more beautiful are invited to attend Mr. Maybeck’s lecture. This discourse is of especial interest to residents and property owners of the Hillside tract.

April 1924

[The Hillside Clubhouse was destroyed in the Berkeley Fire of 17 September 1923]

Business Meeting, April 7: The President reported that the first payment on the new Clubhouse had been made from the subscriptions of members. The report of the card party [a ballroom dance] was read with its profit to the Building and Furnishing fund of $207.14.

The subject of the talk for the evening was “The Survey on Oriental Conditions” now being made on the Pacific Coast. Mr. Davis made a very interesting and enlightening talk and clearly explained the processes of the plan to reach the sentiment of the people of this Coast, as well as definite information on existing conditions where Orientals have grouped themselves in our territory. He made it clear that the survey is not intended as a tribunal, but a sincere effort to obtain facts and present them obviously to all sides, and leave the public to make deductions. [The Hillside Club was not immune from the racial prejudices of the time.]

Social Meeting, April 21: The Social Meeting had an Italian theme, and the program was enjoyed by members and their guests. It was opened and closed by the Club’s Chorus, who very affectively attired in Italian costume, rendered songs quite like an opera group. Miss Annette Robiana, who favored the Club last month, again gave sweet songs of her native country. Mr. Irving Whitney then began a series of entertaining stories, but was interrupted by the appearance of the hokey-pokey man, otherwise Mr. Bovard, who offered his wares of ice cream and delicious fruit juices as the beginning of the refreshments of the evening. Later coffee and punch were served downstairs and the usual social time ended an evening to be remembered for its originality and good time. Dancing was enjoyed for some time before all adjourned.

April 1949

Garden Festival, April 11: The Garden Festival is a joint project of all Hillside Club members. With this in mind, we hope that each member will find it possible to contribute something for the festival: flowers, plants, flower arrangements, etc., large or small, will be welcome. Mr. John Gregg has evolved a beautiful plan for the evening. So far this season the weather has not been conducive to gardening, but with a little help from a benign Mother Nature and the cooperation of all members, Mr. Gregg’s dream can become a reality.

Dramatic Activities Section, April 18: The Committee will present a reading of a mystery play, and we announced that this will be a mystery play indeed. In fact, it is such a mystery that they even refuse to divulge the name of it. Intriguing, no?

Hillside Chorus: The Chorus is starting rehearsals in preparation for the Spring Reception. All club members of like to sing are invited to attend.

April 1974

Fireside Meeting, April 1: Our own Warren Hanna will address us this evening on his own specialty in history, Sir Francis Drake, with particular reference to Drake’s historic visit to California in 1579. Warren has made a lifetime study of Drake and his travels, and his library on this subject is one of the finest in the world. It is fitting that we conclude our year’s Fireside programs with this outstanding authority in his field.

Garden Festival, April 8: The theme for this year’s Garden Festival, “Our Spanish Heritage,” will test the adage “the rain in Spain grows beautiful flowers in the rain.” Appropriately, Hillsiders will exhibit Spanish and early California flowers and shrubs, as well as garden pottery and shrines. Tito and Margaret Moruza of Berkeley, who have a second home in Spain, will show colored movies and slides of Spanish wild and cultivated flowers, and scenes of the Alhambra. Their talented children, Scott, Marcie, and Paul, will sing and play Spanish music.

Mother Lode Bus Tour, April 20: The Hillside Club bus tour of the central Mother Lode country, a virtual sell-out at press time, leaves the Clubhouse promptly at 8:30 this morning. Proceeding by way of Antioch Bridge, the Delta highway, and Lodi, the tourists will arrive at Sutter Creek in time for a tour of historic Sutter Creek Inn before lunch, after which they will go to Jackson to visit the museum, St. Sava’s Serbian Orthodox Church, and the picturesque tailing wheel, a relic of gold mining days. Then they will drive through the back country, visiting West Point and Mokelumne Hill before going to Stockton for dinner.

April 1999

The Club’s archive of printed monthly newsletters ended with the May 1994 issue. If you know of a source for any newsletters between 1994 and the Club’s renaissance in the early 2000s, your historian would love to hear about it!