COBBLEDICKS

COBBLEDICK

        The Cobbledick name has been leaving its mark on Oakland almost since the city was established.

        James Cobbledick came here in 1849 and opened a business where he built carriages and stage coaches, a company that flourished and grew.  It didn’t take long for him to become wealthy and influential in City business.  For one thing, he was among the group of prominent city leaders who established Mountain View Cemetery.

        James’ son, Lloyd, was born in 1867.  In 1890, when he was 23, he followed his father into business by opening a store on 12th street.  Initially, his stock included paint, glass and wallpaper, but in 1906 he began selling glass exclusively.  These goods were in great demand after the earthquake and his company flourished.

        But Lloyd jr. was the person who built the company into the large enterprise it eventually became.  He was born in 1922, attended UC Davis and served in WW2.  Upon returning to Oakland, he joined his father’s business.

        And it’s Lloyd jr’s uncle, Arthur, the other son of Lloyd sr., who designed Oakland’s beautiful rose garden.  In 1932, Arthur was already a well-established landscape architect in Oakland and with his family connections, a likely person for Mayor Frank Morcom to choose as the one to lay out the design for the proposed garden.

        The land for the Rose Garden had been set aside as open space since 1911, but was sitting idle.  In 1932, the Businessman’s Garden Club approached the city with an idea and a plan to make a rose garden there.  Arthur Cobbledick was a member, and he invited his cousin James, a local decorator and Professor F. H. Meyer of California School of Arts and Crafts to be a part of this enterprising group. 

        In 1933 the first rose was planted by Mayor Frank Morcom, whose name adorns the garden.  Since then work, including construction, planting and maintenance has continued to keep the garden beautiful, to monitor the health of the trees and other plants and to install new walkways.  In 1995 the East Bay Rose Society guided a refurbishment to make it look much as it does today.  And last year many of the paths and walkways were repaved.

        Many weddings have taken place in Oakland’s Rose Garden, and it is not uncommon to happen upon one while walking there.  Uncounted numbers of photo shoots have also used the Rose Garden as backdrop.  Oakland’s Mother of the Year award is made every year in the Rose Garden, and a plaque with her name on it is installed in the wide walkway.

        A dedicated group of volunteers meets on a regular basis to weed the flower beds and help keep the place clean and welcoming.  Their schedule is posted on signs at the entrance on Chetwood and the one at Jean Street.

        Those of us who live in Oakland are fortunate to have this garden, recipient of several national awards, in our community.  Residents and visitors are are lucky that it is so accessible.

Thank you, Cobbledicks

506 words

© Ruby Long