[Redwood City] Oakleigh Park.

Description

This exciting brochure promoting “Oakleigh Park Lots” in Redwood City, California, is a classic example of early 20th-century real estate marketing, combining persuasive text, strategic imagery, and a sense of urgency to attract potential buyers. The brochure emphasizes Redwood City’s thriving community and “booming” real estate market, highlighting the affordability of the lots and the benefits of investing before prices rise. It promotes the area’s “Unsurpassed Climate,” “Fertile Soil,” and robust infrastructure, including quick transportation via “Forty trains daily.” The promotional material also features black-and-white images of scenic oaks, public buildings, and a charming bungalow, appealing to families seeking a suburban lifestyle.

An Interesting Bird’s-eye-view

Central to the reverse side of the brochure is a detailed birdseye view of Oakleigh Park and the surrounding Bay Area, showcasing Redwood City’s strategic location relative to San Francisco, Oakland, and major transportation routes. The view demonstrates the subdivision’s proximity to the Southern Pacific Railway, the planned Peninsula Electric Railway, and the newly completed Dumbarton Cut-Off. These transportation links positioned Redwood City as a critical junction for freight and passenger traffic, enhancing its appeal as a residential and commercial hub. It also provides prospective buyers with a clear sense of place, showing how Oakleigh Park fit into the broader development of the Peninsula.

Redwood City in the Early 20th Century

During this era, Redwood City was evolving from its early roots as a port for the lumber industry into a diverse and prosperous community. Originally a key hub for shipping lumber to San Francisco, the city was beginning to diversify its economy and establish itself as a suburb with strong connections to the larger Bay Area. The city’s salt production industry, visible in the brochure’s image of the “Salt Plant near Redwood,” contributed to local employment and economic growth. The completion of the Dumbarton Cut-Off in 1910 was a pivotal moment, transforming Redwood City into a vital gateway for transportation and commerce, bolstering both residential appeal and commercial opportunities.

Marketing Strategy and Urgency

The brochure skillfully blends economic opportunity with the promise of a picturesque and well-planned suburban environment. It uses classic real estate marketing strategies of the period, combining persuasive language, idyllic imagery, and a strategic emphasis on growth potential. The repeated warnings not to “wait until prices advance beyond the chance of further increase” create a sense of urgency, pushing potential buyers to act quickly. This approach, coupled with the tangible promise of a thriving community, aligns with the broader trend of suburban expansion in early 20th-century California.

Publication History and Census

The “Oakleigh Park Lots” brochure was likely published circa 1910 by the Oakleigh Park Company, with offices at 702-6 Humboldt Bank Building and 785 Market St., San Francisco, California. The brochure was created as a marketing tool to promote the Oakleigh Park subdivision in Redwood City, capitalizing on the anticipated real estate boom and the completion of the Dumbarton Cut-Off in 1910. The detailed birdseye view of the development and its surroundings suggests that the brochure was part of a professional and strategic effort to attract investors and new residents to the area.

Currently, there is no record of this specific brochure in major public collections, including the OCLC WorldCat database or known digital archives. The absence of other known copies indicates that this brochure may be a rare surviving example of early 20th-century real estate marketing materials. Its rarity may be attributed to the ephemeral nature of promotional brochures, which were often discarded after their immediate use.