Re: Alice St. Yard
Author: Dr Zarkoff
Date: 12-19-2020 - 12:07
The Hanlon Drydock and Shipbuiding Company was on the water side of the San Jose mains at 5th Ave on 17 acres which extended RR east. I also got the impression from the switchmen that "Hanlon lead" extended from 5th Ave, along the water side of the freeway to where it started heading over toward the Estuary at 19th Ave.
The official name of the "Lake Merritt inlet" is the "Lake Merritt Canal", and is the remains of an arm of the estuary leading to a tidal basin where runoff mixed with the salty Bay water. In 1868-70 a dam was constructed at 12th St to stop tidal action and convert the basin into what is now called "Lake Merritt" as a freshwater wildlife refuge, the first such refuge in in North America.