Trolleys at Temescal Bridge

Around 1873, Mr. Morse, the "Road Master" completed the bridge that spanned Temescal Creek. This changed the area drastically. The dusty -- or infamously muddy -- Temescal Avenue still had cattle and agriculture surrounding the area. At the time, roughly 400 people made up the village of Temescal. The Berkeley Railway trolley passed through every 15 minutes carrying passengers from downtown Oakland and Berkeley. The trolley was horse drawn until it was electrified in the 1890's. At the time, Temescal was also known as "Little Italy" due to the influx of Italian immigrants.