For a few years, the list of parks on the City of Oakland's website, and various City Council and other staff reports regarding parks, all used to say that there was a park called Beaumont Park at the corner of Beaumont Avenue & East 38th Street. If you know the area - or simply look at an aerial photograph1 - you know that there are houses on three of these corners, and the fourth corner is occupied by the asphalt playground of Edna Brewer Middle School.
A little bit of research with Sanborn maps and other sources relating to the late 1950s expansion of what is now Edna Brewer Middle School confirms that there was never any park at this location -- in fact, in response to a January 2014 Public Records Act request asking for information about this supposed park, the City of Oakland staffer responding to the request stated: "This park does not exist. After some research, the blacktop of Edna Brewer is not and was not ever apart [sic] of an Oakland park.." 2 The City has since removed this supposed park from their list of parks -- but it will take some time for the name to be deleted from other sources based on the City's incorrect information.
Links and References
- Google Street View of Beaumont Avenue & East 38th Street
- City of Oakland Public Records Act Request 2299
