Woodminster Cascades postcard; CC BY 2.0, no known restrictions, The Tichnor Brothers Collection
Woodminster Cascades, located at 3300 Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland, California are stone staircases and a man made waterway running down 100' through a series of reflecting pools, complete with a panoramic view of Oakland.
Flowing from the base of the Woodminster Theatre, both the cascade and theatre were the brainchild of Joaquin Miller's daughter, Juanita Miller. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the Woodminster Casades and Theatre as a tribute to the poets and writers of California. The nearby trees are part of the Writers Memorial Grove. The first tree was planted for Joaquin Miller; other trees were planted for Bret Harte, Charles Warren Stoddard, Edward Roland Sill, Ina Coolbrith, Jack London, Mark Twain, Charles Fletcher Lummis, and Edwin Markham. 2
Constructed in 1939 - 1940, the original landscaping, roads, and picnic area of Joaquin Miller Park were designed William Penn Mott, who was just beginning his career with the Oakland Parks & Recreation Department.
Walking tours of the Woodminster Cascades and Theatre were conducted by the Alameda County Historical Society (not sure if tours are still offered).
CC SA-BY Our Oakland
CC SA-BY Our Oakland
CC SA-BY Our Oakland
Links and References
- Woodminster Cascades stairway - an Oakland escape SFGate
- California Writers Club History calwriters.org
