In the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake , as many as 2,500 displaced people found shelter in Idora Park ; food and relief supplies were provided by the Realty Syndicate , purchased from Capwell 's Department Store . After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake , comic stars from the Tivoli Theater relocated to Oakland and renamed themselves the Idora Park Comic Opera Company . Shows like '' The Mikado '' , '' The Pirates of Penzance '' and '' The Wizard of the Nile '' were performed under the direction of Paul Steindorff in a wooden opera house called the Wigwam Theater . In 1919 when Oakland 's own 159th Regiment returned from France , the park was opened to the fighting men at no charge
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Idora Park