The original extent of Oakland , upon its incorporation , lay south of today 's major intersection of San Pablo Avenue , Broadway , and Fourteenth Street . The city gradually annexed farmlands and settlements to the east and the north . Oakland 's rise to industrial prominence , and its subsequent need for a seaport , led to the digging of a shipping and tidal channel in 1902 , which created an island of nearby town Alameda . In 1906 , its population doubled with refugees made homeless after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire . Concurrently , a strong City Beautiful movement , promoted by Mayor Frank Kanning Mott , was responsible for creating and preserving parks and monuments in Oakland , including major improvements to Lake Merritt and the construction of Oakland Civic Auditorium , which cost $ 1M in 1914 . The Auditorium briefly served as an emergency ward and quarantine for some of the victims of the 1918 flu pandemic . The three waves of the pandemic killed more than 1,400 , out of 216,000 , Oakland residents
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
History of Oakland, California