Elmhurst began in 1865 , when a railroad station was constructed by the San Francisco and Alameda Railroad . Originally named " Jones " , the station was renamed " Elmhurst " in 1869 . The town 's first post office was established in 1892 . The town of Elmhurst was primarily an agricultural community . After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake , East Bay communities grew in population , and the City of Oakland annexed several surrounding communities in 1909 , including Elmhurst . The neighborhood grew into a manufacturing center in the years that followed , with automobile manufacturing playing a significant role . Chevrolet opened an auto assembly plant in Elmhurst in 1915 , called Oakland Assembly which shut down in the 1960s
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Elmhurst, Oakland, California