At the time of incorporation in 1852 , Oakland had consisted of the territory that 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 . This resulted in the nearby town of Alameda being made an island . In 1906 , the city 's population doubled with refugees made homeless after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Oakland, California