General History (for detailed chronology, see Historical Timeline below)
Berkeley View 1874
Berkeley from the head of Bancroft Way in 1874 by Carleton Watkins Image: The Bancroft Library.
Between Bancroft Way and Dwight Way,
there are some streets that have been laid
out in a grid, including Channing Street. This
1874 view of Berkeley from the top of
Bancroft Way shows how few buildings there
are. Bancroft Way is the road on the far left.
The two large buildings in the center are the
University's South Hall and North Hall, on
the left and right, respectively, so University
Avenue is below them. There is a cluster of
buildings along both Telegraph Avenue and
Shattuck Avenue, but for the most part, the
land is either farmed or undeveloped in any
way. The McGee and Spaulding Tracts are
still mostly farmland.