Alameda County Biographies

GEORGE FRIEND COMPANY

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


 
        The beautiful and enterprising city of Berkeley owes a great deal of its 
later development and upbuilding to the activities of the George Friend Company, 
which since 1905 has controlled important real-estate interests in the city and 
the vicinity. It was founded in that year under the name of Irwin-Patten 
Company, and was later reorganized as the Newell-Hendrickson Company. In July, 
1911, William C. Murdock and George Friend bought out Mr. Hendrickson's 
interests in the concern and the Newell-Murdock Company was formed. This 
continued until May 1, 1913, when George Friend became sole proprietor of the 
business and manager of the company which bears his name.
        The company has always been especially interested in subdivision and 
development work in Berkeley and three of the most attractive and beautiful 
residence districts of the city, Regents Park, North Brea and Thousand Oaks, 
have been exploited and developed by it. Mr. Friend is now giving practically 
all of his attention to this latter subdivision, which is known as the most 
beautiful residence park in California, and the artistic and lovely effects 
which have been produced here by adapting the architecture of the houses to the 
wild but beautiful forest scenery, defy description. The view from the heights 
of Thousand Oaks is magnificent. It embraces the entire western horizon from 
north to south�five counties, twelve cities and the bay from Alviso to Carquinez 
straits being in full view. A street car ride along Arlington avenue places this 
panorama before the visitor. This street with its double driveway, imposing 
concrete ornamentation and geranium covered terraces, winds past the Spring 
estate and is destined soon to become one of the most famous drives in the west 
as it is already one of the most beautiful. Mr. Friend has striven to place the 
advantages of this garden spot within the reach of all, and a five thousand 
dollar house and lot may be bought in Thousand Oaks for an initial payment of 
six hundred and twenty-five dollars and monthly payments of fifty dollars. There 
is excellent transportation service, one hundred and fifty-five trains each way, 
running between San Francisco and Thousand Oaks, while the finest electric 
suburban service in the United States connects the little community with all the 
Alameda county lines of the Traction Company. The streets in the subdivision are 
all parked and planted with grass or geraniums. Red-hawthorne trees are set at 
short intervals, while in the parks and rock walled footways, ornamental stone 
benches and gigantic urns are placed, producing an effect altogether delightful. 
The natural beauty of this spot, the excellent transportation facilities, the 
artistic landscape gardening, the proximity of the University of California, 
which is one and a half miles distant, all combine to make Thousand Oaks a most 
desirable resident section and its rapid development and upbuilding is assured. 
Mr. Friend has given a great deal of his time and attention to this project and 
has carried it forward to a most successful completion. He is regarded as a 
reliable, farsighted and progressive business man, and his activities have been 
for several years past potent factors in the development and upbuilding of the 
city where he makes his home.
 
Past & Present of Alameda County, California � Vol II, S. J. Clarke Publ. Co., 
1914, p.  404