H75.334.64

"The Heights", "residence of the Poet Joaquin Miller, on the hills 6 miles east of Oakland, E.L. Winchell in the foreground, taken by Sil A. Winchell, 1889". Photograph. Description: Black and white card photograph of Joaquin Miller' home, "The Heights:," in Oakland. Albumen print on cardboard, showing a man sitting in front of Miller's home, barbed wire fence on foreground, hills with stone fences in background. Two women visible sitting on a bench right of center. The house has two wings seperated by a peaked center structure. Condition: good. Dimensions: 5 1/4" x 8 1/2". Remarks: Description on black ink on the back of the card. (G. Weininger, 5/2002): Poet Joaquin Miller had purchased much of this land, which he called "The Hights," in 1886 as a retreat and later added to it. Though it was originally rocky and barren, with few redwoods, he planted many more trees and built cabins for visitors, as well. He had wanted the property to belong to "the people" as a playground; in 1917 his wishes were fulfilled when Oakland purchased it for $33,000, with life tenure for his wife and daughter. The city changed the spelling to "The Heights."