All about Oakland

In recognition of ROUTE 1's OAKLAND WEEK, here's some things you might not know about my birthplace:
Oakland is home to at least 100 spoken languages.
Oakland was once known as "Detroit of the West" and by 1920 what was once a Chevrolet plant produced about 100 cars per day.
Oakland was reportedly the home of the nation's first phone booth.
Oakland welcomed 65,000 new, permanent residents following the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
Oakland led the West Coast in shipbuilding during World War II, boasting 35 percent of the total output.
Oakland and its shipbuilding drew black laborers from Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and elsewhere during World War II, and now Oakland and the East Bay is home to nearly 300,000 of the Bay Area's 575,000 African Americans.
Oakland's 550-acre port is among the top 20 ports in the world.
For more great facts about Oakland, check out the Oaklandish Web site, located here, and the Soul of America Web site, located here.
Go OAKLAND!