A thriving commercial strip. Open country, with dairy farms, cottages and ranches. A small town created by an eccentric showman remembered for his multi-colored jackasses. A tavern haven.

What is now Oakland’s Golden Gate district, the area north of Emeryville, centered around San Pablo Avenue and 59th Street, has had many faces over the years.

Oakland North is taking a look at the history of the Golden Gate district. We have a story by Ryan Phillips about Charles Klinkner, a rubber stamp tycoon who was an early developer of the Golden Gate and established it as “Klinknerville.” Megan Molteni interviews a longtime resident of the area to find out what it was like to grow up in the Golden Gate district in the 1950s. And Amna Hassan has some then and now photos of what San Pablo Avenue looked like in the 1950s, and what it looks like today.

We’ve also got historical photos and a map of bars that once thrived but are now closed.

Do you have a story about the Golden Gate’s history that you’d like to share? E-mail Ryan Phillips at ryan.phillips@oaklandnorth.net. Also, if you want more, check out the first edition in the series on Temescal.