Oneida Commercial Marks: DEPOT CAFE Spoon

[Traintime]

Now we come to one of those troublesome questions...At what time did the ONEIDA A1 mark appear with serif letters. They seem to have introduced Windsor pattern around 1919 when the firm was still known as Community, but markings for their hotel wares are less well documented than those for household production. Concievably, this mark might even pre-date the 1935 conversion of the company name. There were probably many places that could be called a cafe for a depot (railroad, bus/stages, military, etc.), but this "stamping" is a topmark that appears to be more of a propper name for a restaurant establishment. In at least one case, there is a DEPOT CAFE in Albany Oregon which seems to have occupied the space in the Depot Hotel where there was once an early Southern Pacific Eating House/Dining Room dating back to before trains had begun to carry regular dining cars. The hotel survived into the 1930's. Nothing is conclusive here, but the serif letters do seem to be suggestive of an earlier era of marking. Undoutedly, it would be difficult to prove an actual location, but does the maker mark point to an era that can be cinfirmed from dateable samples? TIA








Here is information related to Albany Oregon's old station converted to a hotel, and the listing of a cafe:

[Traintime]

Depot Cafe of Albany can't be outright dismissed as it existed on the 800 block of Lyon Street as early as the 1950 directory, where it still operates, but the structure seems questionable. The Depot Hotel at "corner 11th & Lyon" was purchased from the railroad in 1892-4, and moved to 9th & Lyon in 1908 when a new rail station was constructed. Operated as the Van Dran Hotel, a four-story brick addition became the main structure with the old two-story wooden hotel changing over to a kitchen and dining facility. It remained functional until 1947 whence it became some sort of retirement home, closing in 1987 after the state authorities gave old folks the boot...typical.

A more likely candidate may be Shean's DEPOT CAFE on 3rd Street near Townsend in San Francisco, just opposite the then busy Southern Pacific Passenger Station and served by the Market Street Railway's very busy trolley lines out Third to the south where industries operated. An older shot glass was once identified as that of the S.P. Cafe in the 800's of 3rd Street, so there is evidence that such things may have existed in the area. This of course would be later, and nearby, but possibly succeeding the business of that first venture. In one of the images, a view is taken from what may be the roof of the building, but no known shots of the cafe have been found yet. In its' heyday, this might be the kind of business that could afford the investment in customized dining wares. This was once a very busy location with a lot of rail traffic.

[Traintime]

Perhaps the solution. In 1910, the SP Cafe (Saloon) was located at 707-709 3rd. In the later photo we can see a watch inspector at the address 709, right next to the DEPOT COFFEE SHOP at 711. The large square structure to the left is on the 600 block and Shean's DEPOT CAFE was at 699. Looking closely above the two trolley cars, we can see the name partially obscurred by the power poles on one car. This place looks large enough to have purchased marked silverwares, and perhaps china. The other image is a rare view of the first station at the location looking along Townsend toward Third revealing the far corner on the left where the DEPOT CAFE would someday be opened.

[Traintime]

A bit more background for 699 Third Street, pre-earthquake, from June 1905: https://books.google.com/books?id=qd_NA ... co&f=false

Max Katzaner, Cigars and Tobacco, 699 3rd.

Source linked-->The Railroad Trainman, vol. 22, 1905 (a.k.a. Railroad Trainmen's Journal), page 538, column 1...continuance of "Business Subscribers Recieved for June." under "SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.".

While the damage from the fires did reach out to South of Market district, the rail station operated for mass evacuations so it is possible that older structures in the area did survive. When the Depot Cafe building went up is not known, but this seems to be a long time history of business at this corner.