The 1928 Polk's Oakland City Directory lists Forni Manufacturing at 1379 62d St., Emeryville, under "WATER METER BOX MANUFACTURERS". Gloria confirms her father George Forni was born in 1900 in San Francisco and began his company in the 1920's and had offices at one point in both Emeryville and Santa Rosa. George Forni's father was a major contributor to building Jack London's Wolf House in the Valley of the Moon. George Forni had a foot disability and so apprenticed as a tool and die maker which he did so well that he fashioned most of the molds for the Forni castings seen all over the Bay Area. George Forni developed the water meter box and held patents for designs still in use. Forni also made valve, electrical, telephone, and drain boxes; vaults, pits, catch basins and other works for water, gas, elecrical, sewer and drainage use. Until Forni used a Columbia block-making machine for meter boxes, all products were made by hand in wooden molds by Italian workers Forni brought to this country. The word "Forni" means "furnaces" in Italian.
At the height of the company, which was marketed very successfully by Forni's wife, the family lived on Newell Ave, in Walnut Creek in a house Forni built himself using his invention of interlocking, hollow beam lightweight concrete which he patented "Flex-I-Core". The Newell on ramp at 680 required the demolishment of this house. After the Korean War, the expanded Forni family began to experiment with techniques and designs and developed "cribbing" which is interlocking concrete blocks found in highway retaining walls and landslide fortifications. This lead to other concrete developments, including the lightweight concrete walls for buildings such as the sun screens for the residence halls on the U.C. Berkeley campus. This production required 24/7 work, and according to Forni's daughter Gloria, caused the Forni Co.'s undoing such that it was sold to Christy Concrete products in 1959--who continue to manufacture products under Forni patents and name. George Forni went on to form the Forni Corporation with his son creating precast concrete utility structures. This company still exists, although father and son do not.
Gloria Forni E. Patten Edwards can be reached through the Clayton Historic Society and currently resides in Concord.
Serendipitiously, the Phoenix Grate to right was outside the historic Costanza home the Phoenix Iron Works owners recently purchased! The current Phoenix owner's father was a great man who loved his family and also celebrated his employees--especially Arthur. The current owner is still in her prime and has worked for Phoenix for 40 years. Her father died suddenly 3 days after her wedding, which also took place in their "new" Martinez home. Click HERE for hand imprints made by Costanza sons over 60 years ago, one of whom has passed on.
Phoenix Iron Works has existed in 3 locations, the 1st location from 1901-1965 at 2nd & Castro, Oakland. The Martinez fixtures come from this 1st location, and so are at least 40 years old. I am going to guess they are at least twice that old as Phoenix tells me they are the original storm drain fixtures, having never been replaced from this very old part of Martinez. Because of bicycle tires, storm drain grates holes were changed from running parallel to street (see right) to running perpendicular (see left).
Most foundries were located on railroad tracks because the supplies necessary to make iron castings came on railcar: iron, sand, coke, and binders. Many foundries had railroad spurs straight into their premises, and/or existed along the water front where railroads facilitated shipments. Phoenix Iron Works makes an assortment of castings both for construction and ornament: the lighthousing for the Golden Gate Bridge' 50th anniversary light towers, the light poles that run San Francisco's Market Street, called " The Path of Gold", Oakland's Lake Merritt historic (1925) "Necklace of Lights", the exterior grills on the Sheraton Palace Hotel, and also recast Jack London's stove at the First and Last Chance Bar, Oakland. Phoenix still shares space with a real blacksmith. Old Blacksmith pictures show it is a tradition that these men are of the highest physical quality! Click HERE to see Blacksmith at work.On a final note, the owners of the Phoenix Iron Works property on the Oakland Water Front have successfully fought off eminent domain TWICE. Way to go!
1935 Sanborn Insurance Company maps show that the Empire Foundry Company took up half the block at 3rd and Broadway and by 1951 Sanborn shows Empire expanded into 2nd St. as well. William B. Straub, according to the 1928 History of Alameda County California, developed "one of the important industrial establishhments of Oakland" out of what began as a tiny one-man foundry. By 1928 it employed 40 men and Straub was eventually "numbered among the community's leading and highly respected business men." However, by 1970 Empire Foundry was no longer in business.
On a slightly related Martinez note, in 1851 another teen James Rankin immigrated from Scotland and began working as a plumber in Oakland. Eventually he opened his own firm, James Rankin and Sons, which supplied Empire Foundry items to both William R. Hearst's Julie Morgan designed castles. An Empire Foundry Company's gutter grill resides at the public corner adjacent to the site of the new D.A. building.
