American Bag Co.--Union Hide Co.
historic place
Welcome to the site of the American Bag Company and Union Hide Company building in Oakland, California. This historic place, located in Alameda County, was constructed in 1917. Designed by architect Leonard H. Thomas, the building is notable for its early 20th-century utilitarian architectural style. It features distinctive three-dimensional polychrome brickwork and arched windows. The Union Hide Company began in 1906, founded by Kalman Gluck, who collected used burlap feed bags and cattle hides. The company acquired this property in 1912. From 1912 to 1988, this building served as the headquarters for the American Bag and Union Hide Company. The company pioneered the vacuum cleaning and machine mending of used burlap bags. They resold these as “Guaranteed Amerbags,” an unusual practice at the time, and also manufactured new bags. The Oakland facility included spaces for cleaning bags, offices, warehousing, and a basement hide cellar. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 and designated an Oakland Landmark in 1999. Although a historical marker once stood here, erected by the Jack London Neighborhood Association, it has since been permanently removed. Today, the restored 1917 warehouse has been repurposed into apartment-condo units. This site represents a significant aspect of Oakland's industrial and architectural past.