Trade at that time was the shipping of hides, brick, lumber and vegetables to San Francisco. A brick kiln existed then at the right arm of Lake Merritt, and there was a little wharf where scow-barges could come up the estuary and take on bricks.

Historical records tell of the activities of one Antonio Foute, once a sailor, who had arrived in the early 1850’s, and used a whale boat to ship milk to San Francisco. A minor business activity, of course, but fairly typical of Oakland’s commercial beginnings.

The town thought it was booming then, though present day Chambers of Commerce might smile at the size of the "boom". Citizens came in ever increasing numbers. In 1852, they numbered about seventy and in 1853, about twice that number. If it wasn’t really a "boom" it was growth. most certainly .

Family names were given to some of the streets, Alice Street honored Horace Carpentier’s only sister, Madison Street was then called "Julia" Street, for Adam’s only sister.

The Kellersberger map endorsed by Carpentier and Adams showed Broadway to be 110 feet wide. Other streets projected were eighty feet wide. Blocks were from 200 to 300 feet long. The town’s boundaries were 1st, 14th, Market and Fallon Streets.

The village was ripe, in Carpentier’s opinion, for incorporation in 1852, so when the legislature convened at Benicia, he proceeded thence, armed with the Kellersbereer map and immediately hunted up his friend and fellow New Yorker, David C. Broderick, who had been elected assemblyman from San Francisco.

Through Broderick, Carpentier placed his bill for incorporation before the legislature. The usual petition, signed by residents of the area affected, was not among the legal exhibits, and even more audacious, Carpentier, representing no one but himself proposed to change the name of the settlement from Contra Costa to Oakland.

Broderick sponsored the bill in committee and remained its friend. Even the elements seemed to conspire in Carpentier’s behalf. The Capitol had just been moved and while the lawmaking bodies were in session the rain fell almost continuously. Legislators waded about in mud, boot-top deep, and the roofs of the Capitol building leaked miserably.

The efforts at lawmaking were a farce. Leaky roofs do not help men to be thoughtful of the public good. At none of the sessions was there a full attendance and frequently the sergeant at arms had to be sent to round up a quorum. This chaotic condition probably prevented a serious discussion of Carpentier’s bill which, of course, could not have displeased Carpentier.

Then there were other bills for the incorporation of other towns. The legislators were in favor of progress, at least as a rhetorical proposition, and in the same way that a lover favors love or a sinner favors sin. The desire to incorporate a town was taken as evidence of progress per se and was therefore regarded as good. So the bill was passed; the village became a town. Contra Costa became Oakland and the legislators "wrung the water from their socks" and called it a day.

No sooner was the town legally incorporated than Adams. Moon and Carpentier swung into action. An election was promptly held, The three with A. W. Burrell and Amadee Marier. were elected trustees. It should be interpolated, however, that the election was nearly as secret as the act of incorporation.

At the first meeting of the new board of trustees. held on May 17, 1852, Marier was elected chairman and Carpentier failed to qualify. This seemingly strange action is explained by subsequent events.