Overview

In 1911, the Pacific Coast Cancer and Tumor Institute operated at 140 Claremont Avenue in Oakland, CA. The hospital advertised widely, marketing its cancer services in the Polk-Husted Directory Company’s Bakersfield City and Kern County Directory, 1911, (p. 276)

Building History

An obituary in the San Francisco Call indicated that Kathrina Christine Lorentzen Johnson, (born 03/23/1842 in Denmark), died at the family’s Oakland residence, 140 Claremont Avenue, on 01/23/1905 at the age of 62 years and 10 months. (See "Johnson, Kathrina C., Obituary,” San Francisco Call, vol. 97, no. 56, 01/25/1905, p. 14.)By 1910, the property of Kathrina and her husband, Captain James Johnson, Sr., (born 08/26/1836 in Skanderborg Kommune, Denmark-d. 07/18/1898 in Oakland, CA), was utilized within five years as a cancer center. A dearth of information on this cancer institution suggests that it was neither long-lived or influential.

An article in the Oakland Tribune of 04/16/1912, (p. 9), indicated that a J.L. Bohannon operated a cancer center at this address and was appealing to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to allow him to provide treatments for cancer. According to this article, "Dr. C A. Wills, resident physician at the county Infirmary, refused to let him treat cancer patients confined in the institution.” It continued thatBohannon "..had been granted a certificate to practice his cure by a special act of the legisiature in 1910, but the state board of medical examiners had required him to demonstrate” his procedures’ efficacy. (See Oakland Tribune, 04/16/1912, p. 9.) Earlier, in 1910, a former patient sued Bohannon for quackery, alleging that he guaranteed her that he would cure her cancer. She sought $300 in damages. (See “Explains Suit of Mrs. Caldwell,” Oakland Tribune, 10/27/1910, p. 8.)

In 1917, Dr. J.L. Bohannon maintained an address of 5326 Claremont Avenue. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Oakland City Directory, 1917, p. 1541.) This may have been the renumbered address of the former Johnson House.

Despite these problems, the Bohannan Cancer Institute was still in operation in 1930. At this time, G.C. Bohannon operated the facility at 1813 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA. (See R.L. Polk and Company'sOakland, California, City Directory, 1930, p. 8 and p. 31.)

PCAD id: 23527