Historic Daniel & Meta Best Home
1886
This home was built in the late 1870’s by Joseph Demont, a San Leandro pioneer who was active in industry and politics. Daniel Best bought the property in 1886. Best established Daniel Best Agricultural Works, which later became Caterpillar Tractor. The active inventor and entrepreneur obtained 41 patents in his lifetime, including a combined steam traction harvester and thresher. He also built the Best Building and a movie theater on East 14th Street.
Daniel and Meta Best raised six children in this home, and their daughter, Viola, and her husband, Frank Webster, bought the home and raised their five children here as well. The home is a two-story Italianate Victorian with 15 rooms and a cellar. The property also included a large, old fashioned garden, a Victorian carriage house, and a workshop. The wrought-iron fence surrounding the garden was installed in 1894.
Marker is at the intersection of West Estudillo Avenue and Clarke Street, on the right when traveling east on West Estudillo Avenue.
Courtesy hmdb.org
