Did you know that Emeryville, a town just over one square mile in size, was once a gambling mecca with a huge one-mile horse-racing track? The city that today draws crowds to its shopping complexes has always been an entertainment center where card clubs, the Chinese Lottery, and the first dog races in the U.S. occurred and thrived. Thanks to years of original research by members of the Emeryville Historical Society, this fascinating story of a former "vice capital" is finally being brought to light ­ from it's wild West poker legacy to the failed crack-downs during prohibition and its last remaining card room.

A History of Gambling in Emeryville, a brand new exhibit at the Oakland Public Library's Oakland History Room, uses pictures, pamphlets, and poker chips to tell the town¹s colorful past. This unique history of an East Bay community will be on display starting August 3 and running through October 4 at the Oakland History Room, located on the second floor of the Main Library at 125-14th Street. The free exhibit is co-sponsored by the Oakland Public Library and the Emeryville Historical Society.