Articles

• "Spanish Town": Street Names in Western SF
  The Alphabet of the Richmond and Sunset - by John Freeman
• 100 Stonecrest Drive
  Henry Stoneson built this house in Lakeside for his own use
• 1508-1516 Ocean Avenue
  Built in 1923, the first bank for Westwood Park.
• 1945 Planning Bulletin
  PDF of a San Francisco Planning Department bulletin, April 1945 (3.5 mb). Mentions Sunset and Parkside districts. - San Francisco Planning Department
• 252 Holyoke Street Shack
  Another earthquake refugee cottage saved from destruction.
• 521 Dewey Boulevard
  And now a word from the brick industry... - San Francisco Examiner, 1926
• 708 Clement Street
  From the Pioneer Potato Market in the 1910s to the Clement Street Bar & Grill in the 2010s. - by John Freeman
• A Short History of Lake Merced
  Lake Merced was originally inhabited by the Ohlone Indians, who fished the lake and plied the nearby Pacific for fish, seal and the occasional beached whale. - by Tony Van Houten
• Abraham Lincoln High School
  Built in 1940 as the high school serving the Sunset and Parkside districts. - by Lorri Ungaretti
• An Ode to Parkside
  Mrs. F.W. Alsing waxes poetic in 1911.
• Architectural and Historical Resources of the Oceanside
  History and buildings in the Outer Sunset. - Produced by S.P.E.A.K.
• Balboa Terrace
  Lang Realty Company and Hueter Homes developed this residential park in the 1920s. - by Woody LaBounty
• Bay District Racing Track
  Third in a series on west side racetracks. - by Angus Macfarlane
• Beer Town
  Beer Town was the name given to a five-block stretch of Fulton Street, which started in the 1870s with watering holes servicing patrons of the Bay District Race Track. - by John Freeman
• Blackie the Wonder Horse Movie
  A 1938 film of Blackie swimming the Golden Gate - Courtesy of the San Francisco Media Archive
• Blackie: The Horse That Swam the Bay
  On October 1, 1938, a horse named Blackie made history in San Francisco Bay. - by Lorri Ungaretti
• Camp Merritt
  The Richmond District hosted the Army in 1898. - by Woody LaBounty
• Carzonia Apartments
  A whole neighborhood of streetcar homes existed in the inner Richmond after the 1906 earthquake.
• China Beach
  China beach leaves out the bad parts - by James W. Loewen
• Christmas Firehouses 1948-1950
  For three years San Francisco fireman went a little crazy decorating for the holidays. - Robert and Marilyn Katzman
• Cliff House Disasters
  Explosions, flames, and shipwrecks have plagued this promontory - by Christine Miller
• Comics Crusade of 1954
  The comics crusade was a nationwide movement driven by churches, the PTA, and the comic book industry. - By John Freeman
• Commodore Sloat School
  At Ocean Avenue and Junipero Serra Boulevard since the 1860s.
• Doelger Architecture
  Various styles of Henry Doelger homes in San Francisco
• Doggie Diner Head
  A Landmark Dachshund
• Ewing Field Remembered
  In 1938, SF Chronicle columnist Will Connolly remembers the highlights of an old stadium. - by Will Connolly
• Ewing Field: Lost in the Fog Bank
  Minor-league baseball in the fog - by Greg Gaar
• Farms, Fire and Forest
  Sutro's ownership of the old Rancho San Miguel - by Richard Brandi
• Foerster Street Tragedy, 1942
  On February 6, 1942 a slide of mud from the southeast side of Mount Davidson hit three homes and killed a woman.
• Fort Miley - VA Medical Center
  The San Francisco VA Medical Center occupies a twenty-nine-acre campus in the northwest corner of San Francisco, California, between Point Lobos and the Golden Gate. - by Chris VerPlanck
• Geary Bakery, 1925
  5321 Geary Boulevard, the future site of Dave Sullivan's Sporting Goods
• George K. Whitney Jr. Interview, 2002
  Interview of George K. Whitney Jr. in 2002, discussing Cliff House, Sutro Baths, Playland, and Whitney Brothers businesses. - by John Martini for National Park Service
• Giant Camera
  The Jennings Giant Camera was built by Floyd Jennings in 1946 - By Joseph Durrance
• Golden Gate Driving Park
  Second in a series on west side racetracks. - by Angus Macfarlane
• Golden Gate Park Children's Playground
  Yes, there were grizzly bears in Golden Gate Park, near the Children's Playground. - by Pat French Swendsen
• Golden Gate Park---Oasis and Obstacle
  The Legacy of the Fight for a Cross-Park Streetcar Route - by John Freeman
• Growing Up in the Sunset's desert
  Living in the sandy Sunset District in the 1940s and 1950s. - by James O. Clifford, Sr.
• Harold Lloyd on the 6-line.
  The first talkie by the silent film star was shown on a moving 6-line streetcar in 1929.
• History of Ocean View
  Ocean View was a fine station and a community quickly built up around what is now the intersection of Alemany, Sagamore, Plymouth and Sickles. - by Marsha Fontes
• Homewood Terrace Orphanage
  Jewish orphanage that faced Ocean Avenue from 1921 to 1960s
• How the Sunset became "The Sunset"
  Sorting out the conflicting accounts - By Angus MacFarlane
• Ingleside Racetrack
  Fourth in a series on west side racetracks. - by Angus Macfarlane
• Ingleside Terraces Sundial
  The story of this mysterious monolith - by Hamilton Barrett
• Ingleside Terraces Video
  1920s Newsreel footage of Ingleside Terrace and "Villa Maria" house. - Courtesy of Jack Tillmany
• Inside the Outside Lands
  The official WNP blog on current events with west side history in mind. - by Woody LaBounty
• Irving and Ninth Avenue Memories
  Businesses and people around one intersection, circa 1959 - by Denis F. Quinn
• Jockey House: 280 Byxbee Avenue
  The Last Remnant of The Ingleside Racetrack? - by Sean Hall
• Kieser's Colonial Creamery
  A neighborhood coffee shop on Irving Street that lasted almost 60 years.
• L-Taraval Extension, September 15, 1937
  70 years ago the Parkside celebrated public transporation to the zoo.
• Lakeshore Park District
  South of Sloat Boulevard, built by the Gellert Brothers in the 1940s and 1950s - by Woody LaBounty
• Lakeside District
  Lakeside District between Sloat Boulevard, 19th Avenue and Junipero Serra Boulevard
• Lands End Station
  From 1905-1941, a charming concession run in a picturesque spot. - by John A. Martini
• Larraburu Brothers Bakery
  The Larraburu Brothers were famous for their San Francisco sourdough bread.
• Manor Market
  Lakeside's market on Ocean Avenue, designed by George Applegarth and opened in 1941.
• McInerney & Kerrigan Market
  An Ocean View grocery is uncovered by the clues in a 1911 image.
• Memories of the Park Bums
  Amateur baseball at Big Rec was a big deal in the 1930s. - by H.A. Lane
• Merrie Way
  Adolph Sutro's Forgotten Pleasure Grounds - by John A. Martini
• Musical Culture in the 1930s
  Advertisements for 1930s music teachers.
• My War
  World War II through the eyes of a kid in western San Francisco. - by James O. Clifford, Sr.
• Ocean Avenue Firehouse
  Stood from 1906 to 1957 at the corner of Ocean and San Jose Avenues.
• Ocean Course Racetrack
  First in a series about west side racetracks - by Angus Macfarlane
• Octagon House at Land's End
  History of the Point Lobos Marine Exchange Building. - by John Martini
• OMI Context Statement
  Historic Context Statement on the OMI neighborhoods (60 pages long). - by Richard Brandi and Woody LaBounty
• OMI News, May 2, 1969
  The Publication of the OMI Community Association in the early 1970s. - Courtesy of Linda Johnson
• Parkmerced
  Parkmerced was the idea of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company of New York. - by Woody LaBounty
• Parkside Branch Library
  Architects Appleton and Wolfard designed eight modern libraries in the 1950s and '60s for the San Francisco Public Library. - by Richard Brandi
• Parkside District
  To most persons the land acquired by the Parkside Realty Company is a terra incognita. - by Woody LaBounty
• Parkside School
  History of the (now demolished) John Reid-designed school - by Roy H. Jarl
• Pesce's Market
  From 1909 to the 1980s, Pesce's Market served the Ocean View neighborhood on Sagamore Street. - 1977 article by Marsha Fontes
• Playland Auction Video, 1972
  Video of footage of the 1972 auction of Playland Memorabilia and rides, including the carousel and Alpine Racer. - Courtesy of KPIX
• Playland Home Movies
  A little bit of Playland footage from 1947 - Courtesy of Steve Slinkey
• Playland Memories
  Ronna Brandt remembers visiting Playland attractions. - by Ronna Brandt
• Playland Movies, 1960
  Great footage of Playland rides shot in 1960. - Courtesy of Ron Biagini
• Playland was our Adventure
  Memories of Ocean Beach - by Pat French Swendsen
• Ranch House Dinners
  Fine western-themed dining at the height of the 1950s cowboy craze.
• Remembering the 1957 Earthquake
  Former St. Cecilia's student remember San Francisco's 1957 earthquake. - Compiled by Jo Anne Quinn
• Remembering the Coliseum
  Going to the Saturday matinee movies was the highlight of the week for all the neighborhood kids. - by Pat French Swendsen
• Richmond Banner, December 5, 1930
  Highlights from a neighborhood newspaper
• Richmond Coal Company
  Coal was king at Geary Boulevard and Fourth Avenue.
• San Francisco's Parkside District 1905-1957
  A 60-page illustrated document on Parkside history, architecture, and development. - by Richard Brandi and Woody LaBounty
• Sand Sculpture, December 1909
  Unknown artists created an homage to famous people at Ocean Beach in 1909.
• Seaman's Memorial
  A grave monument to sailors still stands in today's Lincoln Park.
• Sherwood Forest
  A tiny neighborhood on the side of Mount Davidson. - by Jacquie Proctor
• Sigmund Stern Grove
  The history of this musical glen - by Jacob Pemberton
• Sky Tram, 1955-1961
  A short cable car aerial ride that traveled from the Cliff House to Point Lobos from 1955-1961.
• Social and Architectural History of the Richmond District
  The Richmond District is one of San Francisco's largest and most varied neighborhoods. - by Christopher VerPlanck
• Speed Road and Polo Fields
  Last in a series on west side racetracks - by Angus Macfarlane
• St. Cecilia's Parish
  History and memories of St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in the Parkside District. - by Jo Anne Quinn
• Streetcars: The Boneyard
  The streetcar graveyard at 14th and Lincoln - by Val J. Golding
• Streetwise - A Chip Off the Old Block
  One block of 18th Avenue in the Parkside makes for decades-long connections. - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - A Fine & Fancy Ramble
  Frank Dunnigan remembers childhood rambles at the San Francisco Zoo. - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Country Roads, Take Me Home
  Leaving San Francisco, but still San Franciscans at heart. - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Dad & Bill's Night Out
  Memories of the 1950s fight against the Western Freeway. - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Death of Vicente Variety
  Simpler times meant easier shopping trips. - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Irving Insights
  Memories of Irving Street businesses - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Noriega Neighbors
  A walk down Noriega Street and Memory Lane - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Out on the Back Forty (Feet)
  Remembering life in west side backyards. - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Shirt Factory Friendship
  A friendship made in 1928 is paying out surprising dividends today. - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Some Cast Changes
  Frank Dunnigan details the make-up and memories of a typical 1930s-built San Francisco house. - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Some Stimulating Improvements
  Some ideas for using stimulus money on the west side, with history in mind. - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Thanksgiving Rituals in the Outside Lands
  Holiday rituals, recipes, and meals remembered. - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - The Sands of Time
  Frank Dunnigan tells of St. Ignatius High School's move to the Sunset, and some student high jinks too. - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - The Taraval Trail
  A walk down Taraval Street and Memory Lane - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Then and Now
  West side icons lost, found, and newly created. - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Up & Down West Portal
  A walk on West Portal Avenue is a walk down Memory Lane. - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Western Words of Wisdom
  Life advice gathered over the decades - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise - Who's Been Working on the Railroad?
  Jobs of yore in the Outside Lands - by Frank Dunnigan
• Streetwise: A Boxer's Death
  Alex Gdovin died from a punch to the chest that stopped his heart in a boxing match. - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Abbey Patio
  12th century church in Golden Gate Park - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Birth of a Garage
  The changing face of the Richmond District - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Brooks Park
  A hillside home's rough ride to parkland - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Carville
  19th Century Recycling: a neighborhood of derelicts - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Carville's Last Remnant
  In search of the steetcar houses - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Dearly Departed
  At the turn of the 20th century most of San Francisco's dead were interred to the northwestern side of the city. - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Forest Hill
  Architect David Coleman designed the first completed home in Forest Hill at 266 Pacheco Street. - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Guns and Golf
  The Broderick-Terry Duel - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Mountain Lake
  Juan Bautista de Anza camped at a lake "of very fine water near the mouth of the port of San Francisco". - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Ocean View Redux
  Ninety years ago, J.W. Wright & Co., had high hopes that hoards of people would move to Ocean View Park. - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Palaces of the Past
  Lamenting the loss of the great (and small) movie palaces. - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Parkside and the Graft Trials
  Downtown politics helped build the Parkside - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Run Out of Town
  The Richmond District used to be criss-crossed with streetcar lines. - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Shaken Up
  Refugees and the 1906 Earthquake - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Six Million Gallons
  Fleishhacker Pool, the "world's largest swimming tank" officially opened April 23, 1925. - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Tait's
  The long-gone beach resort - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: The Burned Cross
  Patti Poole was six years old at the time, and stayed home from school while her parents talked to reporters and defended the people of Ingleside Terraces. - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: The Great Race
  On November 15, 1873, just north of Lake Merced, four horses ran in the "Great International Running Race". - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: The Richmond Recovery
  The Richmond after the earthquake - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Twenty-Five Cents of Heaven
  In 2002, newspapers wrapped up the story, saying the Musee Mecanique has been "saved". - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Urbano's Racetrack
  Urbano Drive is an oval laid exactly along the lines of the old Ingleside Racetrack, the last venue for horse racing in San Francisco. - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise: Windmill Walk
  Designed to pump 40,000 gallons of water an hour for the park's irrigation needs, the Murphy Windmill was a gift from banker Samuel G. Murphy back in 1905. - by Woody LaBounty
• Streetwise:Fog and Light
  Navigating the Golden Gate - by Woody LaBounty
• Sunset Finally Becomes Sunset
  Continuing the story of the Sunset's naming - By Angus Macfarlane
• Sunset Streetcars
  A history of rail transit in the Sunset - by Jack Coll
• Sutro Baths Burning, 1966
  Photos and Video of Sutro Baths going up in smoke. - Courtesy of Joel Springer and the National Park Service.
• Sutro Baths Interior, 1960
  A derelict Sutro Baths in the 1960s. - Courtesy of Cliff Tune.
• Sutro Baths Memories, 1952
  1952 San Francisco Chronicle article colorfully bemoaning Sutro Baths' demise. - by Will Connolly
• Sutro Baths Program, 1897
    - Courtesy of Christine Miller.
• Sutro's Lions
  History of the lion statues that guard the gates of Sutro Heights. - by John Martini
• Sweeney Observatory
  Built by Thomas U. Sweeney on Strawberry Hill in Golden Gate Park in 1891.
• Ten Years of Outside Lands
  One of the founders remembers how WNP got started. - by Woody LaBounty
• Terrorism in the Richmond District in 1927
  Exploding luggage on Balboa Street and the "black hand." - by Paul Rosenberg
• The Casino
  A Golden Gate Park restaurant that became a Richmond District roadhouse.
• The Chronicle House
  A promotional bungalow built in Westwood Park
• The House of Refuge
  where a number of interesting civic institutions have called home - by Angus Macfarlane
• The Lineup
  One of the most elusive pieces of Sutro history has to be the 1958 film-noir movie "The Lineup" made inside the Sutro Baths. - by John A. Martini
• The Richmond Grounds - the Big Games of 1902 and 1903
  The two final battles for Bay Area collegiate football supremacy to be held in San Francisco occurred in the Richmond District. - By Angus MacFarlane
• The Talking Cat of the Ingleside District
  There was also some appeal in whatever mischief one could get into while most adults were still sleeping soundly. - by Hamilton Barrett
• Tillmany's Ride
  A personal account of a 1947 streetcar crash - by Jack Tillmany
• Washington High Class of 1968
  Meeting Wash classmates forty years later - by Paul Judge
• Wave and Tidal Energy Experiments in San Francisco and Santa Cruz
  Over 100 years ago San Franciscans were entertaining electricity from the ocean as a legitimate solution to some of their power problems. - by Christine Miller
• Wave Motors and Tide Machines at the Cliff House: 1886 to present
  The first full scale wave motor built near the Cliff House was probably also the first in California. - by Christine Miller
• Young Hearts in Showtime
  A 1965 Richmond District musical that featured youth from many schools. - by Mary-Ann Orr