Articles
Articles
Here is the complete list of articles and stories submitted to the WNP site. If you can't find what you're looking for here, try the "search" box at the top of the page, or browse the other lists such as Places or People!
(Most Recent First) - (Alphabetical)
- "Spanish Town": Street Names in Western SF
The Alphabet of the Richmond and Sunset - by John Freeman - 1508-1516 Ocean Avenue
Built in 1923, the first bank for Westwood Park. - 521 Dewey Boulevard
And now a word from the brick industry... - San Francisco Examiner, 1926 - 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 - 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 Steve "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: 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 - 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 - Jockey House: 280 Byxbee Avenue
The Last Remnant of The Ingleside Racetrack? - by Sean Hall - L-Taraval Extension, September 15, 1937
70 years ago the Parkside celebrated public transporation to the zoo. - 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. - Merrie Way
Adolph Sutro's Forgotten Pleasure Grounds - by John A. Martini - Musical Culture in the 1930s
Advertisements for 1930s music teachers. - 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 - 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 Steve "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 Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Parkside School
History of the (now demolished) John Reid-designed school - by Roy H. Jarl - 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 - 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 - Dad & Bill's Night Out
Memories of the 1950s fight against the Western Freeway. - 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 - Up & Down West Portal
A walk on West Portal Avenue is a walk down Memory Lane. - 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 Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Abbey Patio
12th century church in Golden Gate Park - by Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Birth of a Garage
The changing face of the Richmond District - by Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Brooks Park
A hillside home's rough ride to parkland - by Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Carville
19th Century Recycling: a neighborhood of derelicts - by Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Carville's Last Remnant
In search of the steetcar houses - by Steve "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 Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Forest Hill
Architect David Coleman designed the first completed home in Forest Hill at 266 Pacheco Street. - by Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Guns and Golf
The Broderick-Terry Duel - by Steve "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 Steve "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 Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Palaces of the Past
Lamenting the loss of the great (and small) movie palaces. - by Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Parkside and the Graft Trials
Downtown politics helped build the Parkside - by Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Run Out of Town
The Richmond District used to be criss-crossed with streetcar lines. - by Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Shaken Up
Refugees and the 1906 Earthquake - by Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Six Million Gallons
Fleishhacker Pool, the "world's largest swimming tank" officially opened April 23, 1925. - by Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Tait's
The long-gone beach resort - by Steve "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 Steve "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 Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: The Richmond Recovery
The Richmond after the earthquake - by Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise: Twenty-Five Cents of Heaven
In 2002, newspapers wrapped up the story, saying the Musee Mecanique has been "saved". - by Steve "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 Steve "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 Steve "Woody" LaBounty - Streetwise:Fog and Light
Navigating the Golden Gate - by Steve "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. - 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