Corona Heights Park, San Francisco, Then & Now: 14 & 16 January 2017

Corona Heights Park is located above the  Corona Heights neighborhood and the Castro Neighborhood. The park is Buena Vista Park’s southerly sister, and it has some of the best views of San Francisco. In the early days of San Francisco, the hill was known as Rocky Hill. It was also known for the brick-making kiln and rock quarry sited on the lower southeastern side of the hill. The rock quarry and kiln were owned and operated by two brothers, George, and Harry Gray; they established the rock quarry and brick factory on Rocky Hill in 1899. San Francisco needed stone and bricks for ship ballast, construction, street paving, bay fill, and other uses, and the Gray brothers provided them. The brothers also operated rock quarries on Telegraph Hill and Billy Goat Hill. The brick-making kiln on Rocky Hill burned during the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, but rock quarrying continued, and the kiln was rebuilt. 

On 10 November 1914, a desperate 36-year-old former quarry worker named Joseph Lococo approached owner George Gray to request $17.50 due him in back wages. The Sicilian immigrant was ill and was about to be evicted from his house on Arkansas Street. He, his wife, and their two babies had not eaten for two days. George Gray refused to pay him and told him to get out. Joseph Lococo then pulled out a gun and shot George Gray to death. Joseph Lococo was acquitted because of temporary insanity and walked out of the courtroom a free man. Harry Gray shut down the rock quarry and brick kiln operation in 1915.

In 1928 Josephine Randall the Recreation Superintendent of San Francisco proposed that the City buy the 16-acre Rocky Hill site as a recreation location for the residents of San Francisco; it was purchased by the City in 1941 and named Corona Heights Park. The Randall Museum, located on the lower southwest side of the hill, opened in 1951. It was the desire of Josephine Randall to create a place where city children could experience “a day in the country" and learn to love natural history, science, and crafts. Today, the museum offers science exhibits, art and ceramics classes, a theater, and a carpentry workshop.

I went to Corona Heights Park on both the 14th and 16th of January 2017 so that I would be able to take pictures of the park from several dissimilar locations.

This is a view of Corona Heights Park; the view is looking northeast. The photograph was taken from the top of Tank Hill. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

The photograph was taken from the top of Corona Heights Park; the view is looking east. Mount Diablo can be seen at about thirty-five miles in the distance. Oakland is visible across San Francisco Bay. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.



THEN   This view of Rocky Hill, now known as Corona Heights Park, shows the brick kiln built by the Gray Brothers. The photo was taken from Kite Hill circa 1900. The view is looking north.



NOW   This picture of Corona Heights Park was taken from Solari Hill, also known as Kite Hill Open Space. The location of the site of the brick kiln can be seen. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

Here is another view of Rocky Hill; this photo was taken circa 1904. This photo was taken from a camera attached to a kite. 

 One final view of Rocky Hill; this photo was taken circa 1905. The view looks northwest. The brick kiln is almost entirely out of sight on the far left. You will notice some quarry scars on the hillside. 

This plat map of the brick kiln, the surrounding streets, property lines, and houses were drawn in the early 1900s. 

This is one of the few remnants of the brick kiln building. It is located adjacent to State Street. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

These bricks were used to build a retaining wall. The wall is also located adjacent to State Street. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

This was the location of the Gray Brother's brick kiln building. The land is now used for tennis courts and as a small playing field. The view is looking west; Sutro Tower is ahead in the distance. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

This is the summit of Corona Heights Park; it is at an elevation of 520 feet (158 meters). The view is from the west side of the park. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.



This view of Corona Heights Park was taken from 20th Street. Behind Corona Heights Park is Buena Vista Park, the first official park in the City of San Francisco. Between Corona Heights Park and Buena Vista Park is a long building whose exterior is painted in a light pink hue. That building was originally St. Joseph’s Hospital; it was built between 1926-1928. The building was converted to condominiums in 1979. The view is looking north. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

This picture of Corona Heights Park was taken from Solari Hill. Mr. Solari was a farmer whose cows grazed in the area. Thanks to Mark Lillie for the background information about the naming of Solari Hill. The hill is officially known as Kite Hill Open Space. In this photo, the location of the brick kiln site can be seen at Corona Heights Park. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

This is a picture of Kite Hill Open Space. Corona Heights Park is visible in the background on the left side of the photo. The view is looking northeast. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

Beautiful Twin Peaks. The peak on the left is Noe Peak, 910 feet (277 meters), and the peak on the right is Eureka Peak, 904 feet (275 meters). The view looks southwest. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

This picture was taken on a Muni Metro F-Market & Wharves streetcar traveling north on Market Street towards downtown San Francisco and its final stop at Fisherman's Wharf. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

The distance traveled on 14 January 2017 was approximately 3.9 miles (6.3 kilometers). Mile markers are displayed on the GPS-generated track. The cumulative elevation gain was about 778 feet (237 meters). Click on the image to see the full-size map.

A graph of the elevation changes encountered during the walk on 14 January 2017. Click on the image to see the full-size chart.

The distance traveled on 16 January 2017 was approximately 6.7 miles (10.8 kilometers). Mile markers are displayed on the GPS-generated track. The cumulative elevation gain was about 997 feet (304 meters). Click on the image to see the full-size map.

A graph of the elevation changes encountered during the walk on 16 January 2017. Click on the image to see the full-size chart.

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view these photo galleries.

A Panasonic GX7 camera body mounted with a Panasonic 14-42mm lens was used to take these photographs.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com.

San Francisco's Sutro Heights – Then & Now: 7 January 2017

In the 1880s, large tracts of land located on San Francisco's Outside Lands were purchased by Adolph Sutro. Mr. Sutro was a German immigrant who had earlier built Sutro Tunnel. The tunnel was a drainage tunnel designed to drain the excessively hot water from the deep underground silver mines of the Comstock Lode, located in Virginia City, Nevada. 

Adolph Sutro became a permanent resident of San Francisco after the Comstock Lode Tunnel in Virginia City had been completed. He constructed many landmarks in San Francisco that are popular to this day. The Sutro Baths, the Mount Sutro Forest, the Sutro Heights Parapet, Mount Olympus, and other resources were made available to San Francisco's people. Thank you, Adolph Sutro!

Adolph Sutro also built the second version of the Cliff House. This beautiful seven-story Victorian structure became, and has remained, the most famous and beloved incarnation of the Cliff House. The second version of the Cliff House and the Sutro Baths was opened in 1896. The Cliff House survived the 1906 Earthquake but burned to the ground in 1907, just fifteen months after the 18 April 1906 earthquake. The Sutro Baths were destroyed in 1966. Adolph Sutro was the 24th mayor of San Francisco, serving from 1894 to 1896. 

Adolph Sutro arrived in the United States on 21 November 1851. He married Leah Harris in 1856; they had six children, four girls, and two boys. Adolph Sutro died in 1898. The executor of his estate was one of his daughters. She was a medical doctor: Dr. Emma Sutro Merritt. It took Dr. Emma Sutro Merritt more than ten years to settle her father's estate. She did an excellent job; her father's name is still remembered and widely respected, one hundred and nineteen years after his death.

I began this ramble by taking a few pictures at and around the Ferry Building downtown San Francisco. All of the below photographs were taken amid a multi-day storm which provided the parched Northern California terrain with much-needed rain and snow. I used a waterproof camera to take the photos.

Click on an image to see the full-size photograph.

A view of the Lincoln Park Steps. The steps were constructed in the early 1900s. In May 2015, a celebration was held for the beautiful and delightful mosaic tile work. 

This is a view of Ocean Beach, as seen from Sutro Heights. The picture is looking south. 

The San Francisco Ferry Building was designed in 1892 and was completed in 1898. It is located on the Embarcadero at Market Street. 

Streetcar #1893 was built in Italy in 1928 for the Milan, Italy municipal streetcar line. It is now in service on the San Francisco F streetcar line. 

Streetcar #1057 was built in 1948 and is painted to honor Cincinnati, Ohio, which ran streetcars from 1939 to 1951. It is now in service on the San Francisco F streetcar line. 

I took a San Francisco public transit bus to Geary Boulevard at Arguello Street and began my ramble to Sutro Heights and the Pacific Ocean. This picture was taken on Clement Street. This mother and daughter are the same people seen in a photo that I snapped during November 2016 on Clement Street. 

These pictures of Adolph Sutro were taken by Mathew Brady sometime between 1865 and 1880.

THEN This picture of the Sutro Baths was taken in 1897. The buildings were constructed in 1894. 

  NOW A fire destroyed the Sutro Baths in 1966. The rock outcropping straight ahead is known as North Seal Rock. 

This map of Sutro Heights and Sutro Baths is circa 1896. 

THEN This is a picture of the second Cliff House constructed at this location. The picture was taken in 1896; Adolph Sutro spent $75,000 to build this beautiful building; the Cliff House is resplendent in all its glory. The photo was taken from the observation tower located on Sutro Heights Plaza.  Seal Rocks are visible, as is a steamship about to enter San Francisco Bay. This version of the Cliff House was destroyed by fire on 7 September 1907. A picture of the observation tower may be seen in this picture gallery. 

THEN This picture was taken in 1868. It is a photo of the first Cliff House. The photographer was Carlton Watkins (1829-1916). Mr. Watkins was a famous American photographer of the 19th Century, and his area of expertise was landscape photography. The first Cliff House was destroyed by fire in1894

THEN This picture is circa 1930, and it shows the third and current version of the Cliff House. Dr. Emma Sutro Merritt, the executor of the Sutro Estate, did not want to build another wooden Cliff House because of the proven fire danger. In 1909 she authorized the construction of the third Cliff House. The building she had created was constructed of steel and concrete. 

      NOW  I took this picture of the third iteration of the Cliff House. The building has had numerous modifications over the past one hundred and five years, but it is still the same essential building. This photo was taken from the Plaza on Sutro Heights Parapet. 

THEN This is the entry gate to Sutro Heights as seen in 1886. The Sutro family donated 18 acres of property to San Francisco in 1938. In 1939 the Works Progress Administration (WPA) demolished the residence. Most statues were removed, except for the Lions at the entry gate. Sutro Heights Park is no longer a city park; it is now a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. 

NOW The Lions are still guarding the entryway to Sutro Heights. 

THEN. The Sutro Heights Parapet and plaza as seen circa 1894. Note the observation tower, and in addition, please note the stairway seen in both this photo and the below photograph. 

NOW. This photo of the Sutro Heights Parapet was taken from the North Esplanade. Note the same stairway as seen in both of the above photographs.  

THEN. This picture of the Sutro Heights Conservatory was taken in 1896. 

NOW.  This was the site of the Sutro Heights Conservatory. 

Ah yes, here is where the mouth of San Francisco Bay meets the Pacific Ocean. The view is looking north. 

Moving through Lands End and rambling northeast on the Coastal Trail. 

This photograph was taken from the Lands End Trail. Ahead is a small cove which is known as China Beach. Surrounding China Beach is a portion of the Seacliff neighborhood of San Francisco. The beach visible on the left is part of Baker Beach, located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It was previously a part of the Presidio, an Army military base. China Beach is a part of the City and County of San Francisco. This view is looking southeast. 

A view of the Golden Gate Bridge as seen from the Lands End Trail. Angel Island is visible behind the bridge. This view is looking east. 

Going to downtown San Francisco on a Muni Metro 38R bus. The bus is now on Geary Boulevard, traveling east through the Richmond District. 

The distance traveled was approximately 6.3 miles (10.1 kilometers). Mile markers are displayed on the GPS-generated track. The cumulative elevation gain was about 471 feet (144 meters). 

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera." Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view these photo galleries.

An Olympus TG-4 camera was used to take these photographs.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com.

Albany Hill in Albany California and Point Isabel in Richmond California: 5 January 2017

Northern California is enjoying a short respite from a series of storms. Below are a few photographs taken from Albany Hill in Albany, and from Point Isabel in Richmond.

A view looking southwest from Albany Hill. The freeway interchange is the intersection of Interstate 80 and Interstate 580. Golden Gate Fields racetrack is visible as is the former site of the City of Berkeley's garbage dump. The landfill site behind the racetrack was the location of the city's garbage dump from the 1920's to the 1980's. The site is now known as Cesar Chavez Park. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

Brooks Island is straight ahead, and Mount Tamalpais is in the distance. The view is looking west from Albany Hill. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

Directly ahead in the center of the photo is Albany High School. Just in front of the high school are the elevated BART tracks. The view is looking east from Albany Hill. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

This photo of Richmond's Inner Harbor was taken from Point Isabel. This locality has historical significance: There are many oil storage tanks located on all four sides of the hill. That is the site of the first California oil refinery; it started refining oil in 1902, and it is still operational. The houses visible along the shoreline of Richmond's Inner Harbor are situated on a portion of the Kaiser Richmond World War II shipyards. The four Richmond Shipyards produced 747 ships during the Second World War, the most ships built in any US shipyard during the war. This view is looking north. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

The Golden Gate Bridge as seen from Point Isabel Regional Shoreline. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

Point Isabel. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

Point Isabel is also the location of Costco. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs that were posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view these photo galleries.

A Panasonic GX7 camera body mounted with a Panasonic 14-42mm lens was used to take these photographs.

Question or a comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com