Boating in the City: A Closer Look

by Arnold Woods

The 95th anniversary of the opening of Fleishhacker Pool occurred earlier this week and certain images of the pool reminded me that we occasionally come across pictures of people in boats around the City. With San Francisco surrounded on three sides by water, you typically see images of boats on the Bay or the Ocean. You don’t often think about boating in the City itself, but there were a surprising number of spots where boats once roamed here.

Lifeguards in rowboats in Fleishhacker Pool, June 4, 1925. (wnp36.03225; DPW Horace Chaffee – SF Department of Public Works / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

We start with this week’s anniversary. Fleishacker Pool was so large, 1000 feet long by 150 feet wide, that lifeguards patrolled it in rowboats as seen in the image above. The pool opened on April 23, 1925 with AAU swimming, diving, and water polo championships, then opened up to the public for swimming. At the time it opened, it was the largest swimming pool in the United States. Water was pumped into the pool from the Pacific Ocean and though heated, most swimmers still found the pool waters chilly. It closed in 1971 and was later filled in and paved over for the San Francisco Zoo parking lot. We imagine that patrolling the pool in rowboats was a decent workout for the life guards.

Men paddling rowboat at Sutro Baths, circa 1905. (wnp37.02253; Marilyn Blaisdell Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

There was another swimming pool where rowboats sometimes roamed. The Sutro Baths officially opened on March 14, 1896, though it had hosted a variety of events for two years prior to that. Located just to the north of the Cliff House at Lands End, it had seven pools of various sizes and heated to various temperatures. We are uncertain why the rowboat in the image above was at Sutro Baths. But it was not a unique happenstance.

Mickey Rooney as a boy paddling a tub at the Sutro Baths, circa 1932. (wnp4/wnp4.0323; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

Do you recognize the face in the image above? Your eyes are not deceiving you. That is actor Mickey Rooney when he was a boy paddling a tub around the Sutro Baths. We have another image with kids paddling tubs around the Baths, so Mickey wasn’t the only one. We’re not sure how often tubs and rowboats were allowed in the Baths, but clearly it happened a number of times.

Rowboats and rustic bridge at Stow Lake, circa 1902. (wnp14.0915; D. Peyser – Photographer / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

The place where you are mostly like to see boats in the City today is Stow Lake surrounding Strawberry Hill. It is a man-made lake that was created in time for the 1894 Midwinter Fair and included a boathouse. It was named for W.W. Stow, who contributed $60,000 to build it. As can be seen in the image above, rowboats were once routinely used at Stow Lake. We have a number of Stow Lake rowboat images in our OpenSFHistory collection. There’s a canoe or two on Stow Lake in the collection as well. The original boathouse burned down in 1937 and a new, smaller boathouse was built in its place after World War II. Today, you mostly see pedal boats at the boathouse, though you can still rent rowboats there.

Man on a small boat on South Lake in Golden Gate Park, 1910s. (wnp13.311; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

Golden Gate Park has a number of other lakes, some originally natural and others artificially created. Three of the original natural lakes are now known as the Chain of Lakes on the western side of the Park, although they now have a pump system that feeds water through the chain. Individually, they are known as North, Middle, and South Lake. You can probably figure out how those names came about. Now, the Chain of Lakes are mostly known for the birds that live there, but as the 1910s image above shows, boaters once spent some time on at least South Lake. While we don’t have images to prove it, we would guess people took boats out on other Golden Gate Park lakes like Metson Lake, Mallard Lake, Elk Glen Lake, and Lloyd Lake back in the day.

Girl scouts in rowboat on Lake Merced, June 25, 1958. (wnp14.2945; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

The largest lake in San Francisco is Lake Merced and it also has a boathouse, which was renovated six years ago. Boats on Lake Merced were surely happening long before the lake was part of the City. Lake Merced was christened by Spanish explorers in 1775. The Spring Valley Water Company bought the water rights to the lake in 1868 and supplied water to San Francisco until being bought out by the City in 1930. Today, several rowing clubs store equipment there and one can get boating lessons if one wishes to learn how. We don’t know if the girl scouts in the image above were getting lessons or had a club there, but they look like they are enjoying themselves.

Swimmers and rowers on Pine Lake, 1903. (wnp28.3667; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

Just to the north of Lake Merced and to the west of Stern Grove is Pine Lake. It is fed by the same aquifer that feeds into Lake Merced. Pine Lake was also sometimes referred to by the delightful names Mud Lake or Pig Lake back in the 1800s and maybe into the early 1900s. Back in the days before people worried about such things, local kids would head to Pine Lake for swimming, diving, and boating. Ten years ago, James O. Clifford wrote about his childhood days and a near death experience there. The image above is circa the early 1900s and Clifford escaped death there in the World War II era. So boating on Pine Lake went on for a long period of time, though you don’t see it there anymore.

People in rowboat on Kelly’s Pond, 1880s. (wnp4.1469; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

The body of water in the image above is one that most people are unaware of as it does not exist anymore. Kelly’s Pond was located in the area just to the north of Geary Boulevard at Parker Avenue. When we first came across this image, we only had a general idea as to its location. It took some great detective work by WNP Member Andrew Milhailovsky to figure out exactly where it was. You can hear the whole story of how he cracked this mystery in our Kelly’s Pond Outside Lands Podcast. It was not very big, but big enough that people would occasionally bring boats out on it.

Sailboat on Spreckels Lake, circa 1910. (wnp14.0917; D. Peyser – Photographer / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

We close by heading back to Golden Gate Park for a different kind of boat. Spreckels Lake, located near where 36th Avenue enters the Park, is an artificial lake built for a specific boating purpose. Construction of Spreckels Lake was completed in 1904 so that model boaters could use it. A clubhouse for the San Francisco Model Yacht Club was built to the west of the lake and model sailboats and power boats have used the lake for over 100 years. You can hear the history of the Model Yacht Club in our our Outside Lands Podcast about it. You can see the model boats on Spreckels Lake nearly every day when the weather is good.

The Wandering Key: A Closer Look

by Arnold Woods

Presiding over the east end of the Music Concourse, the Francis Scott Key Monument is one of the largest monuments found in Golden Gate Park. However, where you see it today is not its original location and it had a bit of a troubled history before it found its way there.

The Key Monument was a gift to San Francisco from James Lick. One of the richest men in California, Lick died on October 1, 1876. In his trust, he set aside $60,000 for a monument to Francis Scott Key in Golden Gate Park to honor the composer of the Star Spangled Banner. It took over eight years before William Wetmore Story was awarded a contract to build the monument in February 1885. Story created the monument in Italy over the next two years before having it shipped to America in numbered pieces.

Francis Scott Key Monument and Sharon Building, circa 1890. (wnp13.383; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

Story’s travertine monument featured a sitting Key on a large base that has verses from the national anthem on it. Above the four archway views of Key stands a flag-holding Columbia with eagles on each corner. The monument stood 51 feet tall. There was discussion of several sites for the monument–atop Strawberry Hill and at the Haight Street entrance for two–before the City settled on a spot near where the new music stand was to be built.

Tennis courts and Francis Scott Key Memorial with Mt. Sutro in background, circa 1905. (wnp27.2497; Miles Brothers / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

Both the Key Monument and the new music stand were unveiled in a big dedication on July 4, 1888. Mayor Edward B. Pond accepted the monument from the Lick Trust at the ceremony attended by more than 10,000 people. A military band played, the National Guard gave a 100-gun salute, and the crowd sang the Star-Spangled banner naturally. In his remarks, Pond declared: ” It has fallen to the lot of San Francisco, through the generosity of one of its citizens, to be the first to do honor to [Francis Scott Key’s] name by the erection of a monument to his memory.1”

Despite the dedication of the Key Monument, Story had not been fully paid for his work. The Lick Trustees had expected several bronze bas reliefs on the pedestal, one depicting the battle of Fort McHenry (the inspiration for Key writing the Star Spangled Banner) and another depicting a choir singing the anthem. Story had put slabs with inscriptions of the anthem on the base of the monument instead. Apparently the bas reliefs were not considered works of art under U.S. law and could not be brought to San Francisco duty-free, so Story, who had complete artistic discretion on the project, changed the concept slightly.2

Academy of Sciences and Francis Scott Key Monument, circa 1920. (wnp26.237; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

However, the Key monument’s first location became temporary for the same reason that many other things changed in San Francisco. On April 18, 1906, the Key Monument, like much of San Francisco, was heavily damaged by the earthquake. Further, in the 18 years since the dedication of the Key Monument, trees had grown up around its location and it was decided that the placement was no longer sufficiently prominent. In January 1908, the Park Commissioners took a drive through the Park to pick a new spot for the Key Monument and decided on a spot on the south side of the Music Concourse.

Music Concourse and Francis Scott Key Monument from roof of the Academy of Sciences, circa 1930. (wnp37.03334; Marilyn Blaisdell Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

In March 1908, the McGilvray Stone Company was hired to move the Key Monument to the new location on the Music Concourse. The restoration of the monument would continue into 1909. In 1916, the California Academy of Sciences moved into the North American Hall of Birds and Mammals by the Key Monument. The Academy expanded with the addition of the Steinhart Aquarium in 1923, the Simson African Hall in 1934, a Science Hall in 1951, and the Morrison Planetarium in 1952.

Francis Scott Key Monument at east end of Music Concourse, September 7, 2015. (Courtesy of Arnold Woods)

The Key Monument was moved again in 1967 to make room for further expansion of the Academy of Sciences, this time into storage at the Park’s Corporation Yard. It would sit there for 10 years. Raymond Clary, who literally wrote the book on how the Park was created,3 fought to get the monument back on display in the Park. On the 89th anniversary of its original installation, the Key Monument was rededicated on July 4, 1977 at the east end of the Music Concourse. Five days later, on July 9, 1977, it was designated as San Francisco Landmark #96.

Francis Scott Key Monument at east end of Music Concourse with Ferris Wheel, March 30, 2020. (Courtesy of Arnold Woods)

You can learn more about the Key Monument in the Outside Lands Podcast we did on it. It remains there today and recently received a $140,000 renovation. Earlier this year, a ferris wheel was partially constructed behind it for Golden Gate Park’s 150th anniversary, though construction was halted due to the pandemic shelter-in-place requirements. Maybe the Key Monument’s wandering days are now over, but only time will tell.

Notes:

1. “Francis Soctt Key, His Monument Unveiled at the Park,” San Francisco Chronicle, July 5, 1888, p. 8.

2. “The Lick Trust. Its Affairs In A State Of Repose” San Francisco Chronicle, January 12, 1889, p. 5.

3. “The Making of Golden Gate Park, The Early Years: 1865-1906” by Raymond H. Clary (California Living Books, 1980).

OpenSFHistory Top 10: Zoom Background Edition!

by Nicole Meldahl

As your calendar fills up with Zoom (or other video conferencing) meetings, Western Neighborhoods Project is here to help spice up your backgrounds in this virtual version of our popular OpenSFHistory Top 10 programs.

Cliff House and Seal Rocks, circa 1900. (wnp4/wnp4.0483; Willard E. Worden / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

As always, you can use any of our watermarked files for free by clickety-clickety-clacking the big orange Download button to the right of each image. With over 47,000 photographs to choose from here, we’re confident you can find an historical image of San Francisco to suit your mood. Search by subject, browse our featured galleries, or pinpoint an exact location on our handy-dandy map. Don’t know where to start? We recommend the following selection of Willard E. Worden photographs.

DeYoung Museum, circa 1900. (wnp15.683; Willard E. W0rden / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

Coming to San Francisco as a volunteer with the 11th Cavalry at the end of the Philippine-American War in 1901, Worden was a prolific local photographer at the turn of the 20th-century. His work took him all over San Francisco, capturing everything from the relaxed and rural west side, to street scenes and nightscapes downtown, and major historical events.

Looking east down California Street near Grant, circa 1910. (wnp15.704; Willard E. Worden / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

May of these images are remarkably crisp because we scanned them from original glass negatives that were archivally rehoused and are now safely stored at our Home for History. We hope you and your colleagues enjoy these treasures from our OpenSFHistory archive during your next video conference.

Night view looking east down California Street from Powell, circa 1910. (wnp15.743; Willard E. Worden / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

Do you miss visiting the tranquil landscape of the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park? Worden has a photo for that.

Drum bridge in Japanese Tea Garden, circa 1910. (wnp15.677; Willard E. Worden / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

Have you been feeling the urge to walk around the Harding Park Golf Course and Lake Merced? Worden has a photo for that.

Ingleside Golf Course Clubhouse and Lake Merced, November 14, 1915. (wnp15.549; Willard E. Worden / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

Are you bummed you can’t explore the great outdoors beyond a few feet in front of your door? Worden has a photo for that.

Lands End wildflowers with Marin Headlands and Golden Gate in distance, circa 1910. (wnp15.356; Willard E. Worden / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

Are you intrigued by the miles and miles of migrating sand dunes that once blanketed the Outside Lands? Worden has a photo for that.

Sand dunes likely in the Sunset District, circa 1910. wnp15.346; Willard E. Worden / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

Do you miss riding the 70 MUNI lines that are shut down during this COVID-19 shelter-in-place order? Worden has a photo for that.

#12 streetcar stopped at Ingleside Terraces entry gate, circa 1910. wnp15.647; Willard E. Worden / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

Are you looking to be transported to a magical world without leaving the Marina District? Worden has a photo for that.

Night view of the Court of the Universe at Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915. wnp70.0620; Willard E. Worden – Marilyn Blaisdell Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

While we think Worden has your back for any conference background needs, you can also choose from literally thousands of additional historical photographs on OpenSFHistory. And we’d love to see these images in action, so don’t forget to screenshot and share them with us! Tag @outsidelandz and @opensfhistory.

The Changing Landscape: Strawberry Hill to Mt. Sutro

by Arnold Woods

On April 4, 1870, Governor Henry Huntly Haight signed the legislation that established Golden Gate Park. The legislation adopted the boundaries of the Park, established a Park Commission to oversee it, and authorized bonds to raise money for its construction. Since then, what started as a lot of sand and some plant life has been turned into a world-class public park. This landscape has changed significantly in the last 150 years.

To see this change, let’s take a look from the highest spot in the Park. Strawberry Hill stands nearly 430 feet high. Because of the excellent view from there, it was a natural spot for photographers over the years.

View southeast from Strawberry Hill toward Mt. Sutro, circa 1886. (wnp37.03384; Marilyn Blaisdell Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

In this first view toward Mt. Sutro, circa 1886, there is little civilization to be seen from Strawberry Hill. Just some rolling hills and a few homes. The house in the foreground is the Reynolds House, located approximately where Lincoln Way and 14th Avenue are today. In front of the Reynolds House are trees planted by William Hammond Hall in Golden Gate Park. The Park was still in its infancy then, but Hall’s efforts to plant trees and grass in the sand had taken hold. Beyond the Reynolds home is a solitary home on the slope of Mt. Sutro. There are a few trees on those slopes, but not the forest that would later be there. There is little else there but sand and scrub brush. It is a peek into the past at how the Outside Lands once looked.

View southeast from Strawberry Hill toward Mt. Sutro, circa 1895. (wnp33.00723; Agnes Manning Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

This circa 1895 image appears to have been taken from Sweeny Observatory which was built on Strawberry Hill in 1891. At this time, roughly 5-10 years after the first image, you can still see the Reynolds House and the house on Mt. Sutro’s slopes that were seen before. However, there are a number of other homes located in the area by this time. Mt. Sutro is now covered with trees planted by Adolph Sutro. You can also see the beginnings of the road grid in the Inner Sunset. The tower behind the waterfall on Strawberry Hill is the Golden Gate Park pump station and there is a small building within the Park boundaries. That building is in the area of today’s Botanical Gardens. What was once looked like a desolate area was now becoming a community.

View southeast from Strawberry Hill toward Mt. Sutro, early 1900s. (wnp37.03328; Marilyn Blaisdell Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

This image was taken from the same spot, likely Sweeny Observatory again, as the prior image. Since the 1906 earthquake destroyed Sweeny Observatory, the image predates that time. So again, we are looking at about 5-10 years from the prior image. In the background, the Inner Sunset has continued to fill out. The building for UCSF’s precursor, the Affiliated Colleges, can be seen behind the big tree in the center left of the image. Obviously the trees atop Strawberry Hill around this small lake have grown considerably since the prior image and they obscure the areas of the Park below the hill. The pump station can still be seen peeking through those trees, but it appears to still be taller than its immediate surroundings. It is clear that by the early 1900s, the Inner Sunset was growing fast.

View southeast from Strawberry Hill toward Mt. Sutro, circa 1910. (wnp24.308a; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

With Sweeny Observatory destroyed, images from Strawberry Hill thereafter were not taken from such an elevated view anymore. This image appears to have been taken sometime around 1910. There is a clear view of Stow Lake and it shows the Inner Sunset filling in even more. There is an unobstructed view of the Affliated Colleges building on Mt. Sutro’s northern slope and it remains isolated, though the Inner Sunset was moving closer to it. The pump station is still seen, but the trees are rising up around it. In fact, all the trees in Golden Gate Park were getting pretty big by this time.

View southeast from Strawberry Hill toward Mt. Sutro, 1939. (wnp27.0853; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

By 1939, the Inner Sunset had filled up all the available space between Golden Gate Park and Mt. Sutro. The Affiliated Colleges building can still be seen behind the pump station tower in this image and was, by then, surrounded by civilization. Mt. Sutro remained heavily forested and mostly untouched, a condition that would soon begin to change. While some of the buildings have since been replaced , it is a view that is not the far different from today nearly 80 years later. A few changes would come though.

View southeast from Strawberry Hill toward Mt. Sutro, 1973. (wnp28.2582; Greg Gaar photo / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

This image from 1973 finds Sutro Tower dominating the view atop Mt. Sutro. It was the tallest structure in San Francisco after it was completed in 1973 until very recently. The Inner Sunset has crept up the slopes of Mt. Sutro, particularly on the west side, and remains densely populated. The Affiliated Colleges building has now been obscured by the new UCSF Medical Center buildings. Within Golden Gate Park, the pump station is gone and tall trees (and a large rock) are all that can be seen.

In under 100 years, this view went from a few houses, some trees, and little else to the densely populated area you see now. Of course, all of the Outside Lands has undergone the same change. Golden Gate Park has been transformed from sand to the luscious greenery we have now. Happy 150th birthday Golden Gate Park!