The San Franciscans: Thomas Starr King

by Arnold Woods

Anyone who has driven east on Geary Boulevard from the Richmond District knows that, as you pass Gough, the road bends to the south and then east again to connect with O’Farrell. Not everyone knows that this one block crossover is called Starr King Way. Though perhaps not so well known today, the name honors one of the most influential men in early California history, Thomas Starr King, often just called Starr King.

Thomas Starr King, circa 1855. (Public Domain image / courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions)

Starr King was born in New York City in 1824, the song of a Universalist minister. He became a minister himself and took over his father’s then church in Charlestown, Massachusetts at the age of 20. During a stint at another Universalist church in Boston, Starr King became one of the most famous preachers in America. He joined the lyceum circuit, where famous speakers, such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, would talk to large crowds to educate them about the important issues of the day, and become one of the most popular speakers.

First Unitarian Universalist Church on Geary near Stockton, circa 1865. (wnp71.0078; Martin Behrman Negative Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

In 1860, Starr King agreed to come west to the First Unitarian Church in San Francisco, one of many locations that sought his ministerial services. Starr King believed he could be of more use in California as there were many Unitarian ministers in the Northeast at that time. First Unitarian was then located at 805 Stockton Street near Sacramento Street and was deep in debt. Starr King quickly raised enough money to pay off the debt and then began fundraising for a bigger facility. A new First Unitarian Church at 133 Geary Street near Stockton would be completed by January 1864.

First Unitarian Universalist Church on Geary near Stockton, circa 1865. (wnp37.00757; Carleton Watkins, photographer – Marilyn Blaisdell Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

Soon after Starr King arrived in San Francisco, he visited Yosemite. The experience was a moving one for him and, upon his return, he began advocating, in sermons and published letters, for Yosemite to be preserved. His campaign and the support of other prominent citizens would eventually lead to Congress passing a bill, signed by President Lincoln in 1864, to preserve Yosemite, the first time the United States set aside federal lands for use as a park for public use.

On August 1, 1860, Starr King gave a speech at a celebration for free black people. In his speech, he declared that the divine mission of the church was to “proclaim equality of the races.1”

View southeast from Union Square, Temple Emanu-el in foreground and First Unitarian Church to the right and behind, circa 1867. (wnp37.00674; Lawrence & Houseworth, photographer – Marilyn Blaisdell Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

A year after Starr King’s arrival in San Francisco, the Civil War broke out. Starr King was a dedicated abolitionist and gave many passionate speeches around the state in favor of the Union. Abraham Lincoln allegedly credited Starr King with keeping California in the Union. Starr King also accompanied and spoke on behalf of his friend Leland Stanford, as he stumped around the state in 1861 as part of Stanford’s successful campaign to become governor. After California was safely on the side of the Union in the Civil War, Starr King began raising money and medical supplies for wounded soldiers through the Pacific Branch of the United States Sanitary Commission. Starr King’s efforts were extremely successful, raising more than $1.5 million dollars, an extraordinary amount at the time.

Thomas Starr King grave at First Unitarian Church on Geary near Stockton, circa 1885. (wnp33.00546; Agnes Manning Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

Starr King’s penchant for frequently giving speeches may have been his downfall. A small, frail man, his frequent trips around the state to give speeches resulted in exhaustion. In 1864, his exhaustion led to diphtheria and pneumonia. As Starr King lay dying, he dictated his will and told his wife that he saw the “privileges and greatness of the future.” On March 4, 1864, Starr King passed away. 20,000 people attended his funeral, flags around the City were flown at half-mast, and his friend, the author Bret Harte gave a moving eulogy. Starr King was entombed in a sarcophagus on the grounds of First Unitarian Church. He was just 39 years old at his death.

First Unitarian Church at Geary and Franklin, Starr King sarcophagus in its original location, circa 1900. (wnp27.3034; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

In 1889, the First Unitarian Church moved to its present location at 1187 Franklin Street at Geary. Starr King’s sarcophagus moved with the church to its new location. The new church suffered some damage in the 1906 earthquake, but fortunately, the new location was just outside of the fire zone. The bell tower and steeple you see in the image above were damaged resulting in their removal. The First Unitarian Church is now San Francisco Landmark #40.

Starr King Elementary School at 25th and Utah Streets, September 7, 1913. (wnp36.00389; DPW Horace Chaffee, photographer – SF Department of Public Works / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

In addition to the one block street named after him, Starr King has been memorialized in many ways. There is a mountain peak in Yosemite and a giant sequoia in Calaveras Big Trees State Park named for him. Several churches and a number of schools also carry his name, including Starr King Elementary School in the Potrero Hill neighborhood. That school is next to the Starr King Open Space Park. Starr King was considered such a vital piece of California history that he was voted one of the State’s two greatest heroes (along with Junipero Serra) to be added in statuary form in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.

Thomas Starr King statue in Golden Gate Park, circa 1910 (Courtesy of Glenn Koch)

In San Francisco, a statue of Starr King, sculpted by Daniel Chester French, was erected in Golden Gate Park. It was dedicated on October 26, 1892. A crowd of 2000 attended the dedication, including Starr King’s grandsons.2 The Park Band played the Coronation Grand March. J.B. Stetson of the California Street Cable Car Company told the crowd that “[t]here were none among the stanch friends of the Union who did more to save it with loyal and eloquent words than Thomas Starr King.” The patriotism of Starr King was a theme of several speakers. To learn a little more about Starr King statue in Golden Gate Park, listen to our Outside Lands Podcast on the Starr King Monument.

As this years elapsed, the memory of Starr King faded. When State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth sponsored legislation in 2006 to replace the Starr King statue in the National Statuary Hall with one of Ronald Reagan, he admitted that he did not know who Starr King was.3 Although removed from D.C., the statue was relocated to the California State Museum and Park in Sacramento. Starr King also still remains at the First Unitarian Church today. Unlike most other gravesites in San Francisco that were removed from the City, his sarcophagus can still be found at the church in the corner of its lot near O’Farrell Street. His name may not be well-known now, but he will always be one of the great men of early San Francisco history.

Notes:

1. “Looking Back – Starr King,” Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon, July 4, 2020. https://sfrichmondreview.com/2020/07/04/looking-back-starr-king/

2. “Thomas Starr King, Unveiling of His Memorial Statue,” San Francisco Chronicle, October 27, 1892, p. 8.

3. “Debate urged on Starr King eviction,” San Francisco Chronicle, October 25, 2006, p. B3.

Building a Super-Highway: A Closer Look

by Arnold Woods

Traffic is a problem in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is not a new problem. Back in the pre-bridge era, the only way to get from San Francisco to Oakland was to take a ferry or to drive around the Bay. As automobiles became more popular, it quickly became clear that the system of roads then was inadequate to the task. Even with the paving of El Camino Real, which began in 1912 and the addition of Skyline Boulevard to the state highway system in 1919–both two lane roads–a more substantial road, a “super-highway” was needed. On October 20, 1929, that super-highway from San Francisco to San Jose was dedicated. It was known as the Bayshore Highway.

Bayshore Highway just south of Salinas Avenue, October 15, 1929. (wnp26.133; DPW Horace Chaffee, SF Department of Public Works / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

On dedication day, the super-highway did not actually span all the way from San Francisco to San Jose, but we’ll get to that shortly. Construction work on the new highway began on September 11, 1924.1 Mayor Rolph declared the day to be “Bayshore Highway Day.” Caravans from Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco met in South San Francisco for the dedication ceremony. As was his usual schtick, Mayor Rolph got his hands dirty at the ground-breaking, wielding a pick.

Bayshore Highway, north of Costa Street, October 15, 1929. (wnp26.131; DPW Horace Chaffee – SF Department of Public Works / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

San Francisco had seeded the super-highway project with a $500,000 appropriation.2 The money was given to the State Highway Commission to build a 5.2 mile stretch of the highway from South San Francisco to San Mateo.3 San Francisco’s expectation was that the State would then commit funds to build the rest of the highway. However, despite the Governor’s support, his Committee of Nine on highway construction and finance put the project on the back-burner.4

Bayshore Highway near Tunnel Road, October 15, 1929. (wnp26.129; DPW Horace Chaffee – SF Department of Public Works / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

Finally in the Spring of 1925, the legislature passed the Breed Bill, gas tax legislation to raise monies for construction of state highways, and which designated the Bayshore Highway as part of the State highway commission. It would officially start at the intersection of Army and San Bruno Avenue in San Francisco and travel for 41.5 miles alongside the Bay to San Jose.5 However, despite Governor Friend William Richardson’s support of the Bayshore Highway, he vetoed the Breed Bill after opposition from Southern California.6

View north on Bayshore at 3rd Avenue, July 17, 1934. (wnp27.5557; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

Work on the short stretch from South San Francisco to San Mateo continued with the funding provided by San Francisco. When that work hit a snag building around Southern Pacific railroad tracks, the State Highway Commission finally approved funds in June 1926 to build a subway for the highway under the tracks.7 Work on that stretch was finally completed in 1929 and the Bayshore Highway was dedicated on October 20, 1929.8

View north of Bayshore Highway toward Visitacion Valley, circa 1935. (wnp14.4513; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

The success of the initial portion of the Bayshore Highway led to more state funding and the highway was extended in increments. Seven miles of road through marshes down to Redwood City was dedicated on May 14, 1931.9 By June 1932, the Bayshore was opened to Palo Alto.10 After another year of work, the Bayshore extended down to Lawrence Station Road in Sunnyvale.11 Work on the final stretches into San Jose took a few more years, but the last link connecting to what would become Highway 17 was finished and dedicated on June 12, 1937.12

Bayshore Highway by Old Western Pipe & Steel Shipyard in South San Francisco, circa 1950. (wnp14.2196; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

After completion of the Bayshore Highway, it was redesignated as U.S. Route 101, previously the designation of El Camino Real and a decision that businesses along El Camino Real protested.13 The uproar resulted in El Camino Real getting the Highway 101 designation back with the Bayshore Highway becoming the Highway 101 bypass. The Bayshore quickly developed a nasty reputation for accidents likely because of its lack of a median barrier.

View north on Highway 101 near Silver, April 1964. (wnp25.6177; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

Because of the number of accidents on the Bayshore Highway, the State decided to replace it in the 1940s with a modern freeway that was separated from surface streets and had a median. By 1962, the new Highway 101 would be completed between San Francisco and San Jose. The old Bayshore Highway retains the Bayshore name in San Francisco as Bayshore Boulevard, running parallel to Highway 101 or the Bayshore Freeway as it is also known. The Bayshore “super-highway” had a short life as the main route along the Bay, but it was the first of its kind here.

Notes:

1. “Bayshore Road Work Started By Officials,” San Francisco Chronicle, September 12, 1924, p. 1.

2. “Supervisors Inspect New Highway Down Peninsula, San Francisco Chronicle, November 25, 1923, p. A3.

3. “State Action On New Road Cause Of Joy,” San Francisco Chronicle, August 9, 1924, p. 1A.

4. “Petty Action On Bayshore Arouses Ire,” San Francisco Chronicle, February 1, 1925, p. 1A.

5. “Bayshore’s Backers Are Rejoicing,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 26, 1925, p. 2A.

6. “State’s Good Efforts Must Go On,” San Francisco Chronicle, June 7, 1925, p. 4A.

7. “State Board Praised For Decision On Under-Pass,” San Francisco Chronicle, June 13, 1926, p. 1A.

8. “Bayshore Highway Dedicated Before Crowd Of 20,000,” San Francisco Chronicle, October 21, 1929, p. 13.

9. “Rolph Presides Over Dedication Of New Bayshore Link,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 15, 1931, p. 15.

10. “Bay Shore Highway Completed Within 14 Miles Of San Jose,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 22, 1932, p. 1A.

11. “Bayshore Road Now Six Miles From San Jose,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 26, 1933, p. 18.

12. “Final Unit Of Bayshore Route Open,” San Francisco Chronicle, June 13, 1937, p. A1.

13. “Want Highway Back,” San Francisco Chronicle, December 24, 1937, p. 7.

Sundial in the Fog: A Closer Look

by Arnold Woods

If you were building a new residential subdivision in the fog-swept sand dunes of the Sunset District in the early 20th Century, what might you add to the development to make it an attraction to potential buyers? If you were Joseph Leonard, whose Urban Realty Development Company was building on the site of a former racetrack, you peered through the fog and naturally thought that a sundial would be perfect.

View northwest across Entrada Court toward former Ingleside Race Track Clubhouse, circa 1913. (wnp4.1729; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

The Ingleside Racetrack was located just south of the Ocean Road (today’s Ocean Avenue) and just east of Junipero Serra Boulevard. It opened on Thanksgiving Day 1895, but competition from other tracks, anti-gambling ordinances, declining attendance, and, of course, a certain earthquake, closed the track for good. The Urban Realty Improvement Company purchased the property in March 1910 for $400,000.1

View southeast across Entrada Court toward Merced Heights, circa 1913. (wnp4.1730; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

The man behind the Urban Realty Improvement Company was architect, builder, and planner Joseph A. Leonard. Previously, with partners in the San Francisco and Suburban Home Building Company, Leonard had built earthquake shacks after the 1906 earthquake and the Jordan Park neighborhood, before starting his own company to build the Richmond Heights subdivision. These prior new developments were built within the City’s street grid. With the Ingleside Racetrack site, Leonard saw the chance to build a neighborhood from scratch with a different look.

People and vehicles on Entrada Court around Sundial, circa 1913. (wnp15.645; Willard E. Worden – photographer / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

The focal point of what was to become the Ingleside Terraces neighborhood was Urbano Drive–named after Leonard’s company–a mile-long, oval street that followed the track of the old race course. With plans to build around and inside the oval, Leonard intended to keep the subdivision off the beaten path for a more tranquil neighborhood. Leonard promised to sell houses on easy terms. Leonard and other builders on the West Side were counting on the building of a streetcar tunnel under Twin Peaks to bring potential home buyers to the Outside Lands.

View west across Entrada Court with workers building a grandstand perhaps for Sundial dedication, circa 1913. (wnp37.04203; Marilyn Blaisdell Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

Infrastructure construction at Ingleside Terraces began in February 1911.2 The first house was completed in June 1912. Leonard wanted something unique that would attract homebuyers and hit upon the idea of building a sundial to be the signature centerpiece of the neighborhood. We’re not sure why he thought a sundial in a traditionally foggy area was a good idea–perhaps a subtle implication that it wasn’t so foggy there–but Leonard did not let the weather stop him.

Entrada Court Sundial with two mechanical sea lions in pool, circa 1914. (wnp4.1691.jpg; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

On October 10, 1913, the Sundial and surrounding park inside Entrada Court was dedicated. This was the same day that the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans were joined together in the Panama Canal. The Sundial’s marble and concrete gnomon–the projecting part that shows the time by the position of its shadow–was 28 feet long and it was billed as the biggest sundial in the world. The circle around the Sundial with Roman numerals measured 34 feet in diameter. Underneath the Sundial was a small reflecting pool with two brass sea lions.

Women dancing around planter urn pillar in Sundial Park, circa 1915. (wnp37.04192; Marilyn Blaisdell Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

The Sundial park featured four pathways to the Sundial and four circles between those pathways. Each circle featured a pillar with a decorative urns featuring flowers and figures. Having four of everything was supposed to represent the “four ages of man and nature’s four seasons.” As this was a northern hemisphere sundial, the gnomon pointed to Polaris, the north star, and the angle of the gnomon was 37.7 degrees, equal to the latitude of Ingleside Terraces. On sunny days, the shadow of the gnomon falls on the Roman numerals to show the time.

Women’s sewing party at Sundial, circa 1915. (wnp4.1707; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

The dedication ceremony was naturally held…at night. A “fairy land of lights” were strung up around the Sundial for the ceremony.3 Leonard presided over the festivities, which was attended by City Engineer Michael O’Shaughnessy and supervisor Charles Murdock, among others. The Coast Artillery Marching Band provided music. A child emerged from the fountain personifying the release of the water’s spirit. 40 adults and 20 children participated in an allegorical pageant.4 Following the children’s entertainment, 50 couples danced around the Sundial.

Dorothy Clarke at Ingleside Terraces Sundial, 1926. (wnp4.1707; Courtesy of a Dorothy Clarke)

Sometime after the dedication ceremony, the Urban Realty Improvement company produced a 32-page brochure about their new residential subdivision. The brochure was likely passed out at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Early development was slow, but picked up after the Twin Peaks Tunnel was finally completed in February 1918. The reflecting pool and bronze seals were gone by then, but other than some additional plants, Sundial Park looks much the same today. Even if you cannot tell the time when the fog blocks out the sun, the Sundial remains one of San Francisco’s best attractions.

Notes:

1. “Largest Sale Of The Year,” San Francisco Chronicle, March 4, 1910, p. 15.

2. Ingleside Terraces advertisement, San Francisco Chronicle, May 29, 1913, p. 20

3. “Unveil World’s Biggest Sun Dial; Tots Act At Ingleside Terraces,” San Francisco Chronicle, October 11, 1913, p. 26.

4. “Notable Celebration At Ingleside Terraces Tonight,” San Francisco Chronicle, October 10, 1913, p. 19.

OpenSFHistory Top Ten: Views of Destruction

by Arnold Woods

We have a LOT of images of the 1906 earthquake and fire and aftermath in our OpenSFHistory collection. The events of April 18, 1906 primarily affected the downtown and surrounding areas of San Francisco with the fires causing much of the damage. Like drivers passing an accident today, people from around the areas that suffered the worst took to the streets and parks to watch. Some of them took pictures. Let’s take a walk around the perimeter of the devastation zone and see what the people in 1906 saw. Here are ten views of the destruction.

View north at fires from Arkansas near 20th Street, April 18, 1906. (wnp15.193; Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

We start south of the fires in the Potrero Hill area. We see two people in the foreground sitting in an empty lot looking north toward the downtown area. A little way down the hill, there are a dozen or so others standing and staring at the smoke and flames. Potrero Hill suffered damage from the earthquake itself, but the fires would not reach that far south.

View northeast from lower Twin Peaks, April 19, 1906. (wnp27.3374; Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

Moving west from Potrero Hill, we go to Twin Peaks. We see Market Street and the dome of the old City Hall on the right. It appears the worst of the fires is happening to the north of City Hall. However, there is significant smoke to the east of City Hall as well. City Hall would suffer significant damage from the quake and fires resulting in a new City Hall being built in its present location.

View east from Buena Vista Park, April 18, 1906. (wnp37.03689; Marilyn Blaisdell Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

To the north of Twin Peaks, we get to Buena Vista Park. Looking east from there, it appears that most of the downtown area is in flames. The fires would mostly be stopped from getting further west at Van Ness Street, but in a few areas, it did get across Van Ness, such as in Hayes Valley.

View east from Mint Hill, April 18, 1906. (wnp27.1732; Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

To the east of Buena Vista Park is Mint Hill, so named because of the large U.S. Mint building located there now. The Mint was not yet there in 1906, so the hill was one of many elevated views of the raging fires. Market Street can be stretching northeast from the bottom right of the image, so the smoke and fires seen in this image are mostly from the south of Market areas that suffered a heavy toll.

View northeast from Alamo Square, April 18, 1906. (wnp27.4955; Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

Just to the northwest of Mint Hill is Alamo Square. Here you see lots of people, mostly women it appears, watching the conflagration. While the crowd looks to be calm, they were surely worried about family and friends and wondering if they were safe there (they were).

View east from Nob Hill, April 18, 1906. (wnp27.2573; A. Blumberg / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

We head northeast from Alamo Square to Nob Hill. We believe this image was taken from the Fairmont Hotel, then nearing completion of its construction. From there, you can see the incredible devastation taking place in the Financial District. The Fairmont was not a safe location as it turned out. The fires would spread over Nob Hill as the flames headed west. The Fairmont would suffer heavy interior damage which would delay its opening to 1907.

View east from Russian Hill, April 1906. (wnp26.2048; J.B. Monaco / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

To the north of Nob Hill, Russian Hill was another popular gathering spot for on-lookers. You can also spot numerous people on Vallejo Street extending east from the bottom of the hill. This area would also be overrun by the advancing fires, likely making refugees of most of these people.

View south from Montgomery and Green Streets, April 18, 1906. (wnp37.03408; JMarilyn Blaisdell Collection / / Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

To the east of Russian Hill is Telegraph Hill near the waterfront. In this view from the lower part of Telegraph Hill looking down Montgomery Street from Green Street, we again see a lot of “looky-loos” crowding the street. These people would eventually have to evacuate. However, while the fire would reach the spot where this image was taken, much of the area behind the photographer would be saved by the actions of a Navy tugboat, the Leslie, one of three Navy tugboats that fought the fires.

View southwest from Jackson Street pier, April 1906. (wnp13.379; Courtesy of a Private Collector.)

We head southeast from Telegraph Hill to the Jackson Street pier. Here we find ourselves almost in the midst of the great fires destroying the City. While the pier and the boats there are not on fire yet, it appears that it won’t be long until they are. Fortunately, the piers would be saved, largely because of water being pumped from the Bay through tugboats. In addition to the Navy tugboats, two state-owned fireboats, the Governor Irwin and the Governor Markham participated in fighting the fires from the Bay.

View from Bay toward Ferry Building, April 1906. (wnp59.00072; Pillsbury Picture Co. – Zelinsky Collection / Courtesy of Dan Zelinsky.)

We end by heading out into the Bay from the Jackson Street pier. This is a colorized view and the Ferry Building looks like it is in serious danger. It would survive with little damage though, like the other piers.

As mentioned, we have a lot of images from the 1906 earthquake and fire. Many of them are collected in this Gallery of 1906 Earthquake and Fire images. You can also find many more by doing a search for images using search terms related to that event. It is hard to imagine today what people in 1906 went through seeing this large-scale devastation happening to their homes. Hopefully, we will never have to know.