Podcasts by Outside Lands San Francisco
Nicole Meldahl and a rotating cast of hosts from the Western Neighborhoods Project (outsidelands.org / OpenSFHistory.org) share San Francisco west side neighborhood history with humor, a real fact or two, and much-better-informed occasional guests.
Further podcasts by Western Neighborhoods Project
Podcast on the topic Gesellschaft und Kultur
All episodes
448: Presidential Visits to the Outside Lands from 2022-02-19T12:00
Attention is always lavished on US Presidents when they visit Downtown SF. But it's even more notable when they travel to the West Side. WNP Board President, Arnold Woods, shares his research for a...
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447: Bernice Rodgers from 2022-02-12T12:00
To help celebrate Black History Month, we welcome Nancy Botkin - who tells us about the remarkable Bernice Rodgers. Bernice was a ground-breaking Rec and Park employee whose was later honored with ...
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446: Thorsten Sideboard from 2022-02-05T12:00
This week, we are treated to an Oral History with special guest, Thorsten Sideboard. A local Sunset artist, Thorsten created Western Neighborhoods Project's first activity book for children on the ...
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445: Keepers of the Steps from 2022-01-29T12:00
This week's podcast celebrates 150 years of Irish dance in San Francisco with a trio of special guests: Anne Cassidy Carew, Eileen Mize, and Jamie O’Keefe. They tell us about the United Irish Cult...
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444: Olympic Club Hike N Dip from 2022-01-22T12:00
It's the New Year and what better way to start it off than to take a dip in the frigid waters of Ocean Beach. Special guest, Jessica Smith, joins Nicole and Michael to explain the origins of the Ol...
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443: Santa Claus Association from 2021-12-25T12:00
Unlike today's SantaCon, Mabel Hawkin's Santa Claus Association does not involve scores of drunken Kris Kringles. Instead, the Association was a charity group that distributed thousands of gifts to...
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442: West Side Art and Artists from 2021-12-11T12:00
This week, we resume the topic of West Side Artists with guest, John Lindsey, owner of The Great Highway Gallery.
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441: The Museum at The Cliff from 2021-11-27T12:00
If you haven't already visited the Museum at The Cliff, where we are displaying many of the Cliff House and Sutro Baths historical items successfully won at action - get to it! We're open Thursday ...
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440: GGIE art at City College of San Francisco from 2021-11-13T12:00
As a World's Fair, the Golden Gate International Expo, held on Treasure Island in 1939-40, brought together exhibits from all over the globe. One exhibit featured artists (both notable and unknown)...
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178: 50th Anniversary of the Sutro Baths Fire (Repodcast) from 2021-11-06T12:00
Have you visited our Museum at The Cliff? Through mid-April 2022, see artifacts from the Cliff House and Sutro Baths, now on display (Thurs-Sun) in our free pop up museum at the former Cliff House ...
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265: Sutro Women (Repodcast) from 2021-10-24T12:00
Museum at the Cliff is now open! Our pop up museum is open Friday-Monday (11:00 - 4:00 PM) at the former Cliff House gift shop until mid-April 2022. https://www.outsidelands.org/Event/500. In celeb...
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386: The Cliff House Project (Repodcast) from 2021-10-09T12:00
In celebration of the upcoming Fall 2021 opening of WNP's Museum at the Cliff and assuming stewardship of the Cliff House Project web site (www.cliffhouseproject.com), we're repodcasting this episo...
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439: Pacific Rod and Gun Club from 2021-09-24T12:00
Not long ago, the sound of shotguns echoed around Lake Merced. Until 2015, skeet shooting at the Pacific Rod & Gun Club was a regular occurrence. This week, Nicole and Michael explore the Club's or...
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438: Miniature Mansions Makers from 2021-09-11T12:00
Elizabeth Larke Blodgett, mother and passionate supporter of returning Great War soldiers, took her doll house making hobby to incredible levels. One masterpiece miniature house, has been featured ...
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437: AP Giannini Middle School from 2021-08-27T12:00
AP Giannini Middle School was one of many SF schools built in the 1950s to educate the growing baby boomer generation. Originally part of the Sunset Community Center, the school was named after a w...
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436: The Stern Grove Festival from 2021-08-14T12:00
For over eighty years, Stern Grove has served as a premier outdoor venue for music festivals. This week, Nicole and Michael explore the rich history of performances and who's on the calendar this S...
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435: The Olympic Club from 2021-07-31T12:00
Today, we know the Olympic Club as an exclusive, members-only golf course and host to major tournaments. Like many things in San Francisco with 100+ year history, there are stories of financial gym...
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434: Photographers Watkins and Taber from 2021-07-17T12:00
When viewing images on OpenSFHistory.org, you may notice some of most memorable photos of early San Francisco are credited to either Carleton Watkins or Isaiah West Taber. As competitors, they phot...
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433: Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park from 2021-07-03T12:00
The Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park has been THE event location for over a hundred years. After our June hiatus, Nicole and Michael return to tell the origin story and the major events that continu...
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340: The Trocadero in Stern Grove (Repodcast) from 2021-06-26T12:00
The next time you visit or attend a concert at Stern Grove, take a short walk over to the Trocadero Clubhouse. In this week's repodcast, we learn how the Trocadero was happening hot spot, dating ba...
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324: Assessor Recorder (Repodcast) from 2021-06-18T12:00
Residents of San Francisco have a wonderful resource for discovering the history of their home. In this repodcast, then SF City Assessor, Carmen Chu joins the POD to discuss the photos and historic...
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294: 16th Avenue Steps (Repodcast) from 2021-06-12T12:00
Instagram has turned this Moraga street stairway into a must see location on the West Side. In this classic podcast, we review the origins of the tiled steps and hopefully inspire you to go out and...
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77: Great Highway (Repodcast) from 2021-06-09T12:00
Open or keep closed? As life slowly returns to normal, what should be done with the currently closed-to-traffic section of the Great Highway? In this classic 2014 podcast, David & Woody provide som...
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300: About Western Neighborhoods Project (Repodcast) from 2021-06-04T12:00
What is Western Neighborhoods Project all about? During our June podcast hiatus, we repodcast one of our favorite episodes about the organization itself. We'll be back in July with fresh history, u...
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432: Triumph of Light Statue from 2021-05-29T12:00
Mount Olympus in the Asbury Heights neighborhood is home to the Triumph of Light Statue. This week, Nicole and Arnold chat about the ideas behind the statue, its evolving designs, and the ceremonie...
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431: Lake Merced from 2021-05-22T12:00
Lake Merced has been an important area of San Francisco before there even was a San Francisco. This week, we chronicle the pre-European history, Spanish settlement, and the emergence of Lake Merced...
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430: Jesse B. Cook from 2021-05-15T12:00
The Jesse B. Cook collection at the Bancroft Library is an amazing assortment of photos and ephemera spanning early 20th century San Francisco. Jesse Cook himself also has a fascinating, but compli...
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429: Prayerbook Cross & Rainbow Falls from 2021-05-08T12:00
There is another large outdoor cross in San Francisco, and this one is in Golden Gate Park. As a bonus, this one comes with its own water feature. Today's Pod covers the origins and construction of...
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428: Fun-Tier Town at Playland from 2021-05-01T12:00
The western themed, Fun-Tier Town was added to Playland at the Beach in 1960. It featured rides that were designed to be enjoyed by younger children. And for special occasions, there was a large ro...
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427: McCoppin Square Park from 2021-04-24T12:00
McCoppin Square Park is likely the oldest public park in the Outside Lands. But who was McCoppin? Why is a park in the Sunset named after him? Nicole and Michael explore the history of this groundb...
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426: Earthquake Refugee Camps in Golden Gate Park from 2021-04-17T12:00
Golden Gate Park was home to several refugee camps in the aftermath of the '06 Quake & Fire. Richmond District historian John Freeman joins the Pod to share his extensive research on the Park sites...
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425: Greg Gaar - Rock Photographer from 2021-04-10T12:00
Over 1000 images of the SF music scene from the 70s and 80s have been added to OpenSFHistory.org. The photographer who captured images of the Grateful Dead, Santana, the Rolling Stones, and many mo...
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424: Gary Warne from 2021-04-03T12:00
San Francisco in the 60s gave rise to the counter-culture movement and Gary Warne was front and center. The Pod this week welcomes author John Law, who knew Gary and recalls the underground places ...
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423: Saving the Cliff House Collection from 2021-03-27T12:00
When the Cliff House suddenly closed in December 2020, its collection of treasures from Sutro Baths, Playland, and the Cliff House itself were put up for auction. Learn how a scrappy group of like-...
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422: Balboa Street Businesses from 2021-03-20T12:00
We take another virtual stroll down a Richmond District business corridor, Balboa Street. Where else but on this Pod can you visit both beloved, but lost businesses and learn about those that endur...
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421: Uncle Roy D. Graves from 2021-03-13T12:00
Roy Graves started with his interest in SF history and developed it into a vast collection of images, memorobelia, and historical knowledge. Learn how Roy's passion became an inspiration for local ...
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420: Forest Hill Microhoods from 2021-03-06T12:00
Today, most of the area's developments have been subsumed by the Forest Hill neighborhood. But in the early 1900s, different developers constructed their own residential neighborhoods. WNP Board Me...
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419: Zero Thomas from 2021-02-27T12:00
We know about the life of Zero Thomas, thanks to an amazing discovery at a landfill. Thomas was an African American soldier stationed at the Presidio around 1870. And through his trove of papers, w...
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418: Clement Street Businesses from 2021-02-20T12:00
Clement Street in the Richmond retains the charm of a San Francisco neighborhood where local businesses are an integral part of the community. This week, Nicole, David, and Michael take a virtual s...
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417: Sutro the Collector from 2021-02-13T12:00
Adolph Sutro's vast wealth enabled his passion for collecting. Dr. Lissette Jimenez, Egyptologist at SF State University joins the Nicole, David, and John to describe the breadth and depth of Sutro...
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416: Levin Family Theatres from 2021-02-06T12:00
The neighborhoods of the West Side would not be the same without their local movie theatre and we have the Levin Family to thank for them, from the Alexandria to the Coliseum to the beloved Balboa ...
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415: Sand Dunes of the Outside Lands from 2021-01-30T12:00
That the west side of San Francisco was covered in sand dunes will come as no surprise to regular listeners. Michael Lange joins Nicole and David to tell us how the City transformed the expanse of ...
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414: Tales of Ocean Beach from 2021-01-23T12:00
Ocean Beach in the 60s & 70s was a time like no other. Special guest, and native West-sider, Paul Judge joins co-host John Martini to regale us with their first-hand recollections of the places, pe...
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413: Terry Francois from 2021-01-16T12:00
Civil rights activist and lawyer, Terry Francois had a prominent role in challenging racial covenants throughout the West Side. New co-host, Arnold Woods tells us how Francois worked to help desegr...
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412: Evolution of Point Lobos Road and Merrie Way from 2021-01-09T12:00
As if Playland, the Cliff House, and Sutro Baths was not enough of an entertainment selection, nearby Merrie Way provided even more thrills. New recurring co-host, John Martini helps us understand ...
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411: Woody's Farewell Podcast from 2020-12-27T12:00
As 2020 comes to a close, we bid a fond farewell to podcast co-host, Woody LaBounty. After 8 years and over 400 episodes, Woody regales us with a few more stories of growing up on the West Side of ...
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410: Historic Moments in 2020 from 2020-12-19T12:00
In a year like no other in our lifetimes, Nicole, David, and Woody take a look back at the historical highlights of 2020.
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409: Catholic Churches in the Richmond from 2020-12-12T12:00
The oldest Catholic church in the Richmond dates back to the 1880s. As the population of San Francisco spread west, so did the churches. Today's pod gives us a historical glimpse on the many Cathol...
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408: Uncle John McLaren from 2020-12-05T12:00
Incredulously, after 400+ podcasts, we are only now devoting one to John McLaren, the Superintendent of San Francisco parks - for life. The pod looks at McLaren's lasting legacy throughout the City...
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407: Sears Store at Masonic from 2020-11-28T12:00
The massive Sears store at the top of Geary was THE place to shop in the Richmond. Sears, Roebuck and Co. started as a mail order catalog and later became the country's dominant department store. B...
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406: Intrigue at the Museum from 2020-11-21T12:00
George Barron was the curator of the de Young Museum who at times, had flashes of P.T. Barnam. Special guest Judi Leff joins the pod to regale us with stories of the colorful curator.
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405: French Hospital from 2020-11-14T12:00
French Hospital has a misty past with its origins in the early 1850s. Its current location on Geary Street dates back to the turn of the previous century and continues to serve the community today.
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404: USS San Francisco Memorial from 2020-11-07T12:00
The USS San Francisco had a relatively brief, but storied history in the US Navy. In honor of Veterans Day, the Pod recounts the naval cruiser's role in World War II and its many connections to the...
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403: Halloween in The Districts from 2020-10-31T12:00
Halloween has always been a big holiday in San Francsico. What may surprise you is how neighborhood organizations and merchants on the West Side used to go above and beyond trick or treating - all ...
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402: Mt. Davidson Manor from 2020-10-24T12:00
Mt. Davidson Manor includes a who's who list of San Francisco residential developers. The home building story starts with Fernando Nelson and development continues into the 1930s.
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401: Billington Brothers Photography from 2020-10-17T12:00
The Billington Brothers are the photographers behind many of the images around the Cliff House, Sutro Baths, and Land's End. Special guest John Freeman tells us how the brothers transformed themsel...
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400: Children's Hospital from 2020-10-10T12:00
Known by different names and in different locations, Children's Hospital has served San Francisco since the 1880s. And the journey continues to this day.
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399: Richmond District WPA Playgrounds from 2020-10-03T12:00
In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration constructed a variety of projects in San Francisco that endure to this day. This week, we shake the sand out of our shoes and explore our favorite WP...
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398: Willie Mays on the West Side from 2020-09-26T12:00
Willie Mays is a baseball icon. Already a superstar when the Giants moved to San Francisco, Willie and his wife, Marghuerite, found a new home near Mt. Davidson, only to be denied purchase because ...
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397: Little Sisters of the Poor from 2020-09-19T12:00
Listener request fulfilled! Little Sisters of the Poor have been providing comfort to less fortunate San Franciscans for over a hundred years. Their beautiful Lake Street building survived the 1906...
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396: Forest Knolls from 2020-09-12T12:00
You've probably driven past the Forest Knolls neighborhood many times without even knowing it. Community action led by a now prominent politician, finally opened up the development to people of color.
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395: Catholic Sunset from 2020-09-05T12:00
Take a tour of some of the Catholic parishes in the Sunset. This week, we cover St. Anne's, St. John of God, Holy Name Parish, and St. Gabriel Church.
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394: AIDS Memorial Grove from 2020-08-29T12:00
Golden Gate Park is home to the National AIDS Memorial Grove. Formerly de Laveaga Dell, the Grove provides a serene location to commemorate loved ones lost to the AIDS pandemic.
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393: Rousseau Brothers Realty from 2020-08-21T12:00
You can't miss spotting a Rousseau-built "Storybook" home in the Sunset. Special guest Michael Lange joins the pod to tell the story of the Rousseau brothers and how they developed their distinctiv...
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392: Dr. Emma Sutro Merritt from 2020-08-15T12:00
Dr. Emma Sutro Merritt was Adolf Sutro's eldest child. Accomplished in her own right, she left a lasting legacy in San Francisco to this day. WNP's Chelsea Sellin joins the live podcast as we conti...
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391: Parkside Branch Library from 2020-08-08T12:00
The Parkside Branch Library's mid-century architecture stands out among the nearby buildings on Taraval Street. Unlike most Outside Lands San Francisco podcasts, there are no dark secrets or scanda...
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390: Zakheim Murals at UCSF from 2020-08-01T12:00
New-Deal era, Bernard Zakheim murals at UC San Francisco are in imminent danger of being destroyed. Portraying the history of medicine, ten frescoes displayed in UC Hall, which will soon be demolis...
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389: Louis' Restaurant from 2020-07-25T12:00
We mourn the permanent closing of Louis' Restaurant due to the pandemic, but celebrate its history and the thousands of meals served overlooking the Sutro Baths Ruins, Seal Rocks, and the Pacific O...
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388: 4-Star Theatre from 2020-07-18T12:00
We miss theatre popcorn! Continuing our long-running series about West Side movie theatres, this week's we recall the history of the still extant, 4-Star Theatre.
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387: Mel's Drive-In: The Sit In from 2020-07-11T12:00
As you enjoy a burger and shake at Mel's Drive-In on Geary Boulevard, in those very booths nearly 60 years ago, there was a protest against Mel's owners for their discriminatory hiring processes. L...
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386: The Cliff House Project from 2020-07-04T12:00
Special guest, Gary Stark of the Cliff House Project joins the pod this week to talk about his organization and share some fascinating facts about the ever evolving, west side landmark. To see more...
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385: Toppling Monuments from 2020-06-27T12:00
In San Francisco, statues have been toppled in reaction to the subjects' past history of racism, oppression, or enslavement. We examine the context during which they were raised, their subjects' hi...
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384: Favorite Point from 2020-06-20T12:00
Favorite Point in Golden Gate Park is aptly named, but few know of its location today. We return to the celebration of Golden Gate Park's 150th Anniversary and rediscover this formerly prominent sp...
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383: Bernzweig Framing and Design from 2020-06-13T12:00
Steve Bernzweig, second generation owner of Bernzweig Framing and Design, joins the Pod to share the 50-plus year history and some interesting stories of this west side San Francisco gem.
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382: Guerrilla Historian from 2020-06-06T12:00
Coming to a SF street corner near you! Historic photos from OpenSFHistory.org are being taped to utility poles around the City. Joey Yee joins us to talk about being a proud participant in WNP's gr...
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381: Thomas Starr King Monument from 2020-05-30T12:00
Reverend Thomas Starr King was a pivotal figure in San Francisco and California history. We resume our celebration of Golden Gate Park's 150th year and examine the Starr King monument and the man.
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380: The Farallon Islands from 2020-05-23T12:00
On clear days, the rocky contours of the Farallon Islands can be seen emerging from the horizon. This week, we venture 27 miles off shore to learn about the islands' past and present.
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379: US Public Health Service Hospital from 2020-05-16T12:00
A hospital located off of Lake Street provided health care to US service members for over a hundred years. Former Park Ranger, historian, and author, John Martini tells us about the origins through...
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378: Goethe-Schiller Monument from 2020-05-09T12:00
Why are two German writers memorialized in Golden Gate Park? As part of our series of podcasts commemorating the Park's 150th Anniversary, we uncover the statue's origins as a cultural landmark.
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377: Ray Bandar - The Bone Collector from 2020-05-02T12:00
Ray Bandar had a passion for bones. It was his collection featured at the 2014 CalAcademy exhibit "Skulls". Special guest, Lindsay Palaima worked with Ray, and visits the pod to share some stories ...
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376: First Home in Sea Cliff from 2020-04-25T12:00
Today's tony Sea Cliff neighborhood originated as a result of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. The very first house in Sea Cliff, located on 25th Avenue, fortunately still exists. Learn how this home ...
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375: Earthquake Refugee Shacks from 2020-04-18T12:00
Following the devastation of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, thousands of refugee shacks were constructed and located at several locations of west side San Francisco. We mark the 114th anniversary of...
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374: Ray Galli and Galli homes from 2020-04-11T12:00
Since the 1930s, Galli Construction has been a prominent builder of San Francisco residences. Galli built dozens of housing tracts and thousands of homes throughout the west side and is still in bu...
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373: Golden Gate Park 150th Anniversary Celebration from 2020-04-04T12:00
Founded in 1870, San Francisco celebrates Golden Gate Park's 150th birthday. Join Nicole, David, and Woody as they mark this historic occasion in their first remote recording session.
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372: Speedway Meadow and the Polo Fields (Classic Episode) from 2020-04-03T12:00
If you've been to the Outside Lands Music Festival, then you know the Polo Fields and Speedway Meadow. These open spaces both have storied histories. This classic episode continues our celebration ...
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371: Bison of Golden Gate Park (Classic Episode) from 2020-03-28T12:00
In March 2020, Golden Gate Park welcomed five new, year-old bison to the Paddock. In this classic episode, we revisit the Bison's arrival in the 1890s and their long history in the park.
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370: Monuments of Golden Gate Park (Classic Episode) from 2020-03-20T12:00
Our Monumental Golden Gate Park event has been postponed. But to whet your appetite, we present a Classic Episode where David and Woody chat about their five favorite Golden Gate Park statues.
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369: Irish On the West Side (Classic Episode) from 2020-03-14T12:00
For St. Patrick's Day, we revisit an Outside Lands San Francisco classic episode: Elizabeth Creely visits to talk about Irish-American San Francisco, east and west side.
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368: Morrison Planetarium Projector from 2020-03-06T12:00
Today's Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences features the latest state-of-the-art digital technology. But when the Morrison Planetarium was built in 1952, it featured an optical star p...
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367: Tacoma Street from 2020-02-29T12:00
Tacoma Street is an enigmatic dead-end off 15th Avenue in the Richmond. Why are the lots so unusually angled?
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366: Argonne Elementary School from 2020-02-22T12:00
In 2020, Argonne Elementary School celebrates the 100 year anniversary of its dedication in 1920. Near and dear to Western Neighborhoods Project, Woody shares a story of a his relative's connection...
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365: Powell Street Railroad Station from 2020-02-15T12:00
Did a railroad really run from Golden Gate Park down to Powell Street? There's a stand out remnant of the 1890-era Station on Fulton at 7th Ave.
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364: Freeway Origins from 2020-02-08T12:00
Turn back the clock on major City thoroughfares like I280 or US101 and you'll often find a railway. Go further back in time and you could find its origins in a Spanish road. Learn what lies beneath...
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363: McLaren Lodge from 2020-01-31T12:00
McLaren Lodge in Golden Gate Park is impressive inside and out. Take a virtual audio tour of John McLaren's residence where he lived for 47 years.
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362: Stars of the West Side from 2020-01-25T12:00
Some surprising TV and movie stars were native to the west side of San Francisco. Learn the stories of a few of WNP's favorites.
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361: Campfire Girls Building from 2020-01-17T12:00
Ninety years ago, the Camp Fire Girls Building was dedicated, beginning its long service shaping and educating both the girls and boys of San Francisco's West side.
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360: Pinehurst Lodge from 2020-01-11T12:00
The lodge has a long history of sheltering vulnerable women and children. Learn about the stately building and it's history of service to the community.
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359: Year in Review 2019 from 2020-01-04T12:00
A fond look back at the momentous events, milestones, and change at Western Neighborhoods Project and OpenSFHistory.org in 2019.
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358: Merced Heights from 2019-12-28T12:00
Merced Heights was one of the few, post-war, housing developments to sell to African-American families in the 40s. Learn more about this lesser-known Heights located near San Francisco State Univer...
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357: King Norman's Kingdom of Toys from 2019-12-21T12:00
Before the big box stores, King Norman's Kingdom of Toys ruled. From its humble beginnings on Clement, the store grew into a toy empire including an amusement park and even a local TV show for kids.
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356: Nineteenth Ave and Sloat Blvd from 2019-12-14T12:00
The proximity of Nineteenth Avenue and Sloat Boulevard is teeming with history: Stern Grove, the Trocadero, Ardenwood, and the Scottish Rite Temple are just a few of the highlights discussed.
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355: Francisco Heights from 2019-12-07T12:00
Francisco Heights was a 1930s public housing project that never was. Imagine 11 buildings for 2500 residents near present-day USF.
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354: Masonic Cemetery from 2019-11-29T12:00
Today on WNP cemetery talk, we explore the history of the Masonic Cemetery on Lone Mountain, the disinterment in the 30s, and the encroachment by the University of San Francisco.
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353: San Francisco Heritage from 2019-11-23T12:00
In a City under pressure for constant change, San Francisco Heritage protects and preserves the cultural and architectural legacy of this great city. Woody LaBounty recently joined the staff of SF ...
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352: The Nightclubs of 3595 Taraval from 2019-11-09T12:00
The building at 46th and Taraval has an unexpectedly colorful, if not checkered, past. What is that two-story silo on the corner?
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351: Breon Gate from 2019-11-01T12:00
You can appreciate the Breon Gate the next time you're waiting for the light on 19th Avenue and Lincoln. But what is its origin? Who built it and when?
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350: The Presidio Theatre from 2019-10-25T12:00
The rehabilitated Presidio Theatre recently opened to the public for the first time in 25 years. What began as a WPA project is back in its new, state of the art glory.
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349: Cutting Through Golden Gate Park - Part 1 from 2019-10-19T12:00
Nineteenth Avenue began its transformation from a residential street into six lane highway in the 1930s. Learn about the driving forces behind the expansion.
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348: The Anderson Sisters School of Dance from 2019-10-12T12:00
Jack Anderson's talented sisters, Lenore and Jean, owned and operated the Anderson Sisters School of Dance on Clement Street. Learn which beloved actor performed there early in their career.
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347: Paul´s Hat Works from 2019-10-05T12:00
Paul's Hat Works has been adorning heads in the City and the Richmond for almost 100 years. Abbie Dwelle, the Hat Works current owner, joins the pod to share its history.
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346 The Lincoln Highway from 2019-09-28T12:00
Why does Lincoln Highway end in San Francisco, and why is it named after our 16th President? David, Woody and Nicole discuss the western terminus of America's first transcontinental road.
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345 Robert Emmet Statue from 2019-09-21T12:00
Who placed a statue of the doomed Irish rebellion leader in Golden Gate Park? Learn the story of the Robert Emmet monument that now stands near the California Academy of Science.
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344: Cliff House Portraits from 2019-09-14T12:00
In the early 1900s, some professional portrait photos were the selfies of the day. John Freeman drops by to talk about the photographers who made a living taking photos of visitors to west side att...
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343: Vanished West Side Schools from 2019-09-07T12:00
Learn what happened to some of the schools on the West Side that no longer exist. The constant ebb and flow of the City's population, evolving teaching philosophies, and buildings that outlive thei...
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342: August 2019 Mailbag from 2019-08-30T12:00
The listeners speak! Woody, David, and Nicole answer listener mail, own up to mistakes, and make some quick takes on a variety of topics.
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341: Recycling Midwinter Fair from 2019-08-24T12:00
The Midwinter Fair lived on after closing! Guest John Martini joins Nicole, David, and Woody to discuss how many of the attractions and buildings from the California Midwinter International Exposit...
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339: The Wreck of the Reporter from 2019-08-10T12:00
One Ocean Beach shipwreck the city turned out for in 1902.
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338: The Hot House from 2019-08-03T12:00
The Spanish-inspired eatery at Ocean Beach that survived the end of Playland.
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337: Windsor Terrace from 2019-07-26T12:00
The story of the Inner Sunset development with the elegant brick column gateway. And big WNP news.
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336: Torlakson House from 2019-07-20T12:00
The story of Carvel Torlakson and 806 47th Avenue, possibly the oldest standing building in the Richmond District.
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334: Closing the Midwinter Fair from 2019-07-06T12:00
The last official days of the California Midwinter International Exposition.
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332: Goddess of the Forest from 2019-06-22T12:00
Dudley Carter's sculpture and its journey from the Golden Gate International Exposition to Golden Gate Park to City College.
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331: San Francisco Ice Arena from 2019-06-15T12:00
The mid-block skating rink that operated on 48th Avenue between Kirkham and Lawton Streets from the 1920s to the 1990s.
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330: Golden Gate Park Bands from 2019-06-07T12:00
From 1882 to the 1894 Midwinter Fair to Sundays today, the history of bands in the park.
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329: Bicycles on the West Side from 2019-06-01T12:00
Two wheels on the west side from the 1890s to today.
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328: Memorial to the Missing from 2019-05-26T12:00
Monument in the Presidio dedicated to World War II servicemen lost in the Pacific.
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327: Heidelberg Castle from 2019-05-18T12:00
The German village concession at the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition in Golden Gate Park.
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326: Truck Farms from 2019-05-11T12:00
Italian truck farms on the west side of the city, leased by "I Giardinieri" (the gardeners), fed San Francisco for decades.
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325: Great White Fleet from 2019-05-04T12:00
In May 1908, the entire city turned out for the US Navy's globe-circling show of might and goodwill.
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324: SF Assessor-Recorder from 2019-04-27T12:00
Carmen Chu details the photos, and historical records available to the public for research and education, and an exciting new project with the library.
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323: Easter on Mount Davidson from 2019-04-20T12:00
The tradition of sunrise services on San Francisco's highest peak.
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322: Conservatory of Flowers Myths from 2019-04-13T12:00
Guest Chelsea Sellin shares some legends about the Golden Gate Park landmark on its 140th birthday.
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321: Portal Heights from 2019-04-06T12:00
Curvy streets in the Sunset? The mystery of Cecilia Avenue revealed.
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320: Ferries & Cliff House Railroad from 2019-03-30T12:00
Steam locomotives once puffed through the Richmond District.
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319: Butter Sculptress of the Midwinter Fair from 2019-03-23T12:00
The story of Caroline Brooks, Centennial Butter Sculptress at the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition.
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318: Verdi Monument from 2019-03-16T12:00
The impressive tribute in Golden Gate Park's Music Concourse to Italy's famous composer.
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317: Quigley Family from 2019-03-09T12:00
An historic Inner Sunset family who lived in, and made, Golden Gate Park.
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316: San Francisco History Center from 2019-03-01T12:00
Guest Christina Moretta, photo curator from the San Francisco History Center at the San Francisco Public Library, gives an overview of the city's official archives.
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315: Sunset Reservoir from 2019-02-23T12:00
177 million gallons of water is just the start of the story.
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314: Women Artists at the Midwinter Fair from 2019-02-16T12:00
The Fine Arts Building of the 1894 California Midwinter International Fair in Golden Gate Park and the many female artists featured.
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313: Worcester Avenue from 2019-02-09T12:00
The history and significance of a one-block San Francisco street.
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312: Hotel Cairns from 2019-02-02T12:00
The former roadhouse and sanitarium at the corner of 36th Avenue and Fulton Street.
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311: Columbia Heights from 2019-01-26T12:00
The mini-neighborhood laid out along San Jose Avenue in 1893 with dairies and a one-man water company.
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310: Bonet's Electric Tower from 2019-01-19T12:00
The centerpiece of the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition in Golden Gate Park.
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309: Carol Schuldt from 2019-01-12T12:00
The story of Kelly's Cove's "Queen of the Beach," who passed away on December 1, 2018.
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308: California Gliders Club from 2019-01-05T12:00
1920s aviators flew over the sand dunes of San Francisco's west side.
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307: Snow in San Francisco from 2018-12-29T12:00
On rare occasions, white stuff has fallen on the city by the bay.
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306: Sutro's Ashes from 2018-12-22T12:00
Mysterious object, relocated ashes, shadowy characters... John Martini unearths the stories behind Adolph Sutro's missing remains.
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305: Francis Scott Key Monument from 2018-12-15T12:00
The story of a peripatetic statue, that looks like a wedding cake top, in Golden Gate Park's Music Concourse.
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304: Lakeshore Park from 2018-12-08T12:00
Woody, David, & Nicole tell the story of the Gellert Brothers-built neighborhood that sits between two lakes and was the home of the mysterious GET.
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303: Alma Keith from 2018-12-01T12:00
A milliner with a large house at the beach and a family history with some mystery. Woody, David, & Nicole tell the story of Alma Keith.
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302: Transpacific Cable from 2018-11-24T12:00
In December 1902, a communications connection to Asia was launched from San Francisco's Ocean Beach.
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301: Ansel Adams House from 2018-11-17T12:00
The famed photographer of Yosemite and the 'Range of Light' grew up in the Richmond District.
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300: Western Neighborhoods Project from 2018-11-10T12:00
Hey, we are history too now! For the 300th podcast we talk about the venerable organization named the Western Neighborhoods Project.
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299: Monterey Heights from 2018-11-03T12:00
The houses and stories (bootleggers, raffles, and more) in a residential neighborhood on the slope of Mount Davidson.
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298: West Side Equestrianism from 2018-10-27T12:00
Horse-riding on the west side, the Golden Gate Park stables, and David's fear of the saddle.
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297: The 1868 Earthquake from 2018-10-20T12:00
Arnold Woods joins us to mark the 150th anniversary of the October 21, 1868 earthquake on the Hayward Fault, the city's first 'Big One.'
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296: Rancho San Miguel from 2018-10-06T12:00
A Mexican land grant from 1845 still reverberates on San Francisco's west side 173 years later.
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295: Chet Born Fire Collection from 2018-09-29T12:00
Guardians of the City and WNP are partnering to bring dramatic images of SF Fire Department by Chet Born and others to the public.
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294: 16th Avenue Tiled Steps from 2018-09-22T12:00
After many requests, the history of the 16th Avenue tiled steps on Golden Gate Heights.
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293: San Francisco Model Yacht Club from 2018-09-15T12:00
Rob Weaver, Vice Commodore of the SFMYC at Spreckels Lake, takes us through 120 years of model boating in Golden Gate Park.
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292: San Francisco Model of 1939-40 from 2018-09-08T12:00
Stella Lochman from SFMOMA describes efforts to salvage a 40-foot model of the whole city and find ways to bring it back to the public.
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291: Baird Estate from 2018-09-01T12:00
Explosions, mysterious deaths, lawsuits, and one family's outsized influence on lots of land at the edge of the Outside Lands.
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290: Bay District Racetrack from 2018-08-25T12:00
From the 1870s to the 1890s, horse racing drew crowds to what are today blocks of Inner Richmond homes.
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289: Richmond Dairies from 2018-08-18T12:00
Cows? In the Richmond District? Plus, milk detective!
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288: San Francisco Botanical Garden from 2018-08-11T12:00
The 55 acres in Golden Gate Park we used to know as the Strybing Arboretum can take you around the world and even through time.
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287: Charlotte Estes from 2018-08-04T12:00
A mysterious monument in a city park. Who was Charlotte Estes?
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286: Emperor Norton Treasure Hunt from 2018-07-28T12:00
From 1953 to the early 1960s, the San Francisco Chronicle sent thousands of treasure-hunting locals around the city to dig in parks, beaches, and front yards.
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285: Chris McKeon and Happy Homes from 2018-07-21T12:00
The story of one influential Sunset District builder. Plus, an exciting change for Outside Lands San Francisco podcast.
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284: Ocean Beach Pavilion from 2018-07-16T12:00
88 years at the beach housing dance halls, restaurants, rock concerts, and slot car racing.
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283: Anton LaVey from 2018-07-07T12:00
Founder of the Church of Satan and Richmond District resident.
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282: 1951 San Francisco Dons from 2018-06-30T12:00
The story of the greatest college football team in San Francisco history.
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281: Sutro’s Coal Mine from 2018-06-23T12:00
What hides in the mysterious tunnels on the cliffs just outside the Golden Gate?
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280: Balboa Terrace from 2018-06-16T12:00
The residence park with Spanish Colonial Revival villas and Storybook cottages.
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279: Baldwin Book from 2018-06-09T12:00
A 1910 assessment of a vast amount of San Francisco properties with original photos.
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278: Balboa Reservoirs from 2018-05-27T12:00
Why are the two reservoirs across from City College used for parking and not water? And what will happen to that land? We have some answers, thanks to researcher Amy O’Hair.
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277: Heroes Grove from 2018-05-26T12:00
Memorial Day 99 years ago a grove of redwoods was dedicated to those who died in World War I.
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276: Shriners Hospital from 2018-05-19T12:00
Now a senior living center, the impressive brick building on 19th Avenue was created to help children.
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275: Cyclers Rest from 2018-05-12T12:00
The two-towered redwood edifice moved from the 1894 Midwinter Fair to Ocean Beach to serve drinks to bicyclists.
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274: Ocean Terrace from 2018-05-05T12:00
John Martini tells us of the vanished strip of saloons, taffy stands, and shooting galleries across from Sutro Heights, including the legendary presence of "Baby" Schmidt.
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273: May Day from 2018-04-28T12:00
The big May Day celebrations that used to be held in Golden Gate Park, the Parkside District, and across the city. How many maypoles there used to be...so many...
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272: Broad Street Firehouse from 2018-04-20T12:00
The Ocean View neighborhood's most significant landmark building dates from 1896. Stables, hay loft, and a tower that is not for a bell...
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271: Dr. Rosen and the 4th Avenue House from 2018-04-11T12:00
The story of a specialist for "female trouble" in a Sunset District house.
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270: Big Rec from 2018-04-07T12:00
The story of the baseball fields on Golden Gate Park, from the Park Bums to 16 games at a time in the 1930s.
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269: Merced Manor from 2018-03-31T12:00
Marketed as "The White City," the housing development between Stern Grove and Stonestown was built in Spanish style during the Depression.
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268: Mechanics' Institute from 2018-03-24T12:00
Taryn Edwards joins us to tell the story of the 163-year-old Mechanics' Institute at 57 Post Street, with library, chess room, events, and coolest staircase in the city.
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267: The Irish Mile from 2018-03-16T12:00
Reviewing the Irish bars of the Inner Richmond along Geary Boulevard, from Ireland 32 to The Blarney Stone. Plus, fond memories of Pat O'Shea's.
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266: Kelly's Pond from 2018-03-08T12:00
One mysterious body of water and the art of old photo detective work demonstrated by Andrew Milhailovsky.
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265: Sutro Women from 2018-03-03T12:00
Guest Nicole Meldahl shares the stories of the women in the life of Adolph Sutro.
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264: Lakes of Golden Gate Park from 2018-02-24T12:00
The bodies of water both natural and human-made. How many can you name?
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262: Opening the Twin Peaks Tunnel from 2018-02-03T12:00
Recognizing the 100th Anniversary of the streetcar tunnel that opened up the southwest side of San Francisco.
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261: Polly Ann Ice Cream from 2018-01-26T12:00
The story of the Sunset landmark where you can spin-a-flavor.
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260: Childrens Playground from 2018-01-20T12:00
The landmark Golden Gate Park playground, plus live recording listener questions and trivia.
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259: Koffee Kup from 2018-01-13T12:00
David and Woody, in the first live show of the podcast, talk about the Geary restaurant-nightclub that stood beside the Alexandria Theatre.
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258: Last Year, This Year from 2018-01-06T12:00
Woody and David review the local history highlights from 2017 and talk up big WNP plans for 2018.
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257: Chinese in the Outer Sunset from 2017-12-30T12:00
Palma You and Steve Haines talk about a project of the Chinese Historical Society of America on Chinese history in the Sunset District.
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256: Christmas Tree Point from 2017-12-22T12:00
We push east to Christmas Tree Point on Twin Peaks and talk about why it is called that.
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255: David Rumsey Map Collection from 2017-12-16T12:00
The story of the great online map collection, boon to researchers and a curious public.
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254: Sunset District 1900 from 2017-12-09T12:00
The challenges of the rural Inner Sunset District at the dawn of the 20th Century.
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253: St. Francis Riding Academy from 2017-12-02T12:00
Guest John Freeman talks of a Richmond District equestrian center that stood from 1904-1958.
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252: Olympic Salt Water Pier from 2017-11-25T12:00
The pipe and pier that brought salt water from Ocean Beach to the Lurline Baths and clubs downtown.
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251: Presidio of San Francisco, Part 2 from 2017-11-18T12:00
Former National Park Service ranger John Martini returns to tell more Presidio history.
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250: Presidio of San Francisco from 2017-11-11T12:00
Special double-length 250th episode with former National Park Service ranger John Martini.
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249: Listener Mail Extravaganza from 2017-11-04T12:00
David and Woody talk cummerbunds and let the listeners speak out.
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248: Bridge Theatre from 2017-10-27T12:00
From Charles Boyer to Peaches Christ, the Bridge Theater on Geary hosted it all.
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247: Renaming the Richmond from 2017-10-21T12:00
One hundred years ago, community leaders in the Richmond District decided to change the neighborhood name (again.)
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246: Pioneer Log Cabin and Environs from 2017-10-14T12:00
Golden Gate Park's meadow of pioneer and colonial related monuments.
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245: L-Taraval Streetcar from 2017-10-07T12:00
The story of the streetcar that runs through the Parkside, Sunset, and, at one time, open sand dunes.
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244: Seal Rocks from 2017-09-30T12:00
Off the Cliff House and visited by pinnipeds, daredevils, and stranded surfers.
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243: City College of San Francisco from 2017-09-23T12:00
From the San Francisco Junior College to free tuition, the history of City College.
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242: West Side What Ifs from 2017-09-16T12:00
Playland still in business? End of streetcars? World's Fair at Lake Merced? Imagining different west sides.
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241: Ida McCain from 2017-09-09T12:00
Inge Horton tells about a trailblazing female architect who designed hundreds of west side houses.
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240: Green Apple Books from 2017-09-02T12:00
Celebrating 50 years of a Richmond District institution.
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239: Arden Wood from 2017-08-26T12:00
The Christian Science institution built in the trees at the end of West Portal Avenue in 1930.
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238: Irish on the West Side from 2017-08-19T12:00
Elizabeth Creely visits to talk about Irish-American San Francisco, east and west side.
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236: 49 Mile Scenic Drive from 2017-08-05T12:00
Kristine Poggioli and Carolyn Eidson explain what the 49 Mile Scenic Drive is and how to walk it today.
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235: Zoo Trains from 2017-07-29T12:00
We remember all the trains in the San Francisco Zoo, from the Little Puffer to the playground locomotive to the Elephant train.
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234: Golden Gate Heights from 2017-07-22T12:00
The story of the neighborhood perched between (and above) the Sunset District and Forest Hill.
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233: Anglers Lodge and Casting Pools from 2017-07-15T12:00
An alpine cabin and concrete ponds hidden in a Golden Gate Park grove.
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232: Sea Lions of Lake Merced from 2017-07-08T12:00
An 1890s idea to catch invasive carp backfires.
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231: Roosevelt Middle School from 2017-06-30T12:00
A Richmond District junior high with unusual architecture and at least one famous alum.
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230: Sutro Forest from 2017-06-24T12:00
The story of the San Francisco tree plantation that once stretched from the Inner Sunset to the Ingleside District.
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229: Christofferson Brothers from 2017-06-17T12:00
Tim McIntosh tells of early aircraft building and flying brothers who had a flight school at Ocean Beach.
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228: Trad'r Sam from 2017-06-10T12:00
The Outer Richmond District's venerable South Seas bar.
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227: Grove of Memory from 2017-06-03T12:00
Golden Gate Park's redwood grove, with Doughboy statue, commemorating Native Sons who died in 20th Century wars.
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226: Golden Gate Bridge at 80 from 2017-05-27T12:00
San Francisco’s best known landmark has a birthday.
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225: Columbus Alice Fong Yu School from 2017-05-20T12:00
The story of a landmark language immersion school in the Sunset District.
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224: Kezar Stadium Re-do from 2017-05-13T12:00
Don't listen to podcast episode #1! This is a better look at Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park.
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223: Department of Public Works Images from 2017-05-06T12:00
Why did a San Francisco city agency take so many photographs and why are they important?
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222: Fires of 1906 from 2017-04-28T12:00
Fire, not earthquake, destroyed most of San Francisco in 1906.
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221: Japanese Tea Garden from 2017-04-22T12:00
Gardener and historian Steven Pitsenbarger gives the story of Golden Gate Park's crown jewel.
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220: Legion of Honor from 2017-04-15T12:00
The history of the California Palace of the Legion of Honor---art, an organ, and a view.
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219: Midtown Terrace from 2017-04-08T12:00
The mid-century development nestled in San Francisco's Twin Peaks.
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218: Parkside Theater from 2017-04-01T12:00
The history of a neighborhood theater, home of Tom Mix, Led Zeppelin, and a lot of toddlers.
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217: San Francisco History Days from 2017-03-25T12:00
The present and future of the city's most popular history event in the Old Mint.
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216: Leonard-Poole House from 2017-03-18T12:00
The story of San Francisco landmark #213 at 90 Cedro in Ingleside Terraces.
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215: Monarch the Grizzly Bear from 2017-03-11T12:00
The story of a grizzly captured, and later kept in Golden Gate Park, who was the model for the state flag.
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214: Richmond Heights from 2017-03-02T12:00
A 1910s micro-neighborhood with residence park aspirations and Craftsman houses.
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213: Laguna Honda School from 2017-02-25T12:00
The story of a Sunset school, the saloon next door, and "milk punch."
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212: Johnnie the Birdman from 2017-02-18T12:00
The story of a nineteenth century bird-act busker at Ocean Beach.
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211: Richmond and Sunset Branch Libraries from 2017-02-11T12:00
Two classic west side branches of the San Francisco Public Library were built with a grant from Andrew Carnegie.
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210: Ocean House from 2017-02-04T12:00
The roadhouse that catered to sports at Lake Merced from the 1850s to the 1880s.
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209: Golden Gate Park Music Stand from 2017-01-28T12:00
The history of bandshells, music stands, and the Temple of Music.
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208: The Bird Rescue of 1971 from 2017-01-21T12:00
Susan McCarthy tells how a 1971 oil spill brought hippies and hardhats together for clean-up efforts at Ocean Beach and the creation of International Bird Rescue.
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207: The Human Be-In from 2017-01-14T12:00
Nicole Meldahl and Arnold Woods come to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Polo Fields' happening.
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206: Geary Park and Ocean Railroad from 2017-01-07T12:00
When cable cars and steam trains ran on Geary Street to the Richmond District. Plus, a listener mail question!
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205: Brotherhood Way from 2016-12-31T12:00
The story of a unique drive reserved for religious and fraternal organizations in the late 1950s.
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204: Christmas Traditions from 2016-12-24T12:00
Local christmas traditions and stories old and new, from roof rides to holiday firehouses.
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203: Streetcar to the Stars from 2016-12-16T12:00
The story of the 6-line, which started as a streetcar that made a neighborhood party.
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202: Golden Gate Park Lifesaving Station from 2016-12-10T12:00
The story of the surfmen who did service at Ocean Beach from 1878 to 1951.
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201: 100 Years of St. Cecilia Catholic Parish from 2016-12-01T12:00
Guest Frank Dunnigan talks about the first century of a Parkside District parish.
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199: Mark Daniels from 2016-11-17T12:00
Landscape architect for Forest Hill, part of Sea Cliff, the National Park Service.
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198: Charlie Sava from 2016-11-12T12:00
Legendary swim coach of olympians and 50,000 city school kids.
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197: N-Judah Streetcar from 2016-11-05T12:00
On October 21, 1928, MUNI opened the N-Judah line to an extremely jubuliant Sunset District.
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196: Growing Up in San Francisco from 2016-10-30T12:00
Native west side son Frank Dunnigan drops by to share more memories and preview his new book.
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195: San Francisco History Association from 2016-10-22T12:00
Collector Ron Ross shares his personal history in the city and the 35-year history of the San Francisco History Association.
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194: Sloat Boulevard from 2016-10-16T12:00
From the zoo to St. Francis Circle, stories about San Francisco's widest (maybe) street.
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193: Love Pageant Rally from 2016-10-09T12:00
Nicole Meldahl tells the story of the Love Pageant Rally, which happened 50 years ago this week.
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192: Tait's at the Beach from 2016-10-01T12:00
Once called Oceanside House and the House of Mystery, a legendary Ocean Beach roadhouse.
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191: San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club from 2016-09-24T12:00
Since 1901, players in white have trod the bowling greens in Golden Gate Park.
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190: Sherwood Forest from 2016-09-18T12:00
Guest Jacquie Proctor comes by to tell the story of the city's highest and most secret neighborhood.
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189: Model Homes of San Francisco from 2016-09-10T12:00
Odd and interesting model homes of the west side when developers had to work to sell city real estate.
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188: Holy Virgin Cathedral from 2016-09-02T12:00
The five golden domes over the Richmond District and the center of Russian Orthodox life in San Francisco.
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187: Emperor Norton from 2016-08-27T12:00
Guest Joseph Amster shares the story, proclamations, and continuing legacy of San Francisco's first and only emperor.
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186: Lands End Station from 2016-08-22T12:00
The rise and slide of a cliffside, trackside refreshment stand that faced the Golden Gate.
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185: Abbey Stones of Golden Gate Park from 2016-08-13T12:00
The story of a medieval Spanish monastery's journey in pieces to San Francisco.
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184: St. Emydius Catholic Church from 2016-08-06T12:00
An Ingleside District institution with origins in San Francisco's 1906 Earthquake and Fire. And listener mail!
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183: 16th and Irving Street Gas Station from 2016-07-30T12:00
Ruins of the gas station run by Jack Goldsworthy, closed but still dream-inspiring.
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182: The Boneyard from 2016-07-23T12:00
The where, why, and when of a streetcar cemetery and storage block in the Inner Sunset District.
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181: Country Club Acres from 2016-07-16T12:00
A secret southwestern San Francisco neighborhood, plus listener mail!
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180: Coliseum Theatre from 2016-07-09T12:00
Remembering one of the Richmond District theaters, now condos and a drug store.
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179: Golden Gate Park Panhandle from 2016-07-02T12:00
The history of and changes to the groomed strip leading into Golden Gate Park.
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178: 50th Anniversary of the Sutro Baths Fire from 2016-06-26T12:00
The massive conflagration that ended a part of San Francisco history.
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177: Lowell High School from 2016-06-18T12:00
We visit the oldest public high school west of the Mississippi River.
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176: Aviation in the Outside Lands from 2016-06-11T12:00
Airplanes, gliders, and flying machines built and flown in San Francisco's west side in the early 20th Century.
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175: Ron Jones and Life in the Sunset from 2016-06-04T12:00
Storyteller Ron Jones tells tales of growing up on 46th Avenue, going to Playland, and working at the Rec Center for the Handicapped.
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174: West Clay Park from 2016-05-28T12:00
The hidden housing development in the Richmond District with a famous photographer connection.
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173: Park Presidio Boulevard from 2016-05-20T12:00
The story of how the Golden Gate Bridge changed a bucolic boulevard in the Richmond.
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172: Henry Gutterson from 2016-05-07T12:00
Shining a light on a lesser-known Bay Area architect who designed over 100 west side houses and a couple of registered landmarks.
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171: Carzonia Apartments from 2016-04-30T12:00
A quirky row of apartments made of cable cars were created In the Richmond District after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire.
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170: Edgewood Center from 2016-04-23T12:00
With origins from the 1850s, the former Protestant Orphanage still serving children in new ways in the Parkside District.
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169: 1906 Earthquake Commemoration from 2016-04-15T12:00
Every year, San Franciscans old and young gather at Lotta's Fountain to remember the earthquake and fire of 1906
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168: de Young Museum from 2016-04-09T12:00
With origins from the 1894 Midwinter Fair in Golden Gate Park, the evolution of San Francisco's fine arts museum
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167: Mothers Building from 2016-04-02T12:00
National landmark in the San Francisco Zoo has WPA murals and mosaics by local women artists. Can it be saved?
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166: Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse from 2016-03-27T12:00
The past and future of the historic transit complex at Geneva and San Jose Avenues, with guest Alex Mullaney.
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165: Ocean Beach Archeology from 2016-03-19T12:00
Mysterious concrete structures and stairways recently revealed at San Francisco's Ocean Beach.
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164: Listener Mail from 2016-03-12T12:00
Compliments and corrections to Woody and David, who take them all with humor and contrition. And bonus tall tales.
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163: Outside Lands Act of 1866 from 2016-03-06T12:00
For the 150th anniversary of the Outside Lands Act, guest Arnold Woods explains how the western neighborhoods were added to San Francisco.
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162: San Francisco History Days from 2016-02-27T12:00
Preview of the sixth gathering of local history groups at the Old Mint March 5-6, 2016
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161: Parkmerced from 2016-02-20T12:00
The story of the apartment city-within-a-city on the shore of Lake Merced
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160: Sunnyside District from 2016-02-13T12:00
Visiting the creme de la creme of San Francisco subdivisions, where it isn't always sunny.
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159: Twin Peaks Tunnel from 2016-02-07T12:00
The story of the Municipal Railway streetcar tunnel that opened up the West of Twin Peaks neighborhoods.
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158: Presidio Terrace from 2016-01-30T12:00
Begun in 1905, the residence park that sparked a boom in San Francisco master-planned communities.
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157: Fort Funston from 2016-01-23T12:00
Guns, dogs, hang gliders, and more about the land at the southwest corner of San Francisco.
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156: City Cemetery from 2016-01-17T12:00
John Martini tells the story of the cemetery where Lincoln Park is today, and what remains.
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155: Golden Gate Park Golf Course from 2016-01-09T12:00
The hidden 9-hole pitch and putt, and mail from 13 listeners.
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154: The Year 2015 for WNP from 2016-01-02T12:00
The good, the awesome, and the super great year for Western Neighborhoods Project.
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153: The Park-Presidio Improvement Association from 2015-12-27T12:00
A strange Greek revival building in the Inner Richmond was once home to a powerful political organization.
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152: Parkway Terrace from 2015-12-20T12:00
Fine homes and curving concrete benches in an early housing development in the middle of the Sunset District.
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151: OpenSFHistory from 2015-12-13T12:00
Making private collections public, the new WNP program offers up thousands historical San Francisco images.
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150: Willard Worden from 2015-12-05T12:00
Researcher and author Jim Ganz on bringing a great San Francisco photographer back into the spotlight.
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149: George Washington High School from 2015-11-22T12:00
David and Woody stumble through the story of a landmark west side high school. Help them!
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148: Ingleside District from 2015-11-16T12:00
Laid out as Lakeview, the valley land along Ocean Avenue became the Ingleside District.
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147: Bernal History Project from 2015-11-08T12:00
We go east for Bernal Heights history with guest Vicky Walker.
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146: Sutro Tower from 2015-11-01T12:00
San Francisco icon or eyesore? The history of Sutro Tower.
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145: San Francisco State from 2015-10-25T12:00
The story of the California State University beside San Francisco's Lake Merced.
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144: Jordan Park from 2015-10-18T12:00
The story behind the wide streets and stately houses of Jordan Park in the Inner Richmond
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143: President Taft Visits San Francisco from 2015-10-11T12:00
Touring San Francisco, digging in the Polo Fields, and motoring down Clement Street in 1911.
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142: Mile Rock Lighthouse from 2015-10-04T12:00
The story of a dramatic sea-surrounded lighthouse just outside the Golden Gate.
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141: West Side Water from 2015-09-27T12:00
Water expert Joel Pomerantz joins Woody and David to talk about the flow of H2O, where it is, where it was, and where it goes.
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140: Sunset District Streetcar Lines from 2015-09-20T12:00
A review of streetcar lines serving San Francisco/'s largest neighborhood, including pre-MUNI routes.
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139: Kelly’s Cove from 2015-09-14T12:00
San Francisco’s legendary cold water surfing spot. And, yes, we tell you who Kelly was.
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138: Tornado House of the Sunset from 2015-09-06T12:00
The story of an extreme weather event in 1930, and what can still be seen from it on 46th Avenue.
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137: Cornelius Stagg from 2015-08-30T12:00
A famous west side host and sporting man, who helped name the Ingleside, came to a tragic end in the 1890s.
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136: Playland at the Beach from 2015-08-23T12:00
The long-gone, much-missed amusement park where the sand meets the sea in the Richmond District.
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135: Lakeside District from 2015-08-18T12:00
Thousands of people pass by this insulated enclave every day, the icelandic vision of small town America called Lakeside.
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134: Ingleside Presbyterian Church from 2015-08-09T12:00
Inside a west side church is one of the most awe-inspiring and unknown landmarks in San Francisco.
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133: Ben Butler from 2015-08-02T12:00
The story of San Francisco/'s most famous sea lion that had a life after death at Seal Rocks.
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132: St. Ignatius College Preparatory from 2015-07-25T12:00
With roots back to the 1850s, St. Ignatius has been a Sunset District institution for over 40 years.
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131: Portals of the Past from 2015-07-18T12:00
The story of the famous classical columns at Lloyd Lake in Golden Gate Park, and where they came from.
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130: West Portal from 2015-07-12T12:00
The story of West Portal, the neighborhood and the avenue.
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129: Prelinger Library from 2015-07-05T12:00
Megan Prelinger tells us about the one of most open physical libraries in the world, right in San Francisco!
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128: Coronet Theatre from 2015-06-27T12:00
Home of Star Wars premieres, Oklahoma, and 1,300 stadium seats on Geary Boulevard, the recent-gone Coronet opened in 1949.
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127: Henry Doelger from 2015-06-20T12:00
Home builder and character who had a great impact on San Francisco's Sunset District.
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126: Ingleside Coursing Park from 2015-06-13T12:00
In the 1890s, greyhounds competed along Ocean Avenue at the Ingleside Coursing Park. Plus, Connemara the superdog!
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125: GGNRA Park Archives from 2015-06-07T12:00
Amanda Williford from the Golden Gate Park Archives tells us about 6 million historical items, some stuffed in old stables.
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124: Golden Gate Park Carousel from 2015-05-30T12:00
Inside a Roman temple in Golden Gate Park you can still ride a goat, a dragon, or a giraffe in circles.
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123: Shipwrecks of Ocean Beach from 2015-05-23T12:00
Maritime craft going aground on San Francisco's Ocean Beach and Lands End
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122: Big Alma Spreckels from 2015-05-16T12:00
Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, mother of the Palace of the Legion of Honor, and a real SF character
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121: San Francisco Maritime Research Center from 2015-05-09T12:00
Gina Bardi tells us about the city's premier archive of maritime history. Crazy fact: 100,000 watercraft plans!
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120: Temple Emanu-El from 2015-05-02T12:00
Judi Leff shares the history of Richmond District landmark Temple Emanu-El. Plus Emperor Norton!
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119: Golf Courses from 2015-04-25T12:00
San Francisco/'s earliest golf courses were created on the city/'s west side, including the Ingleside.
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118: The 1906 Earthquake and Fire from 2015-04-18T12:00
A seminal day for San Francisco and the western neighborhoods: April 18, 1906
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117: Olympic Grounds from 2015-04-11T12:00
Guest Angus Macfarlane tells us when San Francisco's Olympic Club cavorted in the heart of the Inner Sunset District.
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116: Courtesy of a Private Collector from 2015-04-05T12:00
Nicole Meldahl describes the significance and breadth of the "Courtesy of a Private Collector" historical images and how WNP is conserving, cataloging, and sharing them.
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115: UC San Francisco and the Affiliated Colleges from 2015-03-28T12:00
The history of the University of CA-San Francisco, begun as the Affiliated Colleges, and how it ended up in the Inner Sunset.
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114: Shaping San Francisco from 2015-03-21T12:00
Chris Carlsson and LisaRuth Elliott talk about their energetic and engaging local history work. Bikes, CD-ROMS, and more.
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113: Mount Davidson from 2015-03-14T12:00
We go to San Francisco's highest natural peak, which is topped by a 113-foot concrete cross and lots of trees that look like a hairline.
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112: SF History Expo and PPIE100 from 2015-03-06T12:00
February 2015 has been a busy month for San Francisco history. David and Woody have the recap.
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111: Beertown from 2015-02-27T12:00
John Freeman joins us to talk about days when Fulton Street in the Richmond District had an intoxicating reputation.
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110: El Rey Theatre from 2015-02-20T12:00
The mighty El Rey Theatre, designed by Timothy Pflueger, opened on Ocean Avenue in 1931.
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109: Francis Scott Key School from 2015-02-13T12:00
Oh say can you see two distinctive Outer Sunset buildings with roots from one San Francisco school?
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108: Golden Gate Park from 2015-02-05T12:00
Established in 1870, Golden Gate Park is the jewel of San Francisco.
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107: Fernando Nelson from 2015-01-31T12:00
John Freeman joins us to talk about Fernando Nelson, a builder and early automobile enthusiast, who built thousands of homes from the 1880s to the 1930s across San Francisco, including the Richmond...
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106: Sutro Heights from 2015-01-23T12:00
Sutro Heights, a San Francisco park high above the Pacific Ocean, was the personal estate of Adolph Sutro - a land of fake Greek statues, fake rocks, and maybe the real remains of Sutro himself.
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105: The Casino from 2015-01-17T12:00
A casino in Golden Gate Park? Of a sort, before the 1880s libations parlor was moved to Fulton Street to become a well-known roadhouse.
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104: SF Genealogy from 2015-01-10T12:00
Ron Filion, creator of one of the first SF History websites, tells us about the amazing sfgenealogy.com he runs with Pam Storm!
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103: 2014 in Review from 2015-01-02T12:00
A quick review of all the great stuff the Western Neighborhoods Project did and experienced in 2014 (including some great English Toffee). Plus what's coming in 2015.
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102: Naming the Sunset from 2014-12-19T12:00
How did the Sunset District gets its name? A simple question that David and Woody wrestle into submission.
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101: Conservatory of Flowers from 2014-12-11T12:00
City, State, and National Historic landmark, the Conservatory of Flowers has been one of Golden Gate Park's most popular attractions since the 1870s. Plus, Woody makes a confession.
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100: The Best and Worst from 2014-12-05T12:00
David and Woody review the best, the worst, and the most cringe-inducing highlights from 100 episodes of Outside Lands San Francisco. Plus, listener mail!
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99: Great Highway Railroad from 2014-11-28T12:00
Railroad tracks on the Great Highway? Emiliano Echeverria tells us when and why trains ran around Lake Merced and up Ocean Beach.
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98: Stonestown from 2014-11-21T12:00
One the Bay Area's first malls, opening in 1952, Stonestown was created by brother developers and home builders Ellis and Henry Stoneson. The Big E! Rickey's Red Chimney! QFI! Blums! And on and on.
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97: Baker's Beach from 2014-11-14T12:00
John Martini tells David and Woody about a place with naked people, shark attacks, and Burning Men. But what do you call it: Baker's Beach or Baker Beach?
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96: Mount Sutro from 2014-11-08T12:00
Stories of Mount Sutro in San Francisco's Inner Sunset District. Once called Mount Parnassus, it is covered with the ghostly Sutro Forest.
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95: Homewood Terrace from 2014-11-01T12:00
The reincarnation of the Pacific Hebrew Orphan Asylum, Homewood Terrace on Ocean Avenue was an innovative model for taking care of at-risk children from the 1920s to the 1960s.
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94: Soap Box Derbys in the Sunset from 2014-10-25T12:00
From the 1930s to the 1960s children in unmotorized vehicles raced on the hills of the Sunset District.
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93: Giant Camera from 2014-10-17T12:00
Built in the late 1940s, the Giant Camera next to the Cliff House, is perhaps the only camera obscura to be on the National Register of Historic Places. And it costs less than $5 to enjoy!
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92: Laurel Hill Cemetery from 2014-10-11T12:00
David, Woody, and Nicole Meldahl talk about the Richmond District's Lone Mountain Cemetery, later Laurel Hill Cemetery, 1854-1941, RIP.
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91: Bison Paddock from 2014-10-04T12:00
San Francisco's bison herd (they are not buffalo) have been a fixture in Golden Gate Park since the 1890s.
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90: Park and Ocean Railroad from 2014-09-27T12:00
Beginning in 1883, steam trains rumbled down Lincoln Way, cut through Golden Gate Park, and delivered hundreds of Sunday visitors to Ocean Beach.
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89: Seventh Generation San Franciscan from 2014-09-20T12:00
David and Woody talk to Californio descendant and WNP member Nate Tico. Mixing up Spanish exploring party names, how the Europeans found San Francisco Bay, and how many parklets have been installed...
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88: Broderick-Terry Duel from 2014-09-13T12:00
On September 13, 1859, a California State Supreme Court Judge and a United States Senator fought a duel beside Lake Merced. The story, and its importance to local and national politics, plus podcas...
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87: Polytechnic High School from 2014-09-06T12:00
Polytechnic High School on Frederick Street closed in the 1970s, but some landmarks remain. Guest Angus Macfarlane gives us the history of San Francisco's original high-tech school.
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86: Marine Exchange Lookout from 2014-08-29T12:00
How did San Francisco's Telegraph Hill get its name? An octagonal building at Point Lobos on the western edge of the city tells the story. Plus, information about David's wedding cake.
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85: West Side Boomer Memories from 2014-08-23T12:00
Frank Dunnigan, WNP columnist and author of a new book, shares Baby Boomer memories of the west side of San Francisco.
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84: Blackie the Wonder Horse from 2014-08-16T12:00
A horse that swam the Golden Gate? Like a lot of San Franciscans, Blackie the Wonder Horse, from the Ocean Beach roadhouse Roberts-at-the-Beach, may have retired in Marin County.
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83: Dynamite Factories of the Sunset from 2014-08-10T12:00
Angus Macfarlane returns to talk about the dynamite factories of San Francisco's Sunset District of the 1870s. Spoiler alert: they tended to blow up.
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82: Gellert Brothers and Sunstream Homes from 2014-08-02T12:00
Fred and Carl Gellert started the Standard Building Company in 1922, building 'Sunstream' homes in San Francisco's Sunset District, Lakeshore Park, Country Club Acres, and Midtown Terrace before mo...
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81: Alexandria Theatre from 2014-07-26T12:00
San Francisco's Alexandria Theatre opened at 18th Avenue and Geary Boulevard in 1923 with a lush Egyptian theme. Ten years after closing, there is new hope the building will be revitalized. (Alexan...
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80: Laguna Honda Hospital from 2014-07-19T12:00
Begun as the Almshouse in 1867, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center is still serving San Franciscans on the west side of Twin Peaks.
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79: Parkside District from 2014-07-12T12:00
The Parkside, often lumped in with San Francisco's Sunset District, has a history and character of its own. Corruption trials, pioneer groceries, and May Day queens.
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78: Top Five Statues of Golden Gate Park from 2014-07-05T12:00
David and Woody offer their top five favorite statues of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park: a president, a novelist, a mother, a poet, and a gardener.
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77: Great Highway from 2014-06-27T12:00
San Francisco's Great Highway, the venerable road along Ocean Beach that always threatens to be buried by sea and sand.
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76: Mountain Lake from 2014-06-20T12:00
A small lake between the Presidio and the Richmond District played a role in San Francisco's founding. Fireworks and alligators also mentioned.
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75: SFMTA Photo Collection from 2014-06-13T12:00
Amazing views of San Francisco streets and streetcars over the last 110 years from the old Municipal Railway archives. Listen to hear the background and take a look at the photos at www.sfmta.com/p...
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74: Mysterious Lake Merced Earthquake of 1852 from 2014-06-05T12:00
The night in 1852 when an alleged earthquake caused Lake Merced to break its way into the Pacific Ocean and drop thirty feet overnight. Plus, the 1878 gold rush at the lake.
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73: Columbarium from 2014-05-31T12:00
San Francisco's Columbarium, built in 1898 in the Odd Fellows Cemetery, still stands and is still in business in the Richmond District. Tens of thousands of cremated remains in a grand domed buildi...
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72: Saving Neighborhood News from 2014-05-24T12:00
Saving San Francisco's neighborhood newspapers, including the Richmond ReView, Noe Valley Voice, Visitacion Valley Grapevine, and more. Plus 25th anniversary memories of the Loma Prieta earthquake,...
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71: Westwood Park from 2014-05-17T12:00
San Francisco's Westwood Park, the residence park for the "family of average means." Catch bungalow fever!
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70: Wave Motors from 2014-05-09T12:00
Christine Miller shares the history of tidal energy machines and wave motors near the Cliff House, an 1890s movement to harness the power of the sea.
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69: Timothy Pflueger from 2014-05-03T12:00
Guest Therese Poletti tells about San Francisco native Timothy Pflueger, who designed some of the Bay Area's most stunning buildings and prominent west side schools and theatres.
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68: Haight Street Grounds from 2014-04-26T12:00
Angus Macfarlane returns to tell us about when some of the greatest baseball players of the nineteenth century played along Stanyan Street across from San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Also, the fi...
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67: Infant Shelter from 2014-04-18T12:00
City landmark #242, the former Infant Shelter and Conservatory of Music on 19th Avenue and Ortega Street in the Sunset District.
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66: Stow Lake from 2014-04-11T12:00
The biggest lake in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and William W. Stow, the guy it's named after. Pass us a brick of pink popcorn!
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65: Death's Crossing from 2014-04-05T12:00
Steam railroads and electric streetcar lines all once converged in the Ocean View neighborhood.
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64: Works Progress Administration from 2014-03-28T12:00
Part of the 1930s New Deal, the Works Progress Administration made a great impact on the look of San Francisco's infrastructure and parks, including the zoo's Monkey Island!
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63: Talkin like a SanFrunciscun from 2014-03-22T12:00
Idiosyncratic pronunications and accents of old-time San Franciscans. We'll teach you newcomers how to talk like a west side local.
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62: Fort Miley from 2014-03-15T12:00
Chris VerPlanck visits to share the history of Fort Miley and the Veterans Administration Hospital in the northwest corner of San Francisco.
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61: Future of San Francisco's Old Mint from 2014-03-07T12:00
A brief recap of the 4th San Francisco History Expo at the Old Mint and breaking news about the future of the 1874 landmark.
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60: The Chutes from 2014-02-27T12:00
The Chutes amusement center and water ride and its early 20th Century westward migration from the Haight, to the Richmond District, and sort of to Ocean Beach. With guest star John Freeman.
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59: Doggie Diner Head from 2014-02-18T12:00
Seven-foot-tall dachshund wearing chef's hat? Sounds like San Francisco landmark #254 on Sloat Boulevard in the Sunset District.
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58: Point Lobos Toll Road from 2014-02-15T12:00
Richmond District historian John Freeman talks about a dusty toll road that became one of San Francisco's largest thoroughfares, Geary Boulevard.
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57: Forest Hill from 2014-02-08T12:00
Richard Brandi talks about Forest Hill, not just a Muni streetcar station, but a historic San Francisco residence park.
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56: SF History Expo from 2014-01-31T12:00
Nicole Meldahl from the the GGNRA Park Archives and Jamie O'Keefe from Guardians of the City join David and Woody to talk about the San Francisco History Expo on March 1-2, 2014.
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55: Larsen Park Jet from 2014-01-24T12:00
History and future of jets used as play structures at Larsen Park on 19th Avenue in San Francisco's Sunset District.
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54: Outside Lands Hollywood from 2014-01-11T12:00
David and Woody talk about movies that had scenes filmed in western San Francisco.
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53: Thomas Sweeny and his Observatory from 2014-01-10T12:00
Thomas Underhill Sweeny, Sunset District pioneer, "demented hermit," and benefactor of a now-vanished observatory on Strawberry Hill, in Stow Lake, in Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco...
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52: The 1894 Midwinter Fair from 2014-01-04T12:00
The 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition in Golden Gate Park remade not only the park, but the Richmond and Sunset districts. Midway monkeys are discussed.
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51: A Review of 2013 from 2013-12-27T12:00
A quick review of all the great stuff the Western Neighborhoods Project did and experienced in 2013, including this local history podcast!
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50: Holiday Firehouses from 2013-12-20T12:00
From 1948-1950 San Francisco's firehouses competed in a holiday decorating contest still remembered. Why did this start? Why did it end?
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49: San Francisco's First Motel from 2013-12-13T12:00
San Francisco's first motel, the Ocean Park Motel, opened in 1937 in western San Francisco and it's still doing great business. Plus, we share fun facts about other west side inns and motels.
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48: Golden Gate Park Windmills from 2013-12-07T12:00
Giant windmills on the western edge of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park at Ocean Beach. What's up with that? Plus, we finally answer our fan mail.
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47: Sutro Baths from 2013-11-29T12:00
John Martini returns to talk about San Francisco's legendary Sutro Baths, once the world's largest natatorium and now beloved ruins.
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46: SF History Groups from 2013-11-23T12:00
The Western Neighborhoods Project isn't the only group dedicated to San Francisco history. David and Woody share the love and give you lots of options to get your SF History fix.
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45: Ewing Field from 2013-11-16T12:00
Guest star Angus Macfarlane returns to tell the boys stories about the Richmond District's long-gone Ewing Field, home of minor league baseball and other diversions for San Franciscans.
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44: Harold Stoner from 2013-11-09T12:00
Guest star Jacquie Proctor talks about one of the most prolific residential architects in San Francisco, the man of streamline rocket ship buildings as well as Hansel and Gretel cottages, Harold St...
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43: How to Research Your House from 2013-11-02T12:00
How does one research San Francisco history, including the history of one's house? David and Woody give you the online resources to get started. Plus, some big news for WNP.
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42: The Little Shamrock from 2013-10-26T12:00
Guest Angus Macfarlane talks with the boys about the Sunset District's oldest business, the Little Shamrock, established by the extraordinary Julia Herzo.
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41: Cemeteries of the Inner Richmond from 2013-10-19T12:00
Talking about the Richmond District's Big Four cemeteries around Lone Mountain, the resting place for San Francisco's dead from the 1850s until their removal in the 1930s.
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40: Speedway Meadow and Polo Fields from 2013-10-12T12:00
The story of Golden Gate Park's Speedway Meadow, the Speed Road, and the Polo Fields.
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39: Carville-by-the-Sea from 2013-10-02T12:00
San Francisco's 1890s bohemian beachside settlement made of old streetcars.
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38: Sunset Boulevard from 2013-09-27T12:00
San Francisco's Sunset Boulevard: no Norma Desmond, but from the 1930s to the 1970s, it did have Soap Box Derbys.
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37: Brooks Park from 2013-09-20T12:00
The up, downs, and ups once more of Brooks Park overlooking Lake Merced in Southwestern San Francisco.
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36: Balboa Theatre from 2013-09-13T12:00
San Francisco's Balboa Theatre on Balboa Street near 38th Avenue is a Richmond District institution.
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35: The Gjoa from 2013-09-06T12:00
The story of the Gjoa, a fishing sloop that traversed the Northwest Passage and ended up in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park from 1909 to 1972.
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34: 1951 San Francisco Assessor Negatives from 2013-08-31T12:00
Hundreds of documentary building photographs from 1951 tell small stories of San Francisco six decades later.
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33: Lincoln High School from 2013-08-23T12:00
Guest Lorri Ungaretti talks about the history of her San Francisco alma mater, the Sunset District's Lincoln High School.
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32: Miraloma Park from 2013-08-17T12:00
Guest Christopher VerPlanck joins the boys to talk about Miraloma Park, a San Francisco neigborhood on Mount Davidson, smack in the middle of San Francisco.
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31: Daniel Burnham's Plan from 2013-08-10T12:00
Daniel Hudson Burnham's 1904 plan to remake San Francisco included some momumental visions for the west side.
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30: Stern Grove and Pine Lake Park from 2013-08-01T12:00
Stern Grove and Pine Lake Park, with a shared history of squatters, farmers, and free music, is not your run-of-the-mill San Francisco parkland.
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29: Ingleside Terraces from 2013-07-27T12:00
San Francisco's Ingleside Terraces neighborhood started as a racetrack before turning into a residential park with, weirdly, a giant sundial.
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28: Cliff House from 2013-07-16T12:00
San Francisco's Cliff House, perched above Seal Rocks at the Pacific Ocean, celebrates its 150th anniversary in July 2013.
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27: Fleishhacker Pool from 2013-07-12T12:00
Promoted as the world's largest outdoor swimming pool, San Francisco's Fleishhacker Pool opened in 1925 and closed in the early 1970s. It was cold!
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26: Oddities of the Avenues from 2013-07-05T12:00
The hidden stories of odd buildings in the Avenues of western San Francisco, including a rant about Google map designations.
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25: Ocean View from 2013-06-28T12:00
Stories of frog ponds, unbalanced street grids, and Death's Crossing in San Francisco's Ocean View neighborhood.
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24: Adolph Sutro from 2013-06-21T12:00
Did he own one-twelfth of San Francisco or just a twentieth? Either way, Adolph Sutro made his mark on the city, especially the west side.
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23: Camp Merritt from 2013-06-14T12:00
Guest Nicole Meldahl talks about the Richmond District's 1898 encampment of volunteer soldiers for the Spanish-American War.
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22: Carl Larsen from 2013-06-04T12:00
Carl Larsen, restaurateur, chicken ranch owner, and Sunset District pioneer has perhaps one of San Francisco's most-viewed parks named after him.
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21: Park Bums from 2013-05-30T12:00
Golden Gate Park's pickup baseball legends, the Park Bums, and other pickup ball-playing stories and locales.
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20: Beach Chalet from 2013-05-24T12:00
Talking about the old and new Beach Chalet on the western edge of Golden Gate Park at Ocean Beach.
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19: Forts and Fortifications from 2013-05-18T12:00
Guest John Martini talks historic forts and fortifications around the Golden Gate and Ocean Beach.
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18: George Turner Marsh and the Naming of the Richmond from 2013-05-09T12:00
The interesting life of George Turner Marsh, pioneer of the Richmond District and possible namer of the neighborhood.
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17: Hills of San Francisco from 2013-05-02T12:00
David and Woody review a 54-year-old book that inspired both of them.
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16: Sunnyside Conservatory from 2013-04-25T12:00
The story behind an octagonal San Francisco landmark on Monterey Boulevard.
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15: Earthquake Shacks from 2013-04-18T12:00
After San Francisco's 1906 Earthquake and Fire over 5,600 relief cottages were constructed for the refugees. Some still survive today.
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14: San Francisco Zoo from 2013-04-12T12:00
Bricks of pink popcorn, the Little Puffer train, Storyland, lions, tigers, and bears... join Woody and David in remembering the history of the San Francisco Zoo.
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13: Sunset Architecture from 2013-04-04T12:00
San Francisco's largest neighborhood has its own distinctive architecture thanks to 1930s merchant-builders like Henry Doelger, Oliver Rousseau, and the Gellerts.
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12: Richmond District Streetcars? from 2013-03-29T12:00
Guest Paul Rosenberg talks about the source of rails recently uncovered on Balboa Street.
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11: Ingleside Jail and More from 2013-03-20T12:00
The History of the House of Refuge Lot, where City College of San Francisco and Balboa Park stand today.
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9: West Portal Creek from 2013-03-08T12:00
Hidden creek near San Francisco's West Portal neighborhood and other secret water sites.
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8: Surf Theatre from 2013-02-21T12:00
Remembering a little theatre near Ocean Beach that had a big reputation for showing foreign and avant garde films.
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7: Skytram from 2013-02-14T12:00
From 1955 to 1966 a futuristic aerial cable car traversed Sutro Baths' cove from the Cliff House to Point Lobos. From all accounts, it wasn't as fun as it sounds.
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6: Musee Mecanique from 2013-02-07T12:00
What other museum allows you to play with the collection? The coin-operated amusements of the Musee Mecanique, now at Pier 45, had a long history in western San Francisco.
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5: West Side Street Naming from 2013-01-31T12:00
The names of streets going south through the Richmond and Sunset Districts are alphabetical. How did that happen? The story of San Francisco's Street Naming Commission of 1909.
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4: St. Francis Wood from 2013-01-25T12:00
Author Richard Brandi joins us to talk about one of the country's finest residence parks, San Francisco's St. Francis Wood.
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3: Jesse B Cook Collection from 2013-01-17T12:00
We share one terrific online collection of historical San Francisco images: the Jesse Brown Cook Scrapbooks at the Bancroft Library.
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2: The Richmond District of 1920 from 2013-01-10T12:00
David and Woody find some surprises in a neighborhood newspaper from exactly 93 years ago.
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1: Kezar Stadium from 2013-01-04T12:00
(Listen to Episode #224 instead!) Woody and David discuss the old Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park
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1: Kezar Stadium from 2013-01-04T12:00
(Listen to Episode #224 instead!) Woody and David discuss the old Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park
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