1905, 1889, and Rock-N-Rolling with Broke-Ass

Behold Broke-ass Stuart’s latest extravaganza, Thursday at 8PM, 161 Erie St (& Mission).

Wait, Erie Street? There’s an Erie Street in SF? Huh, by that full circle 101 onramp.

Hey, look, 161 Erie St in 1905, before the earthquake and fire! Howard is now Van Ness. Mission St is to the left. 13th St up top. (Click to zoom.)

And here it is in BURRITOVISION.

Quite the place — bowling, dancing AND laundry next door, right next to today’s Public Works. (And “pork packing” around the corner (green building).)

Looking in the 1905 SF City Directory, I couldn’t find anyone who lived at 161 Erie, the current address of Public Works, but I did find Ferdinand Beck at 159. He had lots to walk to.

Anyway, the color Sanborns are at available via David Rumsey.

But wait! Less than 20 years earlier, the blocks on either side of Mission between 13th and 14th were home to Woodward’s Gardens. Lions! Tigers! Bears! Literally!

In 1889, the dance hall / beer hall / bowling alley was still there (or whatever word you use for “still” when you regress chronologically…)

Lots of pix of Woodward’s gardens over on Old SF.

The nearby beer halls seemed to be a bit of a rough place however.

1884:

So think of this stuff while you rock out with Stuart.