Tramps of San Francisco

In search of San Francisco's forgotten histories

Tag: fire

A-Foresting We Will Go: A History of Trees in San Francisco (Part III)

Part III:  The Land of Giants ”There is not much great timber, nor indeed wood of any kind, …”  — The Annals of San Francisco, 1855 By 1850, the most significant “trees” in San Francisco could be viewed among the “forests” of the felled kind, mainly in the form of ships’ masts and other structures. […]

Cows in the City

In the second half of the 19th century, one might tramp to the peak of Telegraph Hill or the summit of Twin Peaks to view the panoramic landscape … one dotted by grazing, ruminating dairy cows, that is. Yes, these were the Outside Lands of yesterday’s upper San Francisco peninsula. Name almost any City neighborhood and it […]