Streetwise: October Happenings Across San Francisco

by Frank Dunnigan

Many local civic events have occurred in the month of October—some good and others not so much, such as the earthquakes of 1865, 1868, and 1989. Here are some memorable examples of past October events.

 

Clay near Battery, October 1868.Earthquake damage on Clay near Battery, October 1868. (wnp37.00950; photo by Oscar Foss, Marilyn Blaisdell Collection / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

1868—The Hayward Earthquake on October 21, 1868 produced significant damage in downtown San Francisco, as shown here on Clay Street near Battery. Another earthquake three years earlier on October 8, 1865 also resulted in damage to downtown San Francisco buildings.

 

View from Nob Hill, October 1908.View east from Nob Hill above Powell Street between Sacramento and Clay to Ferry Building over Chinatown, October 1908. (wnp14.1233; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

1908—Slow but sure recovery from the events of 1906 was recorded on film in October 1908. Much of the debris had been cleared and many of the earthquake cottages built in the fall of 1906 were beginning to be removed. The Emporium on Market Street re-opened in October of that year, giving residents the feeling that recovery was definitely moving ahead.

 

Ferry Building, October 1909.Night view of Ferry Building from Steuart and Market, October 1909. (wnp4.1361; photo by Martin Behrman / Courtesy of a Private Collector)

1909—Market Street is shown here decorated for the first Portola Festival in October 1909—an event celebrating San Francisco’s re-emergence from the disaster of 1906.

 

California & Fillmore, October 1922.View east on California from Fillmore, October 1922. (wnp5.51051; Courtesy of Jack Tillmany)

1922—The post-World War I years saw fewer horses on the streets, but not yet a large increase in automobile traffic, as public transit continued to serve the needs of many local residents, as in this scene at California and Fillmore Streets in October 1922. Temple Sherith Israel is in the background at left, at the corner of California and Webster.

 

Civic Center Aerial, October 16, 1932.Civic Center Aerial, October 16, 1932. (wnp27.4693; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

1932—The War Memorial Opera House (center, right) was inaugurated on October 15, 1932, thus completing the major components of the Civic Center more than a quarter-century after the losses of 1906.

 

Downtown Aerial, October 3, 1935.Downtown Aerial, October 3, 1935. (wnp14.3675; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

1935—Bay Bridge construction was making noticeable progress on October 3, 1935, with the official opening just 13 months into the future.

 

Powell & Market, August 1952.View northeast from Powell and Market, August 1952. (wnp25.4719; Courtesy of a Private Collector)

1952—Construction in the Flood Building for the soon-to-be largest store in the Woolworth chain was well underway in advance of the October 1952 opening.

 

Montgomery near Post, 1954.View north on Montgomery near Post, 1954. (wnp100.00664; Morton-Waters Co., SCRAP Negative Collection / Courtesy of SCRAP)

1953—Construction began in October 1953 on the 25-story Equitable Building at 100 Montgomery Street—San Francisco’s first modern, post-World War II high-rise. Shown here in 1954, the structure was completed in 1955.

 

Market near 10th, 1962.Market near 10th Street, 1962. (wnp5.50402; Courtesy of Jack Tillmany)

1962—Here, the Fox Theatre was photographed in October 1962, four months before its final closure and eventual demolition.
 

Beach near Divisadero, October 18, 1989.Beach near Divisadero, October 18, 1989. (wnp72.15920; Greg Gaar Photography / Courtesy of Greg Gaar)

1989—The Loma Prieta earthquake that struck in the late afternoon of October 17th caused significant damage and a few subsequent fires in parts of San Francisco, especially in the Marina District (shown here at Beach and Divisadero).