1925 San Francisco Street Map
Original Size (5332 x 3986, 7.7 MB)
Here is a Commercial Atlas Street Map of San Francisco from 1925. Many of the differences between this map and current day are listed inOctoferret's 1938 Standard Oil San Francisco Street Map with the most notable difference being that in 1925 neither the Golden Gate or the Bay Bridge had been built. A couple of other differences with the 1938 map are the lack of Fleishhacker Pool (opened 1925), Kezar Stadium (opened 1925), and Seal's Stadium (opened 1931). In the 1925 map there were still significant cemeteries between the Presidio and the Panhandle, about half of which had been consumed by USF by 1938.
One natural feature to note is the creek running from south of Balboa Park to south of Bernal Heights. Although it is identified as Island creek, I believe this is one of the branches of Islais creek. The other branch ran up through Glen canyon. This branch was mostly forced into storm drains in the late 1920s to allow construction of Alemany Blvd. Speaking of Balboa Park, this map notes that it was formerly the The House of Refuge Lot
This map has a lot of detailed information about transportation infrastructure, including railroad and streetcar lines. This map shows the Roundhouse at Mariposa and Minnesota in the south end of the Southern Pacific yards at Mission Bay. It also shows the tunnel under Potrero Hill from 18th and Wisconsin to 22nd and Texas. In 1962 they were forced to fill the tunnel in because fire and cave-ins were causing sink-holes on the streets above. The map also shows the right-of-way across the Mission District from 22nd and Harrison to San Jose and Randall. From there the right-of-way becomes the path of 280.
Many of the streets depicted here did not exist, reflecting planned streets in undeveloped parts of the city. This is particularly notable in the Southeast corner of the map which anticipates the almost complete landfill reclamation and development of the South Basin between Hunter's Point and Candlestick Point. I'm not sure if this is correct, but it also looks like they were anticipating the China Basin Water Channel to be filled in as well. Other undeveloped/partially developed areas which eventually had different street layouts include the Marina (with an unnamed road north of Marina Blvd shown), Diamond Heights/Mount Davidson, and the southern Sunset, where Pine Lake and Stern Grove are omitted and McCoppin Square and Vicente Square are listed only as "Public Square".
In the greater Bay Area map in the upper right corner Yerba Buena Island is labeled Goat Island.
Comments and faves
Octoferret, DNSF David Newman, Frank Synopsis, SFKelly, and 76 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Octoferret (55 months ago | reply)
They were really running out names for streets in the southeast corner of the city. They have a Ship Street and a Dock Street.
Also, the Sunset Tunnel wasn't opened until 1926, so the N Judah isn't on this map. It also looks like the M also hadn't started running. And the L only went out to 33rd Avenue.
DNSF David Newman (55 months ago | reply)
This is a labor of love. Thank you for posting this.
Dollar Bin (55 months ago | reply)
It also appears that the K only runs along Ocean to Brighton Ave. It's too bad that the street car types are not differentiated, several of lines were still cable cars in 1925, like on Castro from Market to 26th street.
cbcastro (55 months ago | reply)
Very cool, thanks for sharing! I had to snicker a little bit at Lick Old Ladies Home :)
Octoferret (55 months ago | reply)
I saw what looked like the exact same map in a window at Fillmore and Fell today. Weird.
Dollar Bin (55 months ago | reply)
I think they kept these Commercial Atlas maps consistent in design for some time, I've seen 1906 and 1912 maps which are both pretty similar overall to the 1925 map.
roxanagraphs (53 months ago | reply)
Thank you! Thank you!
This map will be part of a presentation to my grandmother-in-law, who arrived in San Francisco from China in 1926. She will celebrate her 100th birthday this year!
{.jerry-b.} (51 months ago | reply)
This is a really neat map, and thanks for the play-by-play. Although I live the East Bay, I didn't grow up around here so the history is a little lost on me.
This reminded me, though, that out in the garage I have a 1927(?) map of the the City issued by the City Engineer. It is wall size (4 x 5 maybe) and printed on linen. I found it in an antique shop in ... maybe Ukiah. Paid $55, and was happy about that.
I should dig it out and see what's on it. For instance, the Lick Old Ladies Home.
jb
Dollar Bin (51 months ago | reply)
I'd love to see a scan of the City Engineer's map, or at least a picture. A civil map might have some interesting differences from this commercial map.
{.jerry-b.} (51 months ago | reply)
I'll try to dig it out this weekend.
David Gallagher (50 months ago | reply)
Maiden Lane is called Manila St.
Telstar Logistics (47 months ago | reply)
Don't know how I missed this. It's so superb. Thank you!
BTW, have you ever seen the Google Earth 1946 overlay for San Francisco? Deeeeep.
Dollar Bin (47 months ago | reply)
Thanks Telstar!
Also, David, I believe that Manila street was so named as a memorial of the Spanish-American war. This makes sense when you look west and see the alley frames the Dewey monument in Union Square. The name had already changed to Maiden Lane on Octoferret's 1938 map.
I think Maiden Lane has also been called Morton Alley and Union Square Avenue as well, but I don't have citations.
Octoferret (47 months ago | reply)
According to the DPW maps it has had the following names:
St. Mark's Place until 1869
Morton Street until 1898
Union Square Avenue until 1909
Manila Street until 1921
Union Square Street until 1922
This map is out of date!
Dollar Bin (47 months ago | reply)
Thanks Octoferret, you are a fount of San Francisco knowledge. I wonder which street in San Francisco has the honor of holding the largest number of different names? As for this map, clearly the presence of Ship and Dock street betray a degree of disconnectedness between this map and the reality of 1925 San Francisco.
Octoferret (47 months ago | reply)
There are several that have had three or four but I think six might be the record. I like how they tried naming it both Union Square Avenue and Union Square Street.
frangipenny [deleted] (41 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called 1900 - 1979, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Frank Synopsis (35 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Maps in Signs & Graphics, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Clare Dickerson Photography (33 months ago | reply)
Hey, I'm the admin for a group called Maps. and I would love to have this posted there.
Metroliner (31 months ago | reply)
Hmm. Moscone Playground is called Lobos Square, the State Belt Line isn't shown running through the Ft. Mason Tunnel to the docks and Van Ness is called Street, not Avenue.
Octoferret (25 months ago | reply)
I just noticed something interesting, there's an Alaska Street tucked away in India Basin with all of the other streets named after states, 34 years before Alaska became a state! There's also a Mexico Street next to it.
Frank Synopsis (25 months ago | reply)
A couple more points of interest:
The old Hall of Justice was still on Kearney, opposite Portsmouth Square. This became the site of the Holiday Inn later. I think the HoJ figured in "The Maltese Falcon" and maybe some of the Continental Op stories from Dashiell Hammett.
Mission Rock is still pretty sizable as shown. It was (almost?) completely removed afterwards.
swampzoid (25 months ago | reply)
gorgeous old map there
throgers (15 months ago | reply)
Love it!
nonie3234 (14 months ago | reply)
Are there any copyrights on this map? Do you see any issue with me making this the liner of my Treegloo iPad case?
Thank you!
Dollar Bin (14 months ago | reply)
I doubt anybody will care if you make an iPad case for your own personal use, other than being envious of your swankily attired tech. That certainly doesn't violate the terms of use for my scan.
nonie3234 (14 months ago | reply)
Awesome! Thank you so much! This map is just so lovely! I'll bet I'll be the only kid at the Mapping Convention I'm going to with an iPad case lined with a map, don't cha think?
Convention:
www.esri.com/events/user-conference/index.htm l
iPad case:
treegloo.com/options