The Mysterious Buried Statues of Sutro Park - Revision history

Ccarlsson: added gardener and Martini thoughts

2019-04-09T02:36:42Z

added gardener and Martini thoughts

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 Apparently the mysterious statues still slumber somewhere beneath the ground of Sutro Park, awaiting the urban archaeologist who will, perhaps, one day decide to dig them up.
 [[The Sutro Baths (ruins)|Prev. Document]] [[Playland|Next Document]]
-[[category:Richmond District]] [[category:1870s]] [[category:1860s]] [[category:1890s]] [[category:1900s]] [[category:1910s]] [[category:1940s]]
+[[category:Richmond District]] [[category:1870s]] [[category:1860s]] [[category:1890s]] [[category:1900s]] [[category:1910s]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1970s]]
 [[category:Famous characters]]

Ccarlsson: added photo

2017-03-29T05:01:08Z

added photo

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:01, 28 March 2017
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	'''A Sutro Statue, looking south along the Great Highway.'''		'''A Sutro Statue, looking south along the Great Highway.'''

	''Photo: ~~Prviate~~ Collection, San Francisco, CA''		''Photo: Private Collection, San Francisco, CA''

	Sutro Park provides the setting for one of the strangest buried treasure stories around. Only in this case, instead of gold, silver and jewels, the "treasure" consists of more than a dozen grecian-style statues that are supposedly buried somewhere in the Park.		Sutro Park provides the setting for one of the strangest buried treasure stories around. Only in this case, instead of gold, silver and jewels, the "treasure" consists of more than a dozen grecian-style statues that are supposedly buried somewhere in the Park.

	The story began in February, 1865, when a tobacco merchant and visionary engineer named Adolph Sutro approached financier Billy Ralston with a mad scheme: Sutro proposed to construct a seven-mile-long, two-thousand-foot-deep mining tunnel from one end of the Comstock Lode to the other. Ralston liked the idea; soon Sutro was touring the country, whipping up political and financial support for a project so improbable that the Gold Hills News (1869) called it "one of the most infamous and barefaced swindles ever put forth in Nevada."		[[Image:Spring-looking-out-to-the-ocean-1886-Isaiah-West-Taber-photographer C7inFeOU8AAE A9.jpg\|340px\|left]] The story began in February, 1865, when a tobacco merchant and visionary engineer named Adolph Sutro approached financier Billy Ralston with a mad scheme: Sutro proposed to construct a seven-mile-long, two-thousand-foot-deep mining tunnel from one end of the Comstock Lode to the other. Ralston liked the idea; soon Sutro was touring the country, whipping up political and financial support for a project so improbable that the Gold Hills News (1869) called it "one of the most infamous and barefaced swindles ever put forth in Nevada."

	The Sutro Tunnel, finished in 1878, was a financial bust for everyone but Sutro, who had secretly sold his stock just before it was completed. Sutro had known what the others didn't: The Comstock Lode was played out. Still, it was a hell of a tunnel.		The Sutro Tunnel, finished in 1878, was a financial bust for everyone but Sutro, who had secretly sold his stock just before it was completed. Sutro had known what the others didn't: The Comstock Lode was played out. Still, it was a hell of a tunnel.

Lisaruth: changed category from Richmond to Richmond District

2014-08-28T06:50:57Z

changed category from Richmond to Richmond District

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:50, 27 August 2014
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	[[The Sutro Baths (ruins)\|Prev. Document]] [[Playland\|Next Document]]		[[The Sutro Baths (ruins)\|Prev. Document]] [[Playland\|Next Document]]

	[[category:Richmond]] [[category:1870s]] [[category:1860s]] [[category:1890s]] [[category:1900s]] [[category:1910s]] [[category:1940s]]		[[category:Richmond District]] [[category:1870s]] [[category:1860s]] [[category:1890s]] [[category:1900s]] [[category:1910s]] [[category:1940s]]
	[[category:Famous characters]]		[[category:Famous characters]]

Aiobrec13: Changed credits from Greg Garr to Private Collection

2014-06-16T23:59:20Z

Changed credits from Greg Garr to Private Collection

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:59, 16 June 2014
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	'''Sutro Heights parapet with statues, 1890s.'''		'''Sutro Heights parapet with statues, 1890s.'''

	''Photo: ~~Greg Gaar~~ Collection, San Francisco, CA''		''Photo: Private Collection, San Francisco, CA''

	[[Image:Richmond%24sutro-statue-looking-south.jpg]]		[[Image:Richmond%24sutro-statue-looking-south.jpg]]
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	'''A Sutro Statue, looking south along the Great Highway.'''		'''A Sutro Statue, looking south along the Great Highway.'''

	''Photo: ~~Greg Gaar~~ Collection, San Francisco, CA''		''Photo: Prviate Collection, San Francisco, CA''

	Sutro Park provides the setting for one of the strangest buried treasure stories around. Only in this case, instead of gold, silver and jewels, the "treasure" consists of more than a dozen grecian-style statues that are supposedly buried somewhere in the Park.		Sutro Park provides the setting for one of the strangest buried treasure stories around. Only in this case, instead of gold, silver and jewels, the "treasure" consists of more than a dozen grecian-style statues that are supposedly buried somewhere in the Park.

Ccarlsson: added animated gif

2011-06-24T18:58:49Z

added animated gif

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:58, 24 June 2011
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	''from a National Park Service brochure''		''from a National Park Service brochure''

			[[File:2Cliffhouse ani.gif]]

			[[C L I F F H O U S E\|Cliff House]] and Seal Rocks (Photographed by Keystone View Company)


	[[Image:Sutro parapet with statues 1890s.gif]]		[[Image:Sutro parapet with statues 1890s.gif]]

Lisaruth at 07:18, 30 March 2009

2009-03-30T07:18:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:18, 30 March 2009
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	'''<font face = Papyrus> <font color = maroon> <font size = 4>Primary Source</font></font> </font>'''		'''<font face = Papyrus> <font color = maroon> <font size = 4>Primary Source</font></font> </font>'''

			''from a National Park Service brochure''

	[[Image:Sutro parapet with statues 1890s.gif]]		[[Image:Sutro parapet with statues 1890s.gif]]
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	Apparently the mysterious statues still slumber somewhere beneath the ground of Sutro Park, awaiting the urban archaeologist who will, perhaps, one day decide to dig them up.		Apparently the mysterious statues still slumber somewhere beneath the ground of Sutro Park, awaiting the urban archaeologist who will, perhaps, one day decide to dig them up.

	~~''--National Park Service brochure''~~

	[[The Sutro Baths (ruins)\|Prev. Document]] [[Playland\|Next Document]]		[[The Sutro Baths (ruins)\|Prev. Document]] [[Playland\|Next Document]]

Ccarlsson: Protected "The Mysterious Buried Statues of Sutro Park": primary source [edit=sysop:move=sysop]

2009-01-18T01:42:01Z

Protected "The Mysterious Buried Statues of Sutro Park": primary source [edit=sysop:move=sysop]

← Older revision	Revision as of 18:42, 17 January 2009
(No difference)

Ccarlsson: PC

2009-01-18T01:41:29Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:41, 17 January 2009
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			'''<font face = Papyrus> <font color = maroon> <font size = 4>Primary Source</font></font> </font>'''

	[[Image:Sutro parapet with statues 1890s.gif]]		[[Image:Sutro parapet with statues 1890s.gif]]

Ccarlsson: new photo

2008-08-10T22:50:13Z

new photo

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:50, 10 August 2008
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			[[Image:Sutro parapet with statues 1890s.gif]]

			'''Sutro Heights parapet with statues, 1890s.'''

			''Photo: Greg Gaar Collection, San Francisco, CA''

	[[Image:Richmond%24sutro-statue-looking-south.jpg]]		[[Image:Richmond%24sutro-statue-looking-south.jpg]]

Ccarlsson: categories and links

2008-08-07T01:34:23Z

categories and links

New page

[[Image:Richmond%24sutro-statue-looking-south.jpg]]

'''A Sutro Statue, looking south along the Great Highway.'''

''Photo: Greg Gaar Collection, San Francisco, CA''

Sutro Park provides the setting for one of the strangest buried treasure stories around. Only in this case, instead of gold, silver and jewels, the "treasure" consists of more than a dozen grecian-style statues that are supposedly buried somewhere in the Park.

The story began in February, 1865, when a tobacco merchant and visionary engineer named Adolph Sutro approached financier Billy Ralston with a mad scheme: Sutro proposed to construct a seven-mile-long, two-thousand-foot-deep mining tunnel from one end of the Comstock Lode to the other. Ralston liked the idea; soon Sutro was touring the country, whipping up political and financial support for a project so improbable that the Gold Hills News (1869) called it "one of the most infamous and barefaced swindles ever put forth in Nevada."

The Sutro Tunnel, finished in 1878, was a financial bust for everyone but Sutro, who had secretly sold his stock just before it was completed. Sutro had known what the others didn't: The Comstock Lode was played out. Still, it was a hell of a tunnel.

[[Adolph Sutro|Sutro]] retired to his mansion in what is now Sutro Park. In the 1890's he was elected Mayor of San Francisco. Somewhere along the line, he began acquiring the statuary which he placed along the oceanside rim of his property in a quixotic effort to bring classical high culture to the masses.

After Sutro's death, and his mansion's destruction, the statues were left in place along the rim of what became Sutro Park. Sometime during World War II, the statues disappeared, never to be seen again. What became of them?

A former Sutro Park gardener told historian Arthur Chandler that during World War II, the statues were buried at an unmarked location in the park. The reason? The authorities were afraid that the row of statues would make inviting targets for gunners aboard Japanese submarines! After the war, nobody bothered to unearth them, and eventually the location of the statues' burial was forgotten.

Apparently the mysterious statues still slumber somewhere beneath the ground of Sutro Park, awaiting the urban archaeologist who will, perhaps, one day decide to dig them up.

''--National Park Service brochure''

[[The Sutro Baths (ruins)|Prev. Document]] [[Playland|Next Document]]

[[category:Richmond]] [[category:1870s]] [[category:1860s]] [[category:1890s]] [[category:1900s]] [[category:1910s]] [[category:1940s]]
[[category:Famous characters]]