Lake Merced 100 years ago

Unfinished History

Sfsuingl$lake-merced-1868.jpg

Lake Merced and Laguna Puerca with the Ocean View racetrack and surrounding farms. In this "bird's-eye view" from 1868 the artist shows the lake draining to the ocean, and small farms sprouting in the surrounding area.

Image: George H. Goddard, Library of Congress

Sfsuingl$lake-merced-map-1872.jpg

1872 map of Lake Merced showing the Ocean House Race Course and Lake House, which is at the juncture of Lake Merced and the East-West road.

map: Private Collection, San Francisco, CA

Lake-House-1870s.jpg

Lake House in 1870.

Photo: Private Collection, San Francisco, CA

Lake-merced-in-distance.jpg

Lake Merced in undeveloped landscape, far from nearby roads, c. 1900s.

Photo: Greg Gaar Collection, San Francisco, CA

Lake-Merced-1921.jpg

Car selling photo at Lake Merced, 1921.

Photo: Private Collection, San Francisco, CA

Skyline-Blvd-north-at-Great-Highway-Lake-Merced-at-right-Fleishhacker-Zoo-ar-left-Sunset-ahead-March-15-1937-SFDPW.jpg

Skyline Boulevard north at Great Highway. Lake Merced at right, Fleishhacker Zoo at left, Sunset district straight ahead, March 15, 1937.

Photo: SFDPW, courtesy Charles Ruiz collection


Tours-water.gif Continue Water Tour

Prev. Document  Next Document