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Glen Park in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
 

Glen Canyon Park History

 
 
Glen Canyon Park History Marker (newer version) image. Click for full size.
May 28, 2021
1. Glen Canyon Park History Marker (newer version)
Note there are numerous minor differences between the texts of the older and newer versions of this marker.
Inscription.
Imagine how the Glen Canyon Park used to be part of the open rolling hills far south of San Francisco and how you might feel if you came across this 70 acre, 500 foot deep canyon for the first time, protected by the winds down with its own small river that provided sweet water to lush vegetation and wildlife. The local Ohlone people were drawn to Islais Creek and used Glen Canyon for shelter and hunting.

1690s - 1840s
Remote Grassland
During the Mexican colonization and governance of California (1697-1848), Glen Canyon was part of a large estate called Rancho San Miguel and cattle grazing was prevalent.
Smugglers and cattle rustlers (thieves) hid in rock outcrops the canyon's Caves during the Gold Rush, With the invention of the automobile still may years away. It took 3 hours to hike here from downtown.

Explosive Past
In the 1850s, Adolph Sutro purchased the land comprising the canyon, and the Giant Powder Company started the first commercial manufacturing of dynamite in the U.S. under the exclusive patent of Alfred Nobel (Nobel Prize). A year later the whole facility blew up in one big fireball. Sutro's plan to create an industrial corridor failed.

1880s-1920s
A Growing City
The
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dreamy canyon changed its face when the Crocker Real Estate Company tried to attract visitors and some buyers with an amusement park right after they bought it in 1889. It featured a zoo, bowling alley, air balloon, and a tight rope walk across the Canyon.
Glen Canyon Park then became an infamous picnic area for corporate and private parties that got out of hand with "boisterous" drinking. In 1922 the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Commission acquired the property as a playground to protect the area.

1930s-1950s
Infrastructure
In 1935 O'Shaughnessy Boulevard was was built over the Canyon's steep western slopes, connecting Glen Park to the western parts of the city but cutting off the watershed from Mount Davidson and reducing the small Islais River to a trickling creek.
In 1937 the Works Progress Administration (WPA) which helped build bridges, streets and parks all over the country with government funding, built the recreation center that we still enjoy today. In 1956 the Silver Tree buidling was completed and Silver Tree Day Camp was established.

1950s-1960s
Conservation
In the 1950s and 1960s there were several attempts by developers and engineers to build a highway through Glen Canyon, including a tunnel through Twin Peaks to connect to the north
Glen Canyon Park History Marker (vandalized version) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, November 18, 2016
2. Glen Canyon Park History Marker (vandalized version)
side of the city. These various efforts were met by community resistance. In the 1960s, a trio of activists -- Geraldine (Geri) Arkush, Joan Seiwald, and Zoanne Nordstrom rallied Glen Park residents to oppose a four-lane freeway/expressway that was planned to pass through the Canyon.
They formed a Save the Park Committee devoted to protecting the park for future generations, and organized a meeting at Glen Park School to protest the freeway plan. Approximately 400 people attended. In 1967 after several years of disputes and protests, the City finally conceded, and the "high capacity roadway" was abandoned.
The neighborhood mom activists were dismissively dubbed "The Gum Tree Girls" by a pro-freeway city engineer. One of the main trails in the Canyon is name the Gum Tree Girls in recognition of these three women who effectively fought to maintain the integrity and beauty of this amazing urban oasis and as a testament to grassroots activism.
 
Erected by San Francisco Parks and Recreation.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: DisastersNatural Features.
 
Location. 37° 44.423′ N, 122° 26.488′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Glen Park. Marker
Glen Canyon Park History Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, November 18, 2016
3. Glen Canyon Park History Marker
can be reached from O'Shaughnessey Boulevard near Elk Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1271 O'Shaughnessey Boulevard, San Francisco CA 94131, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The First Dynamite Factory in America (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Lapidos House (approx. 0.9 miles away); St. Mary's Chapel Bell (approx. 0.9 miles away); St. Mary's Pub (approx. one mile away); St. Mary's College (approx. one mile away); Twin Peaks Natural Habitat (approx. one mile away); Jerry Garcia (1942-1995) (approx. 1.1 miles away); Original Site of Bancroft Library (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.
 
More about this marker. This marker is located on the Gum Tree Girls Trail about 1/2 mile from the Recreation Center.
 
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. CHL 1002-1 — Site of Giant Powder Company at Point Pinole
 
Also see . . .  10 Fascinating Facts You Didn't Know About Glen Canyon - Curbed SF. Glen Canyon is a rare example of a canyon in an urban setting, and offers a unique escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. What started as a eucalytus grove before taking a turn as a dynamite factory and later an amusement park, the park
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is definitely an unparalleled outdoor space in San Francisco.
(Submitted on November 20, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 20, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 454 times since then and 31 times this year. Last updated on December 14, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos:   1. submitted on May 28, 2021.   2, 3. submitted on November 20, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.

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Mar. 29, 2024