Public spaces change fast here in San Francisco, and for better or worse, it can be pretty crazy when you see what the City used to look like. Every week, we'll bring you Then & Now, a comparison of historic photos of the Bay Area with current views from the same perspective. Have a suggestion for a photo comparison that looks totally different (or shockingly the same)? Drop us a tip in the Curbed Inbox or leave a comment after the jump.
Quick note: See that vertical green bar in the middle of the then and now photos? You can move it horizontally to see the photos side by side
[Then photo: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY/ Now photo: Alex Bevk] Most of us have ridden one of the three cable car line at some point in our lives, whether it’s to humor a friend visiting from out of town or it’s genuinely the closest public transportation to your house. But before MUNI criss-crossed the city, cable cars were the predominant public transit to the city. The lines that exist today are only three of the original 22, which were operated by eight major companies. The Presidio & Ferries company operated one line, with service from Washington & Montgomery via Union Street to the Presidio. After the 1906 Earthquake, the tracks along Union were so badly damaged, the company converted to electric street cars. The storage barn for the streetcars was located at the southwest corner of Gought & Filbert Streets. The line was sold to the City in 1913, and today operates as the 41-Union bus route.
Sanborn Insurance Map from 1913 showing the car barn (arrow depicts angle of photographs) [Photo: ProQuest Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970]
· 8 Original Cable Car Companies [Cable Car Museum]
· Vehicles of Recovery [Market Street Railway]
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