1899 Map of San Francisco

About this map

San Francisco Bay and the surrounding urban centers are captured here in the final years of the nineteenth century, showing the dense development of the city alongside the academic growth of the University of California in Berkeley. The map illustrates a landscape defined by its strategic military and maritime positions, from the Presidio and Fort Mason near the Golden Gate to the intricate network of piers and railroads on the East Bay shore. Of particular interest to genealogists and local historians is the depiction of the Lone Mt. Cem. and other burial grounds in the city before many were relocated. The shoreline is still deeply natural in places, featuring the Shell Mound in the Emery area and extensive tidal flats near the Oakland Mole. Rail infrastructure, including the North Pacific Coast R. R. and the S. P. R. R. Narrow Gauge, ties the various landings and nascent settlements like Stege and Cerrito to the central harbor.