Name/Title
NegativeEntry/Object ID
2004.001.0882Description
Cliff House and Ocean Beach, San Francisco.
"Land's End trolley stop at Cliff House San Francisco. The 48th and Cliff trolley (#1366) is stopped in front of the station. The company named on the side is United Railroads and the side also shows Presidio Ave N California. c1900 A new city-wide streetcar company called the United Railroads (URR) buys both the Ferries & Cliff House steam train line and the electric Sutro Rail Road. The two now run as companion lines, not competition.1905 The old Ferries & Cliff House steam train around Lands End is converted to an electric streetcar line, which is eventually designated the #1 California Street line. (The old Sutro Rail Road route becomes the #2 Clement Street line.) For the next 44 years, both the #1 and #2 lines terminate in the Sutro Depot.1921 The old United Railroads are bought by yet another company, the Market Street Railway.The #1 California Street Car which provided regular passenger service around Land's End to end of the line near Sutro Baths. The Golden Gate observation car and the California left from the Ferry Building 2 to 4 times a day (depending on tourist volume) with sightseeing groups and a ""lecture en route,"" stopping at various points of interest, as far as the Cliff House, then returning to the Ferry Building for a round trip of 50 cents. These streetcars ran the service from 1905 until about 1917, but were superseded by the gasoline tour busses.The station building itself was a combination restroom and car depot, and also held a gift store and snack concession run by a family named Harris. Besides the regular sightseeing streetcars that visited the area, there were two Private Party Cars, the Sierra and Hermosa (later renamed Golden Gate). These cars could hold up to 40 passengers and could be hired for day-time picnics or evening theater dates, sometimes including a trip with friends to the Cliff House area. The automobile's popularity eclipsed the Private Party Cars and United Railroad phased out the operation by 1915.Contributed by John Martini & John Freeman"Collection
Benicia Historical Museum Collection