The city in 1864:
Lake Merced, 1868:
Plowing the dunes in preparing to create Golden Gate Park, 1870s:
1875 map:
The city in 1877, looking south over Telegraph Hill:
Golden Gate Park as trees take root, 1880, along Ocean Beach:
San Francisco, 1890:
Golden Gate Park, 1892, for Mid-winter Exposition:
1897 map:
San Francisco before earthquake:
Cutting through sand hill to make Second Street near Rincon Point, before 1900.
Living with sand after earthquake:
Theodore Wores’ painting of dunes looking across to Lake Merced in early 1900s, lupine in bloom where houses now stand:1914
1914, as automobiles begin to dominate the city:
Lake Merced Boulevard construction:
Fort Funston, preparing for war. Below that is Lake Merced at top of image with the peninsula leading to today’s golf course visible:
Sunset District just after WW2:
Richmond District today, note the small pockets of private open space between houses:
Lake Merced today:
Ohlone village sites:
Pre-colonial landscape:
Just before the Gold Rush:
San Francisco viewed from Yerba Buena Island, circa 1850.
San Francisco in 1852:
1855 view of city from Rincon Point:
South of Market developed despite the natural landscape and marshes:
ecowise 