Category Archives: History

Re-Create the Excitement of GGB75 (Without Leaving Bernal)

Posted on May 29, 2012 by

As you might have heard, the Golden Gate Bridge celebrated its 75th anniversary last weekend. Woo-hoo! Naturally, much of the celebration took place close to the bridge, in the area around Crissy Field. But from our exalted heights here in … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, History | 3 Comments

Ancient Decal Reveals Primitive Origins of La Lengua Identity

Posted on May 24, 2012 by

To properly manage the delicate relationship between the Dominion of Bernalwood and our rebellious vassals from La Lengua, it is important for us to understand the longstanding roots of the La Lenguans’ search for autonomy. Neighbor Ben recently discovered an … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, History | 8 Comments

Fifty Years Ago: “Ugly Hill to Be Beautified” with Construction of New Microwave Relay Tower

Posted on May 16, 2012 by

I printed this article off the microfilm at the San Francisco Main Library, but unfortunately, the accompanying photo came out badly. It’s obviously a view looking east, and there looks to be a structure on top of the hill, despite … Continue reading →

Posted in Bernal Hill, History | 8 Comments

A Stoneman Connection Links Bernal Heights to Levon Helm

Posted on April 24, 2012 by

The death of Levon Helm, the former lead singer for The Band, late last week prompted a lot of media remembrances, yet the most interesting one I read was an oral history of the The Band’s signature song, “The Night … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Infrastructure, Music | 4 Comments

The Lost History of the Oldsmobile Dealership on Army Street

Posted on April 20, 2012 by

An interesting bit of Bernal Heights history recently surfaced on the blog of Hemmings Motor News, a national website for serious automobile collectors. As part of a regular feature on defunct car dealerships, Hemmings profiled the former Lesher-Muirhead Oldsmobile in San … Continue reading →

Posted in Cars, History | 6 Comments

1940 Census Reveals Domestic History of Bernal Households

Posted on April 10, 2012 by

  There’s been a lot of chatter lately about the recent release of the raw data from the 1940 U.S. Census. From New York to Santa Cruz and everywhere in between, Americans are digging in to the data to understand … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 7 Comments

For Sale on eBay: Awesome San Francisco Shipyard Ashtray

Posted on April 2, 2012 by

As Bernalwood explained a while ago, there’s a deep and important historical connection between our now-glamorous neighborhood and the sad, abandoned, and mildly radioactive ruins of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard near Candlestick Point: Although no contemporary realtor would ever … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 2 Comments

Google Maps Renders Bernal Heights in 8-Bit Nintendo-Vision

Posted on April 2, 2012 by

It’s unclear if it was an April Fool’s stunt or just a wild flight of geek fancy, but last weekend Google Maps released a version of its online mapping system that optimizes the  service for display on the 8-bit Nintendo … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, History, Technology, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

A Brief History of Peralta Avenue’s Discontinuity Problem

Posted on March 26, 2012 by

If you live on Peralta Avenue in Bernal Heights, you’re probably used to getting phone calls from lost delivery drivers.  They’ve managed to find the 200 block, you’re in the 500 block; how many obstacles could there be between you? … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Infrastructure, Transportation | 16 Comments

Greetings from Bernal Isle, Climate Change Vacation Paradise!

Posted on March 21, 2012 by

Rebel blogger Burrito Justice, chief propagandist of the La Lengua separatists, looked into his cartographic crystal ball recently to understand the impact that global climate change and sea-level rise might have upon our City. His research generated some bittersweet conclusions. … Continue reading →

Posted in Geography, History, Weather | 7 Comments

1959 Cadillac Emerges from Bernal Garage; Smart Cars Rejoice

Posted on March 13, 2012 by

Neighbor Mason was on hand to witness the opening of an ad-hoc time capsule on Bocana last week: Last Friday at 305 Bocana, a garage was opened to reveal a collection of cars (and parts) owned by the late Edward … Continue reading →

Posted in Cars, Found Things, History, Interesting Objects | 13 Comments

VICTORY: Future of Bernal’s Vintage Coke Sign Is Secured

Posted on February 27, 2012 by

It took a year, an outcry, and a special piece of legislation to get the job done, but last Thursday the matter of Anonymous NIMBY vs. Bernal’s Vintage Coca-Cola Sign has been resolved, and the future of the sign is … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, History, Politics | 12 Comments

Hearing Scheduled to Save Bernal’s Historic Coke Sign

Posted on February 21, 2012 by

The effort to save the historic Coca-Cola sign that survives on the side of Richard Modolo’s home in Bernal Heights has been long, dramatic, and (thus far) mostly successful. But it is not over yet. There’s a hearing scheduled for Thursday, Feb. … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, History | 5 Comments