Category Archives: History

Remembering the Great Bernal Heights Gold Rush of 1876

Posted on April 26, 2013 by

One of the more charming and ridiculous episodes in Bernal Heights history concerns the Great Bernal Heights Gold Rush of 1876. Seriously! There really was a mini-gold boom on Bernal Hill in the late 19th century, and while it lasted barely … Continue reading →

Posted in Bernal Hill, History | 4 Comments

Time Travel: The View Northwest from Bernal Hill, circa 1907

Posted on April 4, 2013 by

Well, this is convenient. Last week, the Bernalwood Office of Signals Intelligence detected a tweet from @sfhistorian which contained a rather awesome photograph taken from Bernal Hill in the early 1900s, circa 1907. The photo shows the view looking over … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 8 Comments

Ghost of Lyceum Theater Haunts Safeway Parking Lot

Posted on March 28, 2013 by

Over on the Facebook, the Bernal Heights History Project shares this terrific photo of the former Lyceum Theater, which stood on Mission Street at the intersection with Virginia, at the north entrance to our Taoist Safeway. The photo above was … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 9 Comments

Do You Remember The Stores In This Vintage “Cortland Avenue Shopping Guide?”

Posted on March 15, 2013 by

Miss Vicky from the Bernal History Project found this vintage Cortland Avenue Shopping Guide, and she needs some help to interpret it: We found this Cortland shopping guide in the SFPL archives. Do you remember any of these stores? Can … Continue reading →

Posted in Cortland, History | 25 Comments

Bernal’s Very Own Bourbon: The Making of “Mrs. Brickley’s 1877-Style Old Cherubusco”

Posted on March 8, 2013 by

While some residents of Bernalwood find joy in brewing their own beer, others prefer the hard stuff. Neighbor Boris falls into the latter camp, as he has been making his own bourbon in his Bernal Heights home: I built a … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and Drink, History | 27 Comments

Video: A Brief History of Cortland Avenue’s Revival

Posted on February 14, 2013 by

This video was created by CAMEO, a microfunding organization that supports small business development. Yet along the way it delivers a tidy little history of how the modern-day Cortlandia that we all know and love came to be.

Posted in History | 11 Comments

Who Really Created the Fabulous Labyrinth on Bernal Hill?

Posted on February 8, 2013 by

You’ve seen it. You love it. Maybe you’ve even walked it. The stone labyrinth in the old quarry site on the southwest corner of Bernal Hill is a charming neighborhood treasure. It tends to morph over time, but the Bernal … Continue reading →

Posted in Bernal Hill, History | 3 Comments

Updside Down Car Is The Least Interesting Thing In This 1942 Bernal Heights Photo

Posted on January 18, 2013 by

I found this photo via the San Francisco Public Library, and it’s wonderful in so many ways. This is a view of Army Street (Cesar Chavez) looking south at Folsom on May 29, 1942. Let’s zoom and enhance… In the foreground … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 15 Comments

Bernal Journalist Publishes New Story About Madman Who (Literally) Drove Around the World

Posted on January 11, 2013 by

Here’s a locavore longread to carry you through the weekend. Bernal Heights writer and anticool motorist James Nestor has just published a terrific new story over at the Atavist. It’s a true tale of adventure and obsession (though not necessarily … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Transportation | 1 Comment

One Year Later, Stephen Stymiest’s Daughter Wonders About the Dad She Didn’t Know

Posted on January 10, 2013 by

It’s been almost a year since the death of Stephen Stymiest, the homeless man who was was a fixture and a friend to many neighbors around Precita Park. Stephen is remembered warmly in Bernal Heights, but over the holiday break … Continue reading →

Posted in History, People | 6 Comments

1968: Envisioning Bernal Heights as a Much Prettier Place

Posted on January 3, 2013 by

This map comes to us via the good offices of the esteemed Eric Fisher. It shows what a group of city planners saw in 1968, when they evaluated Bernal Heights as an urban canvas in need of some serious beautification. … Continue reading →

Posted in Geography, History | 17 Comments

Bernalwood 2012: The Year in Superlatives

Posted on December 27, 2012 by

It’s late December, and 2012 is riding off into the sunset. Let’s use this time to review some of The Most Mostest Moments that happened in Bernal Heights this year. === Most Moving Appreciation For An Old Piece of Playground … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 7 Comments

Hillside Supper Club Targets Fulltime Opening on Jan. 23

Posted on December 11, 2012 by

Let the record show that Bernalwood was a fan of the Hillside Supper Club even before it was cool. We witnessed it’s ascent back in the days when it was just a fledgling popup called the Bernal Supper Club. We were there … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and Drink, History, New Stuff | 5 Comments