The San Francisco call., 1910-01-15
DISTRICT SHOWS
STEADY PROGRESS
Many Valuable improvements
Accomplished in Haight and
Ashbury District
By E. H. GoTTScHALK
Secretary of Haight and AshbLry Distric
Improvement Club

Ihe dlSlrlcL WlIn WHICH we are Soh-
cerned and which we are trying to-pro-
mote is very large one. 1t is bounded
by Devisadero and Stanyan streets and
by HAYES street and Carmel avenue.
The last is on the crest Of the Ashbury
heights hills. Altogether the area in
cIudes about 30 blocks. In this dis
trict there are many fine residences, a
fine business street that is well devel-
oped and also parts of other streets
upon which business has secured a
foothold and is thriving.
The greatest business development in
this section is in Haight street, and the
stores extend from Central avenue to
Stanyan street There is a new busi-
ness section in Waller street from
Shrader TO Stanyan, in Cole street from
carl 20 Stanyan and in Stanyan
street from Oak to Frederick. The dis
trict enjoys the unique advantage of
three frontages on Golden Gate park
along the panhandle In Oak street, on
the eastern boundary of the main body
of the park in Stanyan street and also
on the south side OF the park from
Stanyan street extending westward un-
til our boundary meets the Sunset dis
trict line at First avenue. In addition
10 this there is another park-Buena
Vista which fronts in Haight street.
These are some of the advantages that
tend to make this section attractive.
EDUCATIONAL ADVANTAGES
In addition to this the educational
advantages existing and those to be
provided in the near future are of high
class. The district adjoins the grounds
Of the Affiliated colleges and in the
immediate neighborhood are the sites
which have been selected for the Lowell
high school and for the Polytechnic
high school. In addition to these there
are other schools. These include the
Crocker grammar school at Page and
Lyon street, the Dudley Stone primary
school at Haight street and Masonic
avenue, the Jackson primary school at
Haight and Stanyan streets. the Nc
Kinley grammar school at Fourteenth
and Castro streets, which the city is
about TO dedicate. and the Grattan pri-
mary school at Grattan and Broderick
streets. This last mentioned school
will be supplanted by a larger one, to
improve both the grammar and pri-
mary grades. The cost of the struc-
ture will be 100000. The plans are
under consideration and the structure
will be erected during the next year.
There are many churches in the dis
trict The ST. Agnes Catholic church
has recently been constructed at the
corner of Masonic avenue and Page
street. In the near future the st. Igna-
thus church and college will be con-
structed at a very large cost, succeed
ing the present temporary structure.
The institution will cover an entire
block bounded by Fulton and Grove
and Cole and Shrader streets. These
last are mentioned particularly. be-
cause they are the newest in construc-
tion.
AMUSEMENT PLACES
The district does not lack for amuse-
ments. A class theater at Haight
and Cole streets has been nearly COM
pleted at a cost of about $4,000. 1t
viii be ready to open within the next
two months. There are two nickel
odeons to help furnish the people with
entertainment
First among our attractions natur-
ally viii be mentioned the location of
this district It's nearness to the park
supplies a great pleasure ground for
the thousands of residents, absolutely
without cost and with the expenditure
of very little exertion..s The hills that
slope upward from Oak street furnish
great abundance of sites for hand
some residences. The class of archi-
lecture is good and the buildings are
so uniformly good that the entire sec
ton is high class. That fact has de-
termined the nature of the population.
| There is no better set of citizens in San
Francisco.
HISTORY OF CLUB
The Haight and Ashbury district i'm
provement club has been in existence
since May, 1907. Immediately after the
| fire of 1906 there was a great growth in
the population and also in the business
| section along Haight street. The work
that we first had in hand and which was
accomplished during the first year of
our existence included the daily clean
| ing of Haight street, the securing of
~ additional lights, the expenditure of
$4,000 which the San Francisco gas
and electric company was persuaded to
make for the purpose of giving us bet
ter gas and sufficient pressure through
the extension of the large main on De-
visadero street and making connection
with the Oak street main; the improve
ment of the car service on the Masonic
avenue line; the establishment of a
permanent meeting hall in Masonic ave-
nue. near Haight; the work that result
ed in the erection of fire engine house
at a cost of $4,000; the securing of an
appropriation of $4,000 for the estab-
lishment of a branch public library:
the sanitation OF this part of the city;
project for the Improvement of the
park panhandle; the securing of the
Polytechnic high school, which was sit
uated at Bush and Stockton streets be-
fore the great fire, the Lowell high
school and the work for the Parkside
franchise.
4 MANY IMPROVEMENTS MADE
A great deal has been accomplished.
The chief improvements accomplished
+! in the district consist in the establish
ment of the firehouse at Ashbury and
Carmel streets for engine 40; the
| installation OF the public library branch
at Page and Cole streets, and the Nc
Kinley school at Castro and Fourteenth
streets.
The association now has 325 members.
The officers are: President, h E. Cof-
fey; vice presidents, George Breck and
c. p. Martin; secretary, Z. II. Gott-
schalk; treasurer. c. L. Keen: sergeant
at arms J. II. Flimm; executive COM
mittee T. A. Brown, J. J. Daily, ]. d.
Garrison, A. E. Lacey and S. Zemansky.
The great population Immediately ad-
joining Haight and other business
streets in this district insures the main
tenance of our retail business in many