The San Francisco call., 1910-10-01
POTRER0 BECOMING CITYS
GREAT INDUSTRIAL CENTER
Through Efforts of the Commercial and Manufac-
turers' Association District Is Making
Great Strides

=
Fifteen years ago the Potrero con-
sisted: largely. of huge rock hills and
impassable streets. Kentucky from
Eighteenth to Twenty third: was walled
in by. hills varying in height from Is
to so feet, Between Eighteenth and
Twenty ty-thirdfstreet west. of Kentucky
was mostly a mountainous district. The
streets, of the Potrero in winter were
impossible. Horses would sink knee
deep in mud.
During the following II years, streets
were carved out of the mountainous
hills and the hills gradually removed
There. are stretches of level land'wh
10 years ago it would have: beenthought
impractical If not impossible. to
achieve .this result Basalt pavement t
has been laid throughout the district. ::
The. Potrero was one of the few dis
tricts~ spared from the: fire. Here the
wholesale and manufacturing. estab-
lishments took refuge.
I'm July after the: fire the. Potrero
commercial and :manufa cturers' associa~
ton was organized: It was composed
of merchants, manufacturers, property
owners and residents of the district
1T had for: its purpose the Improvement
and development of. the district so as
to attract and retain commerce and i'm
dustry In the Potrero. s. ~.
= Here was. Foca ted the great. Union
iron works and. shipyards, flle. Rlsdon
iron; work the Ralstop iron works. the
Zenith iron works. the. Union nach nine
works, the Long syrup works, the Cali
fornia canneries. the Dyer steel. works,
the= Western sugar. .ref1nery,s the Cali
fornia barrelcornpany the Pacific Coast
glass. company, metal works. ship
building companies, tanneries. soap
factories, lumber yards and "a score or
more of other industries: Here was
located the freight sheds yards and
offlces of. two. large. railroads, the
Southern Pacific. and Santa Fe.. 2
To these MUST .be added the, West
ern Pacific, which has installed: sheds,
yards and. offices near those: Of the
Southern Pacific. Here the Third street
channel: provides shipping .aocommoda-
tions: especially for the lumber: In
terests. The proposed Islais creek har=
Of shipping facilities in a. district that
is. admirably suited for factories. The
Islais creek district is at present url
developed With the <reclama tion: of
the. marsh land. the. construction of
wharves. the establishment of factories,
e&:comfnunicati between :. sea and
rail shipping, this district. will. doubt
less. become. the heart Of the .city's in
dustriaI life. :..:-|
RAILROAD: IMPROVEMENTS e..
The ;W Western Pacific is buifding.a a.
series of docks adjacent to the Islais
creek basin Pier "a, being built by
the Western Pacific. will be San Fran
cisco's finest pier. s.
It is: the: intention of the Western
Pacific to- operate al passenger: and
freight ferry from. its Isfais creek
terminal TO Oakland. The Western
PACIFIC has already: established sheds
on Brannan street from Seventh. to
Eighth streets for receiving freight and
has*constructed offices for its shipping g
business at Eighth .#and Brannan
route out of the Potrero by construct-
ing a. tunnel" under Wisconsin street
from Eighteenth to.Twentieth streets.
" The southern: Pacific has, al a cost
of over 100000, CONSTRUCTED a;;yiaduct
crossing its tracks and extending from
near. Third and Channel streets to
Sixteenth and Kentucky. streets, sand
another~arm Of the vtaduct extending
parallel with the tracks as far as Sixth
street. This will prove of incalculabIe
benefit: to. the. safety and despatch of.
teaming, transports and: freight
handling:
other, ,viaducts have been built by.
the Santa. Fe over Eighteenth, Nine
teenth and Twentieth streets from Iowa
to Minnesota streets.
This affords transportation over the
tracks of the Santa: Fe end Southern
Pacifici companies from Kentucky
street to. the" otherwise inaccessible.
heights beyond Iowa street To avoid
expensive grading the Southern Pacific
built a tunnel under Mariposa street.
from Seventeenth to Eighteenth streets.
+ The Southern Pacific, through the
earnest solicitation of the Potrero COM
nercial and manufacturers associa tion,
is now laying, a sewer to cost $4,000
extending from the Fourth street
bridge to.Tenth street, along Kentucky.
This, together with the raising of the
grade upon these streets, which will,
be done when the sewer is put in, will
prevent the formation of large pools of.
water which in the past have caused
these streets to be impossible In the
winter time.
The Santa Fe is paving Illinois street
from Fifteenth to Twenty third, there
by relieving the traffic that will in
time congest Kentucky street.
The entire Potrero district, with its
railroad wharfage and factory facili-
ties, presents an opportunity for won
derful industrial development, which,
owing to it's immediate proximity to
the center OF the city, Will radiate in
all directions.
Any one who will ride upon the
Eighteenth street carline from Eight
eenth and Kentucky to Sixteenth and
Bryant Will see at glance what the
of this district are. The
situation may be similarly studied
along Kentucky street from the chan
mel to Railroad avenue.
ACTIVITY OF ASSOCIATION
The association has responded to in
requests for the improve
mept of the district Its representa-