Mountain Lake with Presidio buildings in the background. June, 1941. Courtesy SFPL.
Next Thursday night, the Presidio Officer’s Club will host “Back-Fence Neighbors: The Richmond District and the Presidio’s First 150 Years” at 6pm.
In 1866, eighty years after the founding of the Presidio, an Act of Congress added the “Outside Lands” to the official map of the City of San Francisco. Over the next century and a half, the open sand dunes and scrub south of the Presidio evolved from racetracks and dairy ranches into the vibrant Richmond District neighborhood.
Woody LaBounty from the Western Neighborhoods Project, a non-profit dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the western neighborhoods of San Francisco, will join retired National Park Service ranger John Martini to present historical images and stories of the long relationship between the Richmond and the Presidio through changing, and sometimes challenging, times.
Woody and John are both great, neighborhood historians and this should be a really interesting event. It’s free to attend but advance registration is required.
The event is part of Presidio Dialogues, a Thursday night series in which “notable authors, artists, and conversation starters explore themes from ancient history to current events through interactive dialogues, stimulating talks, panels, performances, and films.”
Thanks to reader Linda B. for the tip.
Sarah B.