19th Avenue Becomes an Important Road
Unfinished History
The Sunset Branch of the Public Library is at the outskirts of civilization in this 1920 photo. The intersection between the boy and the library is 19th and Irving. Jefferson Elementary School would be built later on the same block as the library branch. Sutro Forest looms in background.
Photo: Private Collection, San Francisco, CA
19th Avenue looking south towards Lincoln Way in 1937, prior to the widening of 19th.
Photo: Private collection
This newly electrified shovel (in 1907) replaced the steam shovel that had done so much to alter the landscape of San Francisco from the mid-19th century, seen in the video below.
Photo: courtesy Charles Ruiz collection
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Video of steam shovel digging tunnel, 1917.
Video: Prelinger Archive