— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |
The Bay Citizen just put together an interesting slideshow of Dolores Park throughout the years and posted up this nugget of Dolores history:
Jurors in the trial of Ramon Rodriguez, who admitted to beating 16-year-old Hilda Rosa Pagan by the park bandstand in the spring of 1952. Pagan's body was found in a hole behind the shrubbery to the right.
I had heard rumors from neighbors and park history buffs that the building in the middle of the park had been a one-level facilities building for years and that there was a second building for public restrooms, but I could never dig up a photo proving it (allegedly there is a photo of the Mayor in the 1950s addressing a large crowd in the park from the platform, but that photo seems to be lost too). Well, this photo seems to back up both claims: the now-facilities building doesn't have a roof and on the corner of 19th and Dolores, a second building is clearly visible.
The story goes that between sometime in the '50s, a roof was put on the building and the city started selling concessions out of the space, only to shut down the space in the 1970s because of asbestos. I suspect we won't be seeing the city try that again…
In other news, it looks like the northeast corner of the park has been popular for decades.
(all photos from the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection. Via the Bay Citizen)
Comments (3)
THIS SUMMER: In a world of real problems, two misguided crusaders team up to go back in time to the 1950’s to stop the commercialization of a San Francisco park.
Chicken John… Stephen Elliot…
THE NIMBYS
(rated pg-13, opening soon in a theater near you)
i love you so much right now
During my childhood in the mid to late 1950’s I remember Sunday picnics in the park with my parents. In the afternoon brass bands often played from this bandstand. The music could be heard throughout the park creating a very festive and enjoyable atmosphere. The experience of hearing those loud clear tones inspired me to take up the tenor sax in high school and study music in college. It’s a shame that they want to tear it down rather than return it to a use that worked so well. I would think that the structure has historic merit.