Part 2 – The Highway 280 Reconnaissance Mystery

The last update brought the review of the Southern Pacific, SP, San Bruno Branch to the future location of the BART Glen Park station, where the two entities would cross in space, but not time. The loss of an SP imprint is driven home by this southwest view from June 4, 1963, left panel, where the future spot of the BART Glen Park station is in the lower right, the Glen Park School as a positional marker.

L280-05-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-8, l, 9768-4, r, (Image 1 of 36)

A detail from the same southwest view from June 4, 1963 shows the cleared out former SP Elkton stop along the north edge of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, MUNI, yards and shops. To document the SP original route through this area from the air would benefit from low oblique reconnaissance flight images by the Dept. of Public Works, Division of Highways, District IV as they planned the future highway’s path.

L280-10-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 9768-4 , (Image 2 of 36)

It turns out a series of 30 aerials were taken on Mar. 31, 1953 to map out the new highway, this one with the following description: Looking east from the Mission-Alemany Separation, along Alemany Blvd. towards the junction of Routes 2 and 68 and San Francisco Bay. On the right is a comparable image from Mar. 24, 1969 of the finished product, the red circles marking the Mission St. - Alemany Blvd. crossing. If Routes 2 and 68 have you confused, note that the image on the left was designated for the new Highway 101. Read on …

L280-15-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-7, (Image 3 of 36)

This map and detail from 1950 from the Division of Highways provides the answers to the highway numbering system at the time. But for this update, what is called Highway 101 in 1950 will be called Highway 280 as it became known later in the decade. The evolution of the numbering system on the Peninsula was actually more complicated than this, and if interested, see https://www.cahighways.org/ROUTE280.html

L280-20-David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries, (Image 4 of 36)

The way this presentation will work, for the most part, is a complete aerial will be shown by itself or in tandem, followed on the next panel with a detail of interest related to the SP San Bruno Branch. This north view from Mar. 1950 is shown here to track the progress on what was at that time 101 By Pass, Highway 101 or the Bayshore Freeway in 2022, just to make the point that major highway construction in San Francisco was in its infancy.

L280-25-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1677-4, (Image 5 of 36)

The detail shown here from the Mar. 1950 aerial shows Potrero Ave., then called Route 101, coming in from the top left or west, meeting the future Highway 101 interchange with Army St., now Cesar Chavez St. What follows next are the series of aerials, all from Mar. 31, 1953, that were intended to survey possible routes for Highway 280, along with the descriptions provided by the Division of Highways.

L280-30-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 1677-4, (Image 6 of 36)

These first two north facing aerials included in the set from Mar. 31, 1953, appear to be focusing on construction of what is today Highway 101 or the Central Freeway in the area of Mission St. and Van Ness Ave. There is no explanation for why these images were taken, and whether it meant possibly having 280 come in at this point is not known. Description, left: Looking north from 15th St. along Guerrero towards San Francisco Bay; Description, right: Looking north along Van Ness Ave. from 14th St. towards San Francisco Bay.

L280-35-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-24, l, 25, r, (Image 7 of 36)

The next 8 aerials for reasons not explained contain the entire SP right-of-way from 3rd. St. and Townsend St. to Monterey Blvd. and Circular Ave. This detail from a northeast-facing aerial to be shown later features the section from the station at 3rd St. and Townsend St. to where Division St. turns to Treat St., an active part of the SP in 1953. The portion of the SP original route from here all the way to Monterey Blvd. and Circular Ave. as an active railroad was covered in the previous update, and its review is recommended to interpret what will be displayed in this update.

L280-40-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-29, (Image 8 of 36)

Description, provided by the Dept. of Public Works, Division of Highways: Looking northeast from 21st Street and Mission towards downtown San Francisco. To reiterate, no further information is provided as to why this image was taken.

L280-45-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-23, (Image 9 of 36)

This detail from the center, right of the previous aerial, shows the SP original route from Division St. along the top, to Harrison and Mariposa Sts., red arrow.

L280-50-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-23, (Image 10 of 36)

Description: Looking northeast from 21st St. and Mission towards downtown San Francisco. A slight turn more to the east relative to the last northeast aerial reveals more of the SP original route.

L280-55-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-26, (Image 11 of 36)

This detail from the previous northeast view extends the SP line further south on Harrison St. to 20th St., red arrow.

L280-60-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-26, (Image 12 of 36)

Description: Looking north from 23rd Street along Mission towards Market St. and San Francisco Bay. Mission St. runs right down the center of this image. This begins a sequence featuring the cut from Harrison St. across the Mission, but this image lacks the part at Harrison and 22nd Sts.

L280-65-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-28, (Image 13 of 36)

To compensate, inserted here is a detail from an aerial to be shown later that includes the last street shown in L280-60, 20th St., here marked by the red arrow, to the southern-most portion at Folsom and 23rd Sts., turquoise arrow. This section remained active until ca. 1990, but the portion to the southwest was abandoned in 1942. Next to focus on that abandoned section to evaluate the progress of redevelopment between 1942 and the date here, Mar. 31, 1953.

L280-70-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-29, (Image 14 of 36)

Now back in aerial sequence, a detail from L280-65 shows that the image captures the state of the ex-SP right-of-way from Folsom St. and 23rd St. with boxcar, right border, until Capp St., left border, the image rotated 10 degrees clockwise to fit in as much of the corridor as possible.

L280-75-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-28, (Image 15 of 36)

Description: Looking northeast from Army St. and Guerrero St. towards downtown San Francisco. By turning to the northeast, this single panel follows the SP from 3rd St. and Townsend St. to Guerrero St.

L280-80-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-29, (Image 16 of 36)

This detail from the previous aerial continues to follow the former SP right-of-way from at Capp St. The upper edge starts at Capp St. and ends at Valencia St., lower edge.

L280-85-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-29, (Image 17 of 36)

This next detail continues the former SP right-of-way from Valencia St. to Guerrero St., top to bottom, respectively. The section starting at the center on the short isolated section of San Jose Ave. to Guerrero St. corresponds to Juri Commons in 2022. Note that in 1953, the track imprint remained in this portion.

L280-90-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-29, (Image 18 of 36)

Description: Looking north from Army St. along Guerrero towards Market St. and San Francisco Bay.

L280-95-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-22, (Image 19 of 36)

This detail from the previous aerial provides another half block from the San Jose Ave.-Guerrero St. section to the southwest to where the First Samoan Congregational Church is situated at 3715 26th St. in 2022. The building here was occupied by a Morman Church based on the Polk’s reverse directory of 1953. The wider expanse here, as detailed in the last update, was to accommodate the double-track section of the rail line.

L280-100-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-22, (Image 20 of 36)

Description: Looking east on Army St. from San Jose Ave. towards the Bayshore Freeway, Route 68, and San Francisco Bay. The view east on what is in 2022 Cesar Chavez St. shows the 101 overpass construction viewed earlier in L280-30.

L280-105-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-30, (Image 21 of 36)

This first detail from the previous aerial shows the new overpass in the bottom left corner, and the SP Bayshore’s 3660 ft. timber trestle with steel overpasses spanning Islais Creek and local streets.

L280-110-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-30, (Image 22 of 36)

This second detail from the previous aerial is a complementary east view of L280-100, the San Jose Ave.-Guerrero St., section, Juri Commons in 2022, to the southwest to the church at 3715 26th St.

L280-115-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-30, (Image 23 of 36)

Description: Looking southwest from 25th St. along San Jose Ave. Finally, the Bernal Cut is in view, and the placement of where the final Highway 280 enters the picture.

L280-120-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-27, (Image 24 of 36)

Shown here in detail from the previous aerial is the Dolores St. and 27th St. crossing where the San Bruno’s Branch largest overpass had been situated. The angled houses mark the placement of the ex-right-of-way.

L280-125-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-27, (Image 25 of 36)

Description: Looking northeast from the intersection of San Jose and Dolores towards downtown San Francisco. The third major street running center top to bottom is Mission St. The large building in the center, at Capp St. and 25th St., was a telco or telephone exchange housing telephone switches. It was built in 1947, and donated by Pacific Bell to the Mission Housing Development Corporation in 1992 to create affordable housing. See https://localwiki.org/sf/25th_Street_Telco_Building

L280-130-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-21, (Image 26 of 36)

The details here from the last aerial start from the north from the church at 3715 26th St., green dot, left, and transition from the left to the right panel indicated by the red bar. This bar marks buildings added to the abandoned cut just to the right or east of 265 29th St., the distinctive, two-level Edwardian house, with the round columns at each end. The blue bar marks where houses were added to the cut to help visualize the placement of the former railroad berm, while the turquoise arrow marks the position of the right-of-way by Falmouth School, Dolores Huerta Elementary School in 2022, where Delores St. and San Jose Ave. converge.

L280-135-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-21 , (Image 27 of 36)

Description: Looking southwest from the intersection of Delores and San Jose Ave. along San Jose Ave. towards Junipero Serra Blvd. Back to the Bernal Cut …

L280-140-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-20, (Image 28 of 36)

This detail from the previous aerial shows the right-of-way along Falmouth School disappearing into a two-lane, more recently surfaced road relative to the original four lanes from 1930 on the left or south. For further proof of this rail-to-road conversion, note the position of the arches of the two road overpasses and proceed to the next image …

L280-145-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-20, (Image 29 of 36)

The same southwest view taken from the Highland Ave. bridge to the Richland Ave. bridge in 1942 shows the SP occupying the northern-most arch, while MUNI had the path under the central arch in reserve for the future J-line extension in 1991. Credit: Robert H. McFarland Photo, Robert H. McFarland Collection via David Gallagher

L280-150-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 193896sp, (Image 30 of 36)

Description, left: Looking northeast from San Jose Ave. and Miguel towards the Embarcadero south of Market St.; Description, right: Looking northeast from the intersection of Dolores and San Jose Avenue towards Army St. These two aerials feature College Hill Reservoir, center-right, and the northern part of Holly Park along the right border. Highway 280’s approach would be further south.

L280-155-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-18, l, 19, r, (Image 31 of 36)

Description: Looking southwest along San Jose Ave. from Miguel and Highland over-crossings towards San Francisco City College. In 1953, the former would be called Richland Ave. overpass, dating back to the cut widening ca. 1930.

L280-160-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-17, (Image 32 of 36)

In the detail from the previous image, the new section of asphalt continues southwest, first passing Ray Oil Burner Co. on its left or south along the bottom of the image, then over Bosworth St., and ending at Monterey Blvd. and Circular Ave. Glen Park School is the large structure in the upper right that survives in 2022.

L280-165-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-17, (Image 33 of 36)

Description, left: Looking west from the Bayshore-Alemany Interchange along Alemany, towards the Pacific Ocean. Description, right: Looking west from Crescent Ave. along Alemany towards the Pacific Ocean. Looking at these additional views, it would appear the planners knew exactly where Highway 280 would be placed.

L280-170-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-10, l, 9, r, (Image 34 of 36)

Description, left: Looking southwest from the Mission-Alemany Separation, along Alemany towards the Pacific Ocean. Description, right: Looking southwest from the intersection of Mission Street and Murray St., showing the Mission-Alemany Separation then along Alemany Blvd. towards the Pacific Ocean. San Jose Ave. is on the right. Description, right: Looking southwest from the Mission-Alemany Separation, along Alemany towards the Pacific Ocean. The mystery is why did the planners include the set of images of the entire former SP right-of-way through the Mission and Noe Valley.

L280-175-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-6, l, 8, r, (Image 35 of 36)

With aerial images in hand to move forward, this detail from the previous southwest view from Mar. 31, 1953 shows the focus of the next update; the first part of the SP right-of-way to contribute to Highway 280, from the Monterey Blvd.-Circular Ave. intersection, red arrow, to the underpass of San Jose Ave., green arrow. Appreciation to Grant Ute for facilitating the entry of the McFarland images into the WRM Archives database.

L280-180-Copyright California Department of Transportation, 3326-8, (Image 36 of 36)