Time To Reflect
“What we call today will become yesterday, tomorrow. Make it memorable.”
After meeting with clients on a Sunday afternoon, I came home and my wife Elfa suggested that instead of going to the movies, as we often do on Sundays, to go spent time in the nature . We had a number of destinations from which to choose. In the past, when our dog Angus was still with us, we would often visit the various parks in the city, such as Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park, Pine Lake in Stern Grove Park, or Fort Funston National Park, along the ocean. On this particular Sunday, I suggested going to Sutro Heights Park. Though it is very close to our home, and we sometimes go to the Land’s End Trail, which is just across the street, we have never visited that part of the park before.
Sutro Heights Park was once the estate of Adolf Sutro, the 24th mayor of San Francisco. He was the first German-American Jewish mayor, and served office from 1894 until 1896. He was born in 1830 in Aachen, Prussia. At the age of 20, Sutro, who was a trained engineer, arrived in San Francisco and made his name (and money) by drilling a tunnel through Mount Davidson in Nevada, which became known as the Sutro Tunnel at the Comstock Lode of silver ore, and became the first major discovery of silver in the United States in 1859. He invested the money he made from silver by buying large tracks of lands in San Francisco, which he developed for the benefit of the public.
One of his first major projects was the Sutro Baths, which opened in 1896. He built the Cliff House, a seven-story Victorian chateau. He also connected the area by building a railroad. He planted fast growing samplings of eucalyptus to create a forest on Mount Sutro. His name is also on the Sutro Tower, the highest point in San Francisco (977 feet) with a three-story antenna tower near Clarendon Heights.
There is also the Sutro Gum Tree Ranch located in Glen Canyon Park and the Sutro Library, which is in the San Francisco branch of the California State Library. I did not read about any other pioneering individual in San Francisco’s memorable illustrious history whose name is embedded in so many places.
Where are all those beautiful buildings?
The railroad has long been demolished; trees are cut (Mount Sutro is barren). His beautiful house and a huge nursery with the exotic plants from all over the world in the park are also gone. There is no physical presence of his, or any other pioneers, who have laid down the foundation in San Francisco for our lives today.
Perhaps, if you didn’t read this story, you would never know whom this person was and why you should care. We live in a world that moves much faster than it did over 100 years ago. But at the same time our basic feelings have not changed. I am talking about gratitude. When you walk on the road that someone paved for you, do not forget to say “thank you”.
P.S.
I think that Mr. Sutro would be proud to see that his land benefits so many San Franciscans and our guests. My photo book “42 Encounters in San Francisco” is almost ready, which is about my take of San Francisco’s history. I will keep you posted.
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