My great uncle purchased a house at 5 Bowie Ave. in 1874. This is a small street off 11th between Howard & Folsom. The street name changed and is now known as Kissling. What was this area like in 1874 and in 1900 when my grandmother came to San Franciso and lived there? Has this area always been a little seedy and marginal or was there a time when this was a nice little area?

-- sandy finegan (sfmcnw@earthlink.net), February 12, 1998

Answers

This is the 300 block of 11th Street on the South of Market area. This has always been an industrial area but not necessarily seedy. Entrepeneurs often lived close to their businesses. In the 1870's and through the 1890's this was a brewing area. Paddon, Dexter & Co Brewers was located at 378 11th Street. In 1881 the same address was called Rosener Bros Brewing.

-- Kurt Iversen (iversenk@aol.com), December 01, 1998.