In most cases, they are seeking information that would commonly be found on employment records, such as dates of service, home address, and so on. All such records from the old Market Street Railway Co. were destroyed long ago, so we’re unable to be helpful there. Sometimes, though, we can provide some insight to the requestors.

Case in point: Cynthia Canepa Burdick of Washington State had heard that her grandfather had once worked for the Market Street Railway Co. (MSRy). So she Googled that phrase, found our website, and emailed us with pictures of her grandfather she had found including one in front of a streetcar. She asked whether this was an MSRy streetcar, and would it have been pictured in the 1920s. (Yes, on both counts.) Pleased to have gained this information, she then sent us the story of her grandfather as she had assembled it to date. It is similar to the story of so many Northern Californians of that period, and gives insight into the kind of people who built our transit system. One special insight: the painted backdrop behind the picture of Mr. Canepa, indicating a professional portrait location. He was clearly proud of what he did, so much so that he posed in complete uniform, right down to the coin changer on his waist!

“My grandfather Battista ‘Buck’ Augustine Canepa was born July 5, 1905 in Sausalito, where his father Luigi worked as a fisherman. Shortly after his birth, he and his family moved to Capitola. Perhaps the earthquake influenced the decision to move. I know that Buck didn’t graduate from high school, but I think he at least went to school through 6th grade.

“He worked as a fisherman before becoming a conductor. I don’t know how long he was a conductor, but I believe he moved back to the Santa Cruz area around 1932 or 1933. His father Luigi died in 1932 and my dad was born in Santa Cruz in 1933, so I imagine that family obligations precipitated the move away from San Francisco.

“When my grandparents were married in 1927 he listed his occupation as ‘conductor’, but until I received the two photos from my recently deceased aunt’s belongings I had no clue as to what company he worked for, or even where to find the information. Thanks for your help!”

Thank you, Cynthia, for agreeing to share your grandfather’s story. We’re always happy to help identify or date streetcars in photos if it helps people trying to learn more about their ancestors.

By the way, that streetcar, No. 1535, has a story of its own. It was one of 50 intended for Chicago, but diverted to San Francisco after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire to replace destroyed equipment and convert cable car lines to electric streetcar service. At United Railroads, which bought them, and its successor, Market Street Railway Co., these cars were always referred to as "Chicagos", though they never actually ran there.