A year later, they asked again. This time there were prizes offered: books of tickets, good for 100 streetcar trips. The challenge: ‘Board one of our San Mateo cars at Fifth and Market streets, describe the trip down the peninsula; the prominent buildings, and then the dash out into the green hills covered with flowers; then give rein to prophesy and tell us what is to be the destiny of this beautiful country down the peninsula.’

This promotion of suburban San Mateo was an attempt to build ridership on what would become one of the most profitable routes of URR and the Market Street Railway Co. (MSRy).

We are reproducing the second prize winner (which many of us actually like better than the first prize winner) to celebrate the publication of the new Arcadia Publishing book, San Francisco’s Interurban to San Mateo, by MSR members Walt Vielbaum, Bob Townley, Walter Rice, Emiliano Echeverria, and Don Holmgren (available here). Both versions are included in the book.

We are also pleased to include exclusive photos from a modern historical treasure—the San Francisco Municipal Railway Photographic Department’s URR/MSRy archive, to illustrate the written description. The life work of company photographer John Henry ‘Harry’ Mentz (1872-1959), the collection included over 21,000 images of construction, accidents, line openings, paint schemes, and employees at work spanning the years from 1903 through the consolidation in September 1944. Over 4,000 of these images remain in the Muni Photo Archive.

The collection has been carefully maintained for more than a century by a succession of head photographers, most recently by Carmen Magana. Nonetheless, many of these negatives have chemically deteriorated. This civic asset is in critical need of a substantial preservation and conservation effort, similar to the one underway with its sister collection at the California Public Utilities Commission.

To this end, San Francisco Railway Archive (SFRA)—a group headed by Market Street Railway members Grant Ute and Angelo Figone—has been working with Muni for three years to inventory and catalogue this collection and to support their preservation and state-of-the-art conservation so that future generations of San Franciscans can enjoy these rare glimpses of the first half of 20th Century San Francisco. SFRA and MSR plan to build public support for a campaign to seek private grant funding for a fitting conservation and preservation effort for this wonderful collection.

Meanwhile, Market Street Railway and SFRA are collaborating with Muni to have this collection be a centerpiece for the opening exhibition of the Market Street Railway Museum. We will tell the story of how San Francisco’s public transit system was the first municipal institution to rise from the ashes after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. This will be the story of how San Francisco rapidly got its legs back—streetcars were running before the gas was turned on or the banks reopened. It will also tell how several unique characters used the opportunity of the recovery to transform San Francisco from a cable car town to an electric railway city, and thus allow the opening of its outer lands for development.

A trip to San Mateo (winner of Second Prize)
No better selection can be made for a car ride than a trip to San Mateo. Starting from Fifth and Market Streets, the first point of interest is the United States Mint. The car turns here and runs out Mission. On the right at Seventh Street, you will see the new Post Office Building, at Eighth Street the City Hall and at Eleventh Street the St. Ignatius Church, at Twelfth Street the Nursery for Homeless Children and at Fourteenth Street the Southern Pacific Hospital. Going along, looking to the left is to be seen the Potrero Hills and on the right Twin Peaks, at Twenty-second Street the new Mission Theatre, at Twenty-eighth Street St. Luke’s Hospital and on the left Bernal Heights. Next you pass the old St. Mary’s College and on the right the new church. On the right, looking between the hills, is located Glen Park. The next point of interest is the Jewish Old People’s Home. As you pass along you can get a good view of the vegetable gardens. You pass through the Excelsior Homestead to Onondaga Avenue. Here you see a large duck ranch where they raise on an average of 1,500 ducks per month. Then you see the House of Correction and the Sutro Forest in the background. Then you pass the large new car house of the United Railroads.

Crossing the steel bridge at Mt. Vernon Heights, look to the left and you will have a fine view of the Visitacion Valley, with its vegetable gardens and dairy farms. Now we arrive at Ocean View the city limits, where the next fare is collected. When you reach to top of Daly’s Hill, look to the right and there a magnificent panoramic view is spread before you. See Lake Merced and the ocean, the Farallon Islands in the distance and white-sailed ships passing along. You are now in the San Mateo County. On the left are the San Bruno Mountains. Passing the Union Coursing Park on the right, now you arrive in Colma. Next you pass the cemeteries. There are the Serbian, Italian, Japanese, the new Masonic, new Odd Fellows, Eternal Home, Mt. Olivet, Salem, Home of Peace, Cypress Lawn, Chinese and Holy Cross cemeteries, each one made most beautiful with plants and flowers. From here on it’s private right-of-way and the cars run at a high rate of speed. The next stop is Baden Station with its homes surrounded by trees. You get a glimpse of South City [South San Francisco]. The Fuller Paint Works, the Steiger Pottery Works, the Pacific Jupiter Steel Works, the Western Meat Co.’s plants are located here. Next you pass the Tanforan race track and arrive at San Bruno. Here the new Southern Pacific Bay Shore cut-off will come in, and it is predicted that from South City to San Bruno there will be a great many new factories and plants erected within the next few years, and railroad shops and freight yards, 1,200 lots sold in San Bruno alone. Further along the line you pass Lomita Park, a new suburb, with its nicely shaded streets that have sold over 550 lots in the last few months, and many new buildings are going up. You pass the Sierra Morena range of mountains on the right. Looking to the left, you seen the bay with its marsh-lands, the home of the wild duck, and the oyster beds, the Oakland hills with Mt. Diablo in the distance, also Coyote Island. You pass the plant of the Spring Valley Water Co. and arrive at Millbrae. You see the sub-station of the United Railroads. The homes are further back and cannot be seen for the wooded lands. Here is the Millbrae Dairy with its herds of Holstein cattle, a most beautiful and clean place. Next the Black Hawk Dairy, another large place with hundreds of stock. Now you reach Burlingame with its many beautiful residences, club houses and polo-fields. The equipages which are seen standing at the depot show the wealth of Burlingame.

The run into San Mateo along its fine shaded streets does not show all of the fine homes, but gives one a good idea of what the place is like. Homes are covered with beautiful flowers, and tennis-courts and lawn abound. You pass along a few blocks of the business section of the town and arrive at the depot.

The climate is simply incomparable, with no fogs or harsh winds. The bracing atmosphere of the bay mingles with the mild zephyrs of the valley, making it a most delightful temperature. Space will not permit for all that could be said of this beautiful place. The whole peninsula has a bright and prosperous future. When taking the trip, ask the conductor to show the points of interest, an you will agree with me that it is the best trip that you can take for the money.

—A.B. 615 Mt. Vernon Avenue