"Heading Home" - San Francisco 1905

“Heading Home” on Mission Creek after a long workday at the busiest part of the San Francisco waterfront in 1905, 6-9 months before the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed most of the city.

The 4th street bridge is ahead as the sun begins to set over the Mission District. The lumber scow “Melvina” unloaded its cargo at the Pope & Talbot Lumber Co. at the lumber wharf on Channel Street.  The west coast lumber trade was big business at that time, with timber from Northern California, Oregon and Washington, shipped south to the port of San Francisco. 

Behind the “Melvina” is the hay scow “Annie L”, still loaded with hay.  She was built in 1900, and while only 65’ long, could carry 350 bales of hay for San Francisco horses which numbered almost 20,000 at that time.  

Steam schooners line Hay Wharf on the right along Berry street, with the four masted brigantine “Okanogan” in the distance closer to the bridge.  The large sailing vessels were primarily used for longer ocean voyages.