June 21, 2000

Some local history reviewed for accuracy

If you've downloaded the history of Pacifica as presented on the Internet, dump it in your computer's trash.

The Internet is fantastic. In only a few minutes you can learn more that ain't so than you could learn from any other source. Whoever wrote the Internet presentation of the history of Pacifica didn't check their facts as carefully as needed.

Here are some examples of what I mean.

Portolá's statue, in the Plaça de Catalunya on Crespi near the Community Center, is NOT, repeat NOT a gift to the city of Pacifica. It was the gift of the Autonomous Region of Catalonia (Catalunya in the Catalan language of the region) to the State of California. Is that a small error? No. It's a big deal. Pacifica has been greatly honored to be the location of a gift that was presented to the entire state of California.

Jordi Pujol, who came to Pacifica to participate in the presentation of the statue, was (and as far as I know still is) the head of the Catalan government and a key figure in the government of Spain. (Some would say he's been the linchpin of the Spanish government much of the time. Without his cooperation the Spanish government would have fallen several times through the years.)

Catalonia is the equivalent of a state of the U.S. Barcelona is the capitol of Catalonia. Balaguer, Pacifica's sister city, is the birthplace of Portolá. The European discovery of San Francisco Bay by Portolá made everything that followed possible, including the Franciscan Missions, the Spanish and Mexican settlement, the American conquest, and most regretfully, the loss of most of the highly susceptible native American population due to exotic diseases and the disruption of their life style. Another example: County Road Market does NOT date from 1900. With the exception of the Sanchez Adobe, very few buildings remain from before the era of the Ocean Shore Railway, which is to say, roughly 1906 to 1920. Anderson's Store, the Castle, and the Little Brown Church date from the time of the railroad. County Road Market, (the building, not the business) dates from the same era.

The most annoying example to me: Honora Sharp did NOT give 450 acres of land to San Francisco for recreational purposes. She certainly did NOT do it in 1935. The actual facts are on record and available to anyone who seeks them out.

Here's as brief a summary as I can make: 1905; Honora Sharp dies in San Francisco. She wants to use $200,000 (in 1905 dollars) to build a memorial gate at the entrance to Golden Gate Park, honoring her late husband George. She can't legally put it in trust, so she gives it to two millionaire park commissioners, Reuben Lloyd and Adolph Spreckels. They know what she wants done. Part of the $200,000 is an $8000 ranch on the coast, 410 acres. 1906; earthquake, fire. There goes some of the estate. 1905-1912. Legal shenanigans. Her cousins in Canada and New England want a piece of the pie. They lose. Another portion is dissipated defending against them. 1912; the gate is a goner. The decision is made to create "the Sharp Park" from the Sharp ranch. 1916; March. Spreckels turns over his half to San Francisco. John McLaren starts planting trees. Summer 1917: Samuel Murphey, successor to Reuben Lloyd's share, turns over his half on condition the property is used for "park and recreation purposes only." $80,000 in cash goes with the gift of land. It buys more land. 1929: a golf course is started. Designer, Alister Mackenzie, famed as the designer of the Augusta National and Pebble Beach courses. April 16, 1932. The golf course opens to 400 players. 1933: Willie Goggin, club pro, comes in second in the U.S. Open. He is defeated by Gene Sarazan. 1935: Brighton Beach and Salada Beach combine, change their name to Sharp Park.

Some recent Reactor columns may be found at Paul Azevedo's website, http://www.thereactor.net/ Reach him by e-mail at reactor@wenet.net