What San Francisco looked like at the Turn of the 20th Century

As the 20th century began, San Francisco was a shining example of growth and success on the West Coast. The city was booming—more and more people were moving in, the economy was on the rise, and there was a lot of excitement about arts and culture. It felt like a time of new ideas and big changes, with San Francisco leading the way into the new century.

Growing Economy and City

In the early 1900s, San Francisco’s economy kept getting stronger and more diverse. The city’s port was super busy, and industries like manufacturing, banking, and services were growing fast. This boom helped the city expand, with new neighborhoods popping up everywhere to fit all the new people. San Francisco also made big improvements to its infrastructure, like making streetcar lines longer and improving public services, which made the city a better place to live and easier to get around in.

A Rich Cultural Scene and Social Progress

The city’s culture was thriving, too. San Francisco became a magnet for artists and performers from all over, with its theaters, opera houses, and art galleries buzzing with activity. The city’s mix of people from different backgrounds created an interesting cultural scene, with everything from Italian opera to Chinese theater and Irish pubs. At the same time, people were pushing for change, like better rights for workers and the right for women to vote, which was part of a bigger movement for social reform happening across the country.

The 1906 Earthquake

But then, in 1906, a massive earthquake hit the city. It was so strong that it destroyed a lot of San Francisco, killed hundreds of people, and left thousands without homes. It was a huge blow to the city, both physically and economically.

However, San Francisco didn’t give up. The city quickly started to rebuild, with a huge effort to not just fix what was broken but to make the city even better than before. They put new rules in place to make buildings safer and started big projects to rebuild the city.

By the end of the decade, San Francisco had made an incredible comeback. Landmarks like the new City Hall and the Public Library were symbols of the city’s recovery. And in 1915, San Francisco hosted the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, a big world fair that celebrated how far the city had come.

#1 Traffic on Kearny Street, circa 1909

1 Point

Upvote Downvote

#2 Montgomery at the corner of Post Street, October 3, 1905

1 Point

Upvote Downvote

#3 De Young Building at Market, Geary, and Kearny streets, 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#4 Knights Templar decorations at Market, Kearny, Geary, and Third streets, September 1904

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#5 “An interesting basement arcade,” at 609 Pine Street, San Francisco, California, March 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#6 Knights Templar Nighttime decorations on Market Street, September 1904

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#7 Kearny Street, north of Washington, August 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#8 Traffic along Kearny Street, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#9 Grant Avenue, south of Geary Street, possibly April 18, 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#10 Building at the corner of Stockton and Sacramento streets, March 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#11 Building on Grant Avenue in Chinatown illuminated for the Portola Festival, 1909

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#12 View of McAllister Street from the roof of John Swett School, 1909

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#13 Knights Templar decorations at Market, Kearny, Geary, and Third streets, September 1904

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#14 Market Street at the corner of Stockton, circa 1909

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#15 Knights Templar nighttime decorations at Market, Kearny, Geary, and Third streets, September 1904

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#16 Powell at Market Street, 1909

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#17 Tivoli Theater, November 8, 1949

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#18 Market Street, east of Grant Avenue, September 9, 1900

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#19 Market Street, 1904

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#20 Ferry Building, 1900

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#21 East side of Stockton, north from Pine Street, January 29, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#22 Mason Street North from Market, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#23 Track reconstruction on Haight Street, July 20, 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#24 Market Street, looking towards the Ferry Building, 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#25 Pine Street, near Mason, 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#26 Market Street, 1904

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#27 Southeast corner of Pine and Dupont Street (now Grant Avenue), 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#28 Ferry Building, 1908

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#29 Mission Street, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#30 Market Street, circa 1900

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#31 Mission Street, west of Third, circa 1909

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#32 Fillmore Street, north from Ellis Street, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#33 View from Twin Peaks, circa 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#34 Kearny Street, March 31, 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#35 Van Ness Avenue, Pacific Cable, San Francisco, 1902

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#36 Line of horse-drawn wagons heading towards the San Francisco waterfront, circa 1900

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#37 View of San Francisco from Twin Peaks, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#38 Market Street, 1908

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#39 700 block of Grant Avenue, February 5, 1908

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#40 View of San Francisco from Twin Peaks, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#41 Ferry Building, San Francisco, California, 1901

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#42 Nighttime decorations on Market Street, 1901

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#43 Market Street, near the Ferry Building, circa 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#44 Geary and Kearny Streets at the time of the fire in 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#45 Group of children on Kearny, looking towards Market, uphill from Broadway, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#46 Pine Street, between Kearny and Dupont (now Grant Avenue), 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#47 Stockton from Market Street, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#48 Ocean Beach from Cliff House, circa 1901

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#49 O’Farrell Street east of Stockton, circa 1908

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#50 Market Street, circa 1900

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#51 Market Street, looking west, circa 1901

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#52 Ferry Building, 1900

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#53 Ferry Building, possibly 1906 or 1907

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#54 Cliff House, circa 1903

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#55 Stockton at the corner of Geary Street, March 29, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#56 Ocean Beach, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#57 Crowd of people near streetcar at Market and Kearny streets, 1908

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#58 Pine Street, west of Dupont (now Grant Avenue), 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#59 Market Street, east of Kearny, possibly 1900

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#60 Cable car going downhill on Fillmore Street, possibly 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#61 Track reconstruction at Haight and Stanyan streets, July 27, 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#62 Fillmore Street, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#63 Clay Street, east of Pierce, circa 1908

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#64 Kearny from Post Street, 1903

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#65 Fillmore south of Bush Street, circa 1908

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#66 Market Street, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#67 Montgomery Street, July 6, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#68 Track reconstruction on Haight Street near Stanyan, July 20, 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#69 Kearny Street, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#70 Market Street, east of Grant, at night, September 9, 1900

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#71 Telegraph Hill, possibly 1904

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#72 Streetcars and horse-drawn wagons in front of the Ferry Building, August 22, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#73 Kearny Street, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#74 Van Ness Avenue looking north from Sutter Street, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#75 Montgomery Street, October 3, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#76 Ocean Beach, 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#77 West of Broderick Street on Sacramento Street looking East, 1909

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#78 Market Street, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#79 Van Ness Avenue and Sacramento Street, 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#80 Montgomery Street at Market, 1903

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#81 Pete Rielly and Eddie Campi selling newspapers in front of Abraham’s Pharmacy, 1198 McAllister Street, at Fillmore, 1909

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#82 Van Ness Avenue, circa 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#83 Mission Street, between 1st and 2nd streets, March 29, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#84 San Francisco waterfront and Alcatraz Island, 1901

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#85 Telegraph Hill, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#86 Montgomery and Bush Street, April 4, 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#87 Pine Street at Mason, looking southeast, 1909

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#88 Mission at 22nd Street, possibly 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#89 Nighttime view of Knights of Pythias decorations and Spreckels Building on Market Street, 1900

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#90 O’Farrell Street east of Powell, 1909

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#91 Sacramento Street, looking west, July 3, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#92 Pacific Cable, 1902

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#93 Kearny Street, October 3, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#94 Pine Street, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#95 Roberts Book Exchange located on the first floor of a building on Fillmore Street, 1904

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#96 Market Street at the Palace Hotel, 1904

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#97 O’Farrell Street, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#98 Washington Irving School, April 5, 1948

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#99 Market Street at Powell, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#100 Panorama of Glen Park looking southwest over Wilder Street to Glen Park School, 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#101 Ferry Building under reconstruction to fix damage sustained in the earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906, 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#102 Montgomery Street north from Pine, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#103 Market Street at Mason, possibly 1904

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#104 Grant Avenue in Chinatown, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#105 562 Sutter Street, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#106 Boats docked at San Francisco Waterfront, circa 1904

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#107 View of San Francisco waterfront from Nob Hill, circa 1900

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#108 Montgomery and Jackson Street, March 31, 1906

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#109 Market Street, east of 8th Street, circa 1909

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#110 Market Street, east of Grant Avenue, September 9, 1900

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#111 Grant Avenue in Chinatown, 1902

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#112 Night illumination on Market Street, 1904

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#113 Ocean Beach, circa 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#114 View of Ferry Building from the bay, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#115 O’Farrell Street east of Powell, February 6, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#116 Telegraph Hill from the waterfront, 1902

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#117 Jack’s Inn, 1909

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#118 Crowds gathering on Ocean Beach, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#119 Kearny north from Market and Third Street, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#120 Hotel Taiyo at the corner of Buchanan and Sutter streets, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#121 Market Street east of the Palace Hotel, 1901

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#122 Powell Street, February 6, 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#123 Mission Street, between Second and Third streets, possibly 1903

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#124 Powell Street, from O’Farrell Street, possibly 1904 or 1905

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#125 Ferry Building, circa 1904

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#126 Nighttime view of illuminated decorations on Market Street, near 5th Street, circa 1902

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#127 Elizabeth and Emilia in front of Glen Park Bakery, 1908

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#128 Nighttime view of illuminated decorations on Market Street, looking east from the Phelan Building to the Ferry Building, 1909

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#129 Helen’s father-in-law at Ingleside butcher shop, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#130 Below Telegraph Hill, circa 1902

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#131 Helen’s father driving Bekins Company horse-drawn carriage, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#132 Portrait of Frank Schoenstein, an unknown person with accordion, and Mr. Imdorf, early 1900s

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#133 Lester L. Whitman at the tiller of a Curved Dash Olds Light Runabout in front of the Ferry Building, July 6, 1903

0 Points

Upvote Downvote