Finding aid to the (Alfred) Clarke's Water Works photograph album PC PA
225
Jaime Henderson, 2019
California Historical Society
February 2019
678 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
reference@calhist.org
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
California Historical Society
Title: (Alfred) Clarke's Water Works photograph album
Creator:
Clarke, Alfred, 1832-1902
creator:
Walton, James W.
Identifier/Call Number: PC PA 225
Physical Description:
1.23 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1890-1891
Abstract: Photograph album containing 25 albumen
prints of views of Clarke's Water Works, San Francisco, taken by James W. Walton between
1890-1891. The photograph album documents Alfred Clarke's early San Francisco water company,
Clarke's Water Works, located in the Glen Park and Eureka Valley neighborhoods of San
Francisco.
Language of Material: Collection materials are in
English.
Conditions Governing Access
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Alexander Thomas Leonard, M.D. to the San Francisco Historical Society; transferred
to the California Historical Society.
Biographical / Historical
Alfred Clarke arrived in San Francisco in 1850 from Ireland. After a failed attempt at
striking it rich in the gold country of Nevada County, Clarke returned to San Francisco and
began work with the San Francisco Police Department. He built his mansion in Eureka Valley
at Douglass Street and Caselli Avenue. An ongoing fued with his neighbor, Behrend Joost,
prompted him to start Clarke's Water Works in 1891, a service that supplied water to Eureka
Valley residents and competed with Joost's Mountain Spring Water Company. Clarke died in San
Francisco in 1902.
General
Most titles supplied by cataloger using captions original to the photograph album.
General
Clarke named many local natural features and his water system equipment after admired
political figures. Cataloger has included generally accepted names of local natural features
the parenthesis following the names created by Clarke.
General
Handwritten notes and captions by photograph album's owner, Alexander Thomas Leonard, were
added years after the creation of the photograph album.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item, date]; (Alfred) Clarke's Water Works photograph album; California
Historical Society.
Scope and Content
Photograph album containing 25 albumen prints of views of Clarke's Water Works, San
Francisco, taken by James W. Walton between 1890-1891. The photograph album documents Alfred
Clarke's early San Francisco water company located in the Glen Park and Eureka Valley
neighborhoods of San Francisco. Nearly all photographs include a printed descriptive caption
detailing the location and purpose of Clarke's water projects. Photographs show and captions
describe features of the water system including Blaine Engine House and Pump; the Blaine Dam
and Nellie Dam; the Nellie Reservoir; and the man-made Lake Lincoln. Other natural features
of the Eureka Valley and Glen Park areas documented in the photograph album include Mount
Lincoln (commonly known as Mount Davidson); Mount Blaine (commonly known as Gold Mine Hill);
and Lake Farragut (commonly known as Pine Lake). Clarke's mansion at Douglass Street and
Caselli Avenue is also featured in the photograph album. Photograph album includes
descriptive captions original to its creation and additional notes added later by the
photograph album's owner, Alexander Thomas Leonard. One page of the album is missing its
original photograph, although the original caption still remains. Three clippings of the
San Francisco Chronicle Riptides column and a clipping of
an obituary for Joseph Huff published in the
San Francisco Call
Bulletin
are affixed to the pages in place of the missing photograph.
Conditions Governing Use
Materials in this collection, which were created in 1890-1891, are in the public domain in
the United States. Permission to publish or reproduce is not required.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Dams -- California -- San Francisco -- Pictorial works
Eureka Valley (San Francisco, Calif.) -- Pictorial works
Glen Canyon (San Francisco, Calif.) -- Pictorial works
Glen Park (San Francisco, Calif.) -- Pictorial works
Reservoir -- California -- San Francisco -- Pictorial works
Water-supply -- California -- San Francisco -- Pictorial
works
Water utilities -- California -- San Francisco -- Pictorial
works
Albumen prints
Photograph albums
Clarke's Water Works
Clarke's Water Works, San Francisco, Lake Lincoln, View 1
Scope and Contents
Photograph also shows Lincoln Creek (also known as Islais Creek) and Blaine Dam.
Slack water at head of reservoir; flowing creek losing itself in still
water
Blaine pump and Blaine Dam
Scope and Contents
Notes added by Leonard indicate the photograph shows Joseph Cuneo's eucalyptus grove on
the Gum Tree Ranch; St. Mary's College; University Mound; and a "railroad track from 3rd
and Townsend." Notes also identify a building in the image as being the home of Joseph
Huff and indicate ex-jockey Jimmy Burns ran the Blaine Pump.
Group of people and boys fishing in front of Blaine pump
Scope and Contents
Label belonging to Leonard affixed to page opposite the photograph identifies Jimmie
Burns as person standing in doorway of pump.
Interior, Blaine engine house showing steam boiler and Blaine pump
Group of people in front of Blaine pump; east side of Blaine dam
Sunnyside Tavern
Scope and Contents
Caption describes the tavern as being kept by D. Drain and its location as being "about
half a mile west from the two Agnes tanks on the Corbett road, also about half a mile
east from the fork of the Alms House road and the San Miguel road."
Mount Lincoln, known as Mount Davidson
Scope and Contents
Alfred Clarke's cottage, Bethlehem Spring, and Harrison Road appear on
mountainside.
Men at work on the Bethlehem Spring
Mount Blaine, known as Gold Mine Hill
Corbett Road, Agnes water tanks to the northwest
From Corbett Road, looking south showing part of the Mountain Spring Water
Works
Scope and Contents
Photograph shows parts of Caselli Avenue and Douglas Street and the smokestack of the
Charley Pump. Handwritten label identifies Irish Hill. Mountain Spring Water Works was a
competing water provider run by Behrend Joost.
Rear of Alfred Clarke's house, southwest corner of Douglass Street and Caselli
Avenue
Scope and Contents
Men in photograph identified as Mr. Erwin, head carpenter; Mr. E. Hartman, painter;
Superintendent Gibson; and Mr. George Cahill, watchman.
South facing side of Alfred Clarke's house
Scope and Contents
Caption identifies men in photograph as Mr. Erwin, Mr. Gibson, Mr. William Farmer, and
Mr. Cahill. Also identifies location and use of fire hoses near Clarke's house.
Clarke's house and barn seen from the southeast
Clarke's house seen from the northeast
Scope and Contents
Photograph shows fire hydrant and fire-hose on Douglass Street sidewalk.
Nellie Dam seen from the northwest
Original photograph missing from album
Scope and Contents
Two original captions indicate missing photograph is of Nellie Dam and Nellie Engine
House. Pages contain newspaper clippings. One clipping is an obituary for Joseph Huff,
published in the San Francisco Call Bulletin on January 20, 1951; remaining clippings
are Huff's recollections of Glen Park, published on November 17, 19, and 21, 1947 in the
San Francisco Chronicle.
Interior, Blaine engine house, showing steam boiler and Blaine pump
Cows in ravine
Scope and Contents
Photograph shows cows grazing in the ravine, the Blaine Pump, and Lake Lincoln. Notes
from Leonard indicate the cows were from George C. Smart's New York Dairy.
Water tanks, Stanford Heights
Scope and Contents
Handwritten caption reads: Now Miraloma Park (near Mt. Davidson).
Lake Lincoln, the Blaine Dam and Blaine pump house
Lake Farragut (known as Pine Lake)
Scope and Contents
Two plate image of lake. Handwritten note by Leonard reads: "From S.E. 4000' N. of
Stagg. Ingleside, 27th Ave. and Z St. - W + Pueblo lands."
