Finding aid to the San Francisco Department of Public Works Proposed San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridges Records
1916-1938
SFH 87
Finding aid prepared by Jordon Zorker
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA, 94102
(415) 557-4567
info@sfpl.org
2014
Title: San Francisco Department of Public Works Proposed San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridges Records
Date (inclusive): circa 1916-1938
Date (bulk): 1925-1928
Collection Identifier: SFH 87
Creator:
San Francisco (Calif.). Dept. of Public Works.
Physical Description:
3 cartons
(3.0 linear feet)
Contributing Institution:
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-4567
info@sfpl.org
Abstract: Materials collected and arranged by the San Francisco Department of Public Works documenting the planning of the San Francisco-Oakland
Bay Bridge. Includes newspaper clippings, reports, hearings, correspondence, journals, construction proposals and engineering
plans, legislative documents, agreements, applications, contracts, resumes, boring and other technical data, blueprints, and
photographs. Bulk of the collection consists of proposals and engineering plans of bridge design, circa 1926, when over a
dozen proposals were being considered by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, though none were chosen as the final plan.
Documents were created by companies competing for construction of the bridge, their engineers, the San Francisco Board of
Supervisors reviewing the proposals, and the San Francisco Department of Public Works as represented by City Engineer M. M.
O’Shaughnessy.
Physical Location: The collection is stored onsite.
Language of Materials: Collection materials are in
English.
Access
The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours, with photographs available during Photo Desk
hours. Collections that are stored offsite should be requested 48 hours in advance.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], San Francisco Department of Public Works Proposed San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridges Records (SFH
87), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Provenance
Records given to the San Francisco History Center, of the San Francisco Public Library, on December 15, 1993 by Olga Arias,
Dept. of Public Works, City and County of San Francisco.
Processing information
Processed by Jordon Zorker (intern), 2014.
Biographical/Historical
The San Francisco Department of Public Works (DPW), launched in 1900, manages the design, building, and maintenance of city
streets and infrastructure. During the years of planning for a Bay Bridge, their role, through City Engineer M. M. O’Shaughnessy,
was collaborative with the Board of Supervisors, in selecting a site and plans. By 1926, over a dozen plans or proposals of
differing routes, design, and cost had been filed with the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for review and selection. March
28, 1927, the Board of Supervisors created a board of independent engineers, with City Engineer M. M. O’Shaughnessy of the
DPW - to study and report on the bridge issue. All applications were rejected by the Board of Supervisors at a meeting on
July 31, 1928.
Momentum for realizing the bridge did not arrive until establishment at the state level of the California Bridge Toll Authority
in 1929. Construction began on July 9, 1933 with Charles Henry Purcell as Chief Engineer, and the bridge opened to traffic
on November 12, 1936.
Scope and Contents
Materials collected and arranged by the San Francisco Department of Public Works (DPW) primarily documenting the planning
of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, 1916-1938. Includes newspaper clippings, reports, hearings, correspondence, journals,
construction proposals and engineering plans, legislative documents, agreements, applications, contracts, resumes, boring
and other technical data, blueprints, and photographs. Bulk of the collection consists of proposals and engineering plans
of bridge design, circa 1926, when more than a dozen proposals for franchises were being considered by the San Francisco Board
of Supervisors. Bulk of documents were created by companies competing for construction of the bridge, their engineers, the
Board of Supervisors reviewing the proposals, and the San Francisco Department of Public Works as represented by City Engineer
M. M. O’Shaughnessy. The collection preserves the original filing and code numbers used by the DPW. Individual files can contain
multiple types of documents. Many file titles show DPW filing dates rather than content dates. Includes papers relating to
the War Department’s restriction on bridge construction north of Hunters Point and use of Goat Island (now Yerba Buena Island).
Journal articles from The Commonwealth (1925) and Western Construction News (1926, 1928) provide context. Momentum for realizing
the bridge came with the creation in 1927 by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors of a board of three engineers working
with the City Engineer, and in 1929 with the state level creation of the California Bridge Toll Authority. Bridge construction
began in 1933 with Charles Henry Purcell as Chief Engineer, and was completed in 1936. Much less of the collection dates from
the 1930s.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by San Francisco Department of Public Works filing numbers. Individual files can contain multiple
types of documents. Many file titles show DPW filing dates rather than content dates.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Bridges--California--San Francisco Bay Area--Planning
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (Oakland and San Francisco, Calif.)
Box 1, Folders 1-11
Clippings [A-816:1]
1926-1932
Box 1, Folder 12
Reports Available in City Engineer's Office [A-816:1]
undated
Box 1, Folder 13
Hearings Before the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives [A-816]
1928
Box 1, Folder 14
"Bay Bridges," The Commonwealth, 1(19) [A-816]
1925
Box 1, Folder 15
Proposed Rail and Highway Crossing, Bay Cities Bridge Corp. [A-816]
1925
Box 1, Folder 16
San Francisco Approach to the Bridge, SF Art Commission [TA816]
1933
Box 1, Folder 17
Derleth and Calder of Bay Cities Bridge Corp., engineer statements [A-816]
1926
Box 1, Folder 18
Raymond Concrete Pile Co., observations of construction methods [TA816]
1928
Box 1, Folder 19
Senate Bills, 87-92, California Legislature
1933
Box 1, Folder 20
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, brochure
1933
Box 1, Folder 21
California Toll Bridge Authority and Interurban agreement [T816]
1936
Box 1, Folder 22
California Toll Bridge Authority and Key System agreement [T816]
1936
Box 1, Folder 23
Large Bridges, technical file [A-816:1]
1921
Box 1, Folder 24
Printing bids report [A-816:1]
1921-1922
Box 2, Folders 1-2
Letters [A-816:1]
1916-1925
Box 2, Folder 4
Charles Evan Fowler Plan, Cantilever Bridge [A-816:1]
1915
Box 2, Folders 5-7
SF Bay Bridges: General, book 1 - 3 [City Engineer correspondence] [A-816]
1926-1945
Box 2, Folder 8
Proposal to accompany Application for Permit by the Board of Supervisors; report with drawings [TA816]
1921
Box 2, Folder 9
Board of Supervisors Hearing, Dec. 11, 1925 [A-816:2]
1925
Box 2, Folders 10-14
Chew Plan, Telegraph Hill to Goat Island Bridge [A-816:3]
1925-1933
Box 2, Folder 15
Bertram Plan [A-816:4]
1926-1927
Box 2, Folder 16
Argument for Modification of War Dept.'s policy regarding construction of San Francisco bridge [A-816:5]
1925
Box 2, Folder 17
Report by Leonard M. Cox [A-816:5]
1925
Box 2, Folder 18
Proposal and correspondence by Allan C. Rush [A-816:6]
1925-1926
Box 2, Folder 19
Cleary Plan [A-816:7]
undated
Box 2, Folder 20
Construction Company of North America report [A-816:7]
1926
Box 2, Folders 21-22
Andrews' Plan, Hunter's Point to Alameda [A-816:8]
1926
Box 2, Folder 23
"Bay Bridges," The Commonwealth, 1(19) [A-816:9]
1925
Box 2, Folders 24-25
Transcript of Hearing [A-816:10]
1925
Box 2, Folders 26-27
Robert Lee Dunn proposal [A-816:11]
1926
Box 2, Folder 28
Applications Filed [A-816:12]
1925
Box 2, Folders 29 - 30
Charles Evan Fowler plan, cantilever bridge [A-816:13]
1914-1926
Box 2, Folder 31
Couchot Plan [A-816:14]
1921
Box 2, Folders 32-33
Dr. Gustav Lindenthal Plan and Resume of Project [A-816:15]
1924-1927
Box 3, Folder 1
N.Y. and S.F. Development Co. Bridge [A-816:16]
undated
Box 3, Folder 2
Mayor James Rolph, Jr., conference transcript [A-816:17]
1927
Box 3, Folder 3
Hearings before Supervisors [A-816:17]
1926
Box 3, Folder 4
Inter-Cities Bridge Company Proposal [A-816:18]
1926
Box 3, Folder 5
Regional Plan Association [A-816:19]
1926
Box 3, Folder 6
Western Construction News, 1(18) [A-816:20]
1926
Box 3, Folder 7
W. F. Holcomb Proposal [A-816:21]
1926
Box 3, Folder 8
D. B. Steinman [A-816:22]
1926
Box 3, Folder 9
Consulting Engineers [A-816:23]
1927
Box 3, Folder 10
San Francisco Business, 14(9) [A-816:24]
1927
Box 3, Folder 11
Articles [A-816:24]
1927, 1934
Box 3, Folder 12
O'Brien Plan, tubes [A-816:25]
1927
Box 3, Folder 13
Henion Plan [A-816:25]
1927
Box 3, Folders 14-15
Polhemus Report and correspondence [A-816:27]
1930-1931
Box 3, Folder 16
Carey Plan [A-816:28]
1926
Box 3, Folder 17
McIntosh Plan [A-816:29]
1927
Box 3, Folder 18
Board of Engineers report; Ridgway, Talbot, Galloway [A-816:30]
1927
Box 3, Folder 19
Bridge reports [A-816:31]
1927
Box 3, Folder 20
Bridge Report Correspondence [A-816:31]
1927-1929
Box 3, Folder 21
Requests for copies of report, Board of Engineers, Chief's file [A-816:31]
1928-1931
Box 3, Folder 22
Report by Boards of Supervisors, City and County of San Francisco and Alameda, 1-31-28 [A-816:33]
1921
Box 3, Folder 23
Shipping Data [A-816:34]
1926, 1928
Box 3, Folder 24
Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce hearings, House of Representatives [A-816:36]
1928
Box 3, Folder 25
Davies and Modjeski, Preliminary report [A-816:37]
1921
Box 3, Folder 26
Proposal to accompany Application for Permit, Boards of Supervisors, Cities and Counties of San Francisco and Alameda [A-816:37]
1921
Box 3, Folder 27
Borings 6/15/28 to - [A-816:38]
1931-1935
Box 3, Folder 28
Dept. of Public Works: Special Provisions, Proposal, and Contract for Foundation Investigations for the San Francisco Appoach,
Contract #1A. [816:38]
1931
Box 3, Folder 29
Charles Wild correspondence: boring and shaft sinking devices, copy of patent [816:38]
1927, 1928
Box 3, Folder 30
S.F. Bay Bridge Problems 8/27/28 to [A-816:39]
1928
Box 3, Folder 31
Shipowners Association [A-816:40]
1928, 1929
Box 3, Folder 32
Transbay Traffic [A-816:41]
1928-1931
Box 3, Folder 33
Western Construction News, 3(17) [816:42]
1928
Box 3, Folder 34
War Department, Chief of Engineers, transcript of hearing [816:43]
1927
