Dolores Park: A Poorly Reconstructed History

29 Apr 2014

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Updated: Feb 10, 2015 09:05

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If you have passed Dolores Park lately you will have noticed that she is undergoing major reconstructive surgery. But while her lower half looks like it was struck by a small meteor, her upper half is open and will remain open throughout the summer. The upper leisure area is noticeably more cramped now but is still a nice place to relax and sip a beverage next to SF locals and tourists alike.

This Fall, the new tennis and basketball courts should be finished along with the entire lower section of the park. This includes new bathrooms, a designated off leash dog area, as well as a multi-use field area that promises to have fewer pot holes and weird puddles in it. Once the lower half of the park is finished, the upper half of the park goes under the knife.

Summer of 2015, Dolores Park’s upper and lower sections are scheduled to be completely finished and open to the public. This includes even more new bathrooms, a picnic table area, new walking paths, trash cans, and bike racks ect. But for some, the most exciting addition to the park will be San Francisco’s first open air urinal, or “pPod”. They’re installing it at the very top of the hill in the “gay beach” section of the park, which could mean wonderful views for stand up pee-ers. And for everyone else…you may continue quietly glancing downhill.

All these changes to the park inspired me to learn about the history of Mission Dolores Park and the changes it has undergone over the years.

(Make sure to click all the photos below to see them bigger!)

1860 – 1904 The Spooky Years

Dolores park was a Jewish Cemetery for 44 years. Yes, that’s right. If you were ever wondering if it were haunted you can stop, there’s a 98% chance it is. When the population of the Mission began to really boom, they commissioned for all the bodies to be moved out, it was just like today’s gentrification of the area, only instead of moving out low income families it was dead Jewish people.

Dolores Park when it was Home and Peace Jewish Cemetery from 1860 – 1904

1906 – EARTHQUAKE!!!

When half the city burned down following the 1906 earthquake some 500 temporary cottages were built on Dolores to house the refugees, (there were 10 other refugee camps built in other parks around the city, but it’s widely known that Dolores Refugee Camp was the coolest)

1909 – 1915 Mission Dolores Gets Parky

Did you know that where the fancy playground is today, there used to be a large wading pool? I suppose for fine dandies to roll up their knickers and get their feet wet. In the 1920’s the fun police got rid of it and built the first rendition of a playground. This area of the park has been lousy with children ever since. It was also during this period that the tennis and basketball courts were built.

The playground we know today was built in 2012 and named for the bay area philanthropist Helen Diller.

1925 – 1939 A Black And White Version of Mission High School Was Built

Shortly after the Wizard of Oz came out in 1939, Mission High School was colored in and it still looks great today.

1940– The First Bi-Rite Market Opens on 18^th St. near the park. Neighborhood Self-Satisfaction Skyrockets

Bi-Rite Market, Dolores Park’s local grocery is like, amazing

1960 – 1966 Viva Dolores!

While the hippies were getting Golden Gate Park ready for the summer of love, the Latino community was busy erecting a replica of the Mexican Liberty Bell and a statue of Miguel Hidalgo the Jesuit-trained Leader of the Mexican War of Independence.

1970’s – 1980’s No Park Construction Happens

There is a noticeable increase in crushed velvet in the park, and then a period of sequin was observed, but outside of that no major changes to the park’s infrastructure occurs.

1996 – 2013 The Tech Years

Dolores Park starts to see upwards of 10,000 visitors a weekend, local residents complain that the “kids these days don’t respect anything”. Journalist from abroad come to the park to write 3 articles a day about San Francisco’s gentrification problem.

2015 – The Era Of Decent Bathrooms

Dolores is getting a 21^st century make-over, which means more manicured cement pathways and areas ‘designated’ for particular activities over others. This does strike a bit of a blow to the general disorderly chaos that Dolores park has enjoyed over the last century. But, if we must lose some of the park’s quirky characteristics, we at least gain an interesting place to go to the bathroom. And don’t worry ladies the new bathrooms promise to accommodate thousands on a daily basis which will be a well received improvement from the long bathroom lines in the past. Below, compare the past to sketches of what the future holds in store for us.