author archive
Monday, July 2nd, 2007
book review — “San Francisco Almanac”
I read a lot of books on San Francisco and California history. And though these posts are labeled “book reviews”, the only books you’ll ever see here are those that I’ve really enjoyed. In short, if you see it here, it’s a great book — I’ve no urge to write about the stinkers! And if […]
3 Comments » - Posted in Historical book reviews by richard - sparkletack
Friday, June 29th, 2007
SFist — mark twain torched lake tahoe?
The re-post of #5 in the new series of Sparkletack posts on SFist.com, San Francisco’s collaborative urban blogging project. Mark Twain Torched Lake Tahoe? The wildfire raging up near Lake Tahoe reminded us of our dear old cousin Mark. Mark Twain, that is, and what we remembered was his own brush with accidental arson up […]
2 Comments » - Posted in SFist by richard - sparkletack
Friday, June 22nd, 2007
#62: Samuel Holladay, Pioneer Squatter of Lafayette Park
On a recent Pacific Heights walking tour I found myself standing atop Lafayette Park. As I admired the spectacular view, the guide told an unfamiliar story about a mansion that once occupied this hill. The building is long gone now, of course, but its history is a wild one. Here’s the story: Samuel Holladay, respectable […]
12 Comments » - Posted in San Francisco history podcasts by richard - sparkletack
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007
SFist — island for sale…
The re-post of #4 in the new series of pieces for the SFist, San Francisco’s collaborative urban blogging project. nugget o’ history — Island for Sale Who knew that one of the five islands in San Francisco Bay was privately owned? Even stranger, “Red Rock Island” is now up for sale, for a paltry $10 […]
No Comments » - Posted in SFist by richard - sparkletack
Monday, June 11th, 2007
SFist — sands-can-drift-so
Here it is, the re-post of #3 in the new series of little pieces for the SFist, one of San Francisco’s fastest growing collaborative blogging projects. nugget o’ history — Sands-can-drift-so San Francisco was once pretty much a giant sand dune. We’ve even heard it said that the very name derives from the once common […]
1 Comment » - Posted in SFist by richard - sparkletack
Friday, June 8th, 2007
vintage san francisco maps — on the cheap!
File this under cheap and geeky thrills: full-size photocopies of old San Francisco maps for pocket change! I got a hot tip about this from a friend of mine several years ago, but with my usual alacrity, didn’t follow it up until this week! Kevin works in the public housing industry, and often has occasion […]
4 Comments » - Posted in Just plain cool by richard - sparkletack
Tuesday, June 5th, 2007
tour review – pacific heights (sf architectural heritage)
Here’s the thing — I love San Francisco, I love history, and I love walking. Luckily for me, there are a billion walking tours out there, and every so often I take one. I do my best to keep my know-it-all mouth shut and learn a thing or two, pick up a few ideas for […]
4 Comments » - Posted in Walking tour reviews by richard - sparkletack
Wednesday, May 30th, 2007
SFist — at least today they’re being shot with cameras
Here it is, the re-post of #2 in the new series of little pieces for the SFist, one of San Francisco’s most well established collaborative blogging projects. At Least Today They’re Being Shot with Cameras Could it be that our lost little whale pair have finally had their sonar set to rights? And wouldn’t that […]
No Comments » - Posted in SFist by richard - sparkletack
Wednesday, May 30th, 2007
7×7 san francisco — on the newstands now
Well, the promised 7×7 interview has finally hit the streets. It’s a disconcerting experience to read one’s spoken words in print, especially if it turns out that they’ve been edited to fit the story! I’m not complaining, though — it’s all more or less correct. And the more San Franciscans are inspired tune in to […]
2 Comments » - Posted in Media,Notes by richard - sparkletack
Sunday, May 27th, 2007
#61: Lefty O’Doul — The Man in the Green Suit
You’ve seen the green and white signs in front of the “Lefty O’Doul Restaurant and Piano Bar” down on Geary Street, but who is Lefty O’Doul? Just another phony Irish name invented to sell beer? Absolutely not! The silhouette of that left-handed slugger on the sign is a clue. Lefty O’Doul was a baseball player, […]
18 Comments » - Posted in San Francisco history podcasts by richard - sparkletack
Friday, May 25th, 2007
drafted by the SFist!
Sharp-eyed readers — or should I say “San Francisco blog addicts” — will have noticed the recent appearance of yours truly on the SFist, a San Francisco-obsessive collaborative blogging venture. And why? Well…. because they asked me. They’re a solid bunch of San Franciscophiles, and I jumped at the chance to wedge a little historical […]
2 Comments » - Posted in SFist by richard - sparkletack
Thursday, May 10th, 2007
buried history
The buzz over recently exposed timbers of the “King Philip”, a clipper ship which foundered at Ocean Beach in 1878, got me thinking about San Francisco’s legacy of maritime corpses — especially those which ended up becoming part of the foundation of the city. I’m talking about the ships buried underneath downtown San Francisco. One […]
3 Comments » - Posted in Just plain cool by richard - sparkletack
Tuesday, May 8th, 2007
7×7 san francisco
“Hey mom, my picture’s gonna be in a magazine!” Strange but true. I just spent an hour in a studio with a battery of hot lights trained on my mug… the results of which should appear in the June 2007 issue of San Francisco’s local style magazine “7×7“. I suspect the “new media” cachet of […]
No Comments » - Posted in Media,Notes by richard - sparkletack
Friday, May 4th, 2007
a sparkletack tour of san francisco
My long-time supporter Michael Roberts sent an email several months ago that absolutely made my day: After listening to your podcasts for the last six months, I couldn’t wait any longer and took a trip to the city so that I could experience some of your “brand” of history. He’s in good company. This isn’t […]
2 Comments » - Posted in From the community,Just plain cool by richard - sparkletack
Friday, April 27th, 2007
#60: Starr King and the California Civil War (pt. 2)
At the end of the Part One of this two part series, Abraham Lincoln had been elected president, the Civil War had broken out, and the question of California’s loyalty to the Union was in grave doubt. The youthful Unitarian minister from Boston was a newcomer to the scene, but his powerful voice had been […]
Sparkletack was the blog and podcast of a guy obsessed with diggin' up San Francisco history. The site is on permanent hiatus.
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