Rediscovering the Peninsula: Market Street Railway/United Railroads

In the early 1860s, the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad, terminated at 16th and Valencia streets, began service up and down the Peninsula. Due to shifting sand and difficult upkeep that was incurred by the Market Street Railroad’s use of horses, they modified their franchise to use steam locomotives to pull the passenger cars, but this proved difficult and expensive and the Market Street Railroad was sold to the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad. Much to the displeasure of the residents, the SF&SJ RR continued using their steam engines on Market Street even though they had to have a man walk ahead of the engine waving a flag and ringing a bell to warn horses and people of the approaching train. The smoke produced by the steam engines was a constant thorn in the side of the public. Complaints were constantly being voiced by the public until trains were no longer allowed to pull trolleys in downtown San Francisco.

In 1860s, Southern Pacific Railroad acquired the SF&SJ RR. They now monopolized the transportation line along the Peninsula. This line hooked up with the rest of the state’s railroads and led the way to develop a line to Los Angeles.

In 1882, the Southern Pacific Railroad controllers acquired the Market Street Railway and renamed it the Market Street Cable Railway (Confusing but similar names are used).

Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker and Henry Huntington, three of the Big 4 of Southern Pacific, were the principal men who owned the right of way to Market Street now (This private ownership and combination of owners would present much difficulty to the Municipal Muni formed in the early 1900s). The Market Street Cable Railway constructed a 24,000-foot cable from the Ferry Building, along Market Street to the Mission District to run their cable cars. Two branches to the Golden Gate Park (Haight and McAllister streets) were built later and, by 1887, they had four branches built. In 1883, they built a powerhouse at Valencia and Market streets.

In 1893, the line acquired the San Mateo Electric trolley line and acquired another line to Golden Gate Park. This line ran east-west on Lincoln Avenue, entered into the park, exited along the Great Highway and ended at Sutro Heights and served the Cliff House. This is the only line that was ever given a franchise into Golden Gate Park and the franchise lasted into the 1940s. Acquisition of this franchise gave this line an advantage to serve the public at the 1894 San Francisco Midwinter Exposition.

In 1902, the property of the Market Street Railway was acquired by Baltimore Syndicate and, after merging with the Sutter Street Railway, SF and San Mateo Electric Railway, it was renamed United Railways of SF. The line’s administration was much to be desired, however, and a lot of graft and corruption led it to bankruptcy in 1921. The bankrupt lines were transferred back to the financial holder — the Market Street Railway. It now, under new management, improved its public image and goal and became a money-maker again.

A railway demands constant attention and maintenance of its cars. It is costly. This is costly attention and put the line into bankruptcy eventually. The line was sold again, this time to the Byllesby Corporation who brought in Samuel Kahn to run it. Regulations imposed on the franchise, however, forced another adjustment later and in 1944 the line was acquired by the MUNI of San Francisco. Now the city of San Francisco was in a position to coordinate the transportation system citywide — and it did.

Rediscovering the Peninsula runs every weekend. It is compiled through our archives created by Jim Clifford and the late Darold Fredricks.