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South San Francisco Homestead and Railroad Association - Manuscript Map

Very rare early manuscript real estate development map of the Hunter's Point area of southeastern section of San Francisco. This original hand-drawn cadastral map was created in 1867 by engineer William H. Bryan and drawn by James H. Hoadley. The full title is:

Map of the Property of the South San Francisco Homestead and R.R. Assocation prepared for final division and distribution among the shareholders in lots fronting 75 feet upon the avenues, by 100 feet in the direction of the streets. Showing the outer boundaries of the tract and including the 500 lots south of 15h Avenue, and west of Eleventh Street which were divided among the shareholders June 2, 1865; the Hunter's Tract and the Dry Dock Tract... Drawn by James H. Hoadley / Wm. H. Bryan, Engineer / 12 Febuary 1867.

The map, with a scale of 300 feet to the inch, is oriented with north toward the lower right, and the streets run from Second Avenue at the bottom to Twenty-Fourth Avenue at the top, and A Street at the left to M Street at the right, beyond which is Rail Road Avenue. It covers an area bounded by Rail-Road Avenue, 1st Avenue, Dock Street, and 24th Avenue, showing block and lot numbers, tracts, and associated details. It was approved and adopted by the Board of Directors of the South San Francisco Homestead and Rail Road Association on March 7, 1867, and filed on April 15, 1867, at the request of A.S. Gould.

The South San Francisco Homestead & Railroad Association played a significant role in the mid-19th-century expansion of urban San Francisco, particularly in the southeastern district now known as Bayview-Hunters Point. Homestead associations like this one were speculative ventures that allowed investors to collectively purchase large tracts—often subdivided Mexican-era ranchos—and resell them in smaller parcels to individual shareholders, facilitating land ownership for those of modest means. In 1864, the association hired surveyors to divide its 800-acre tract into uniform lots, using English feet rather than the traditional Spanish vara, resulting in a distinctive grid pattern still visible today. As part of its development strategy, the association planned a horse-drawn railway to connect the area to downtown San Francisco, following what became Railroad Avenue (now part of 3rd Street). However, financial and logistical setbacks, particularly the failure to properly grade Railroad Avenue, prevented the railway’s completion, ultimately limiting the subdivision’s early success. Despite this, the association’s street layout, including the numbered avenues and lettered streets, continues to define the modern urban form of the district, reflecting the lasting impact of 19th-century land speculation on San Francisco’s built environment.

Rarity

A unique and rare early real estate map of a large tract in southeastern San Francisco. We note the U.C. Berkeley Library has a later blueline print copy only.