Month: March 2021

Yesterday, the World War Two Liberty Ship, the Jeremiah O’Brien sailed back from Pier 35 to Pier 45, where she was nearly destroyed in the disastrous fire on May 23, 2020. My brother, Kevin, who is part of the Jeremiah O’Brien crew, was able to send me some pictures of the move. KRON TV covered the story, as well. Check out the YouTube video of the voyage at the end of the post. (Thumbnail images)

The Liberty Ship pulled away from Pier 35 at 9:00 AM, escorted by Fireboat #3, the S.F.F.D. St. Francis.

Looking southwest toward Nob and Russian Hills as the O’Brien docks back at Pier 45. The top photo I took from the top of the ship in September of 2018. Shed C was completely destroyed by the fire.

Looking west over the top of Shed C toward Aquatic Park from the Jeremiah O’Brien in 2018 and yesterday as she docks back at Pier 45:

The top picture I took on March 21, 2020, four days after the shelter-in-place order due to the COVID-19 Pandemic took effect. The Jeremiah O’Brien had closed up to visitors at this point. Two months later the fire would gut this area, and force the Liberty Ship to move over to Pier 35 for maintenance and repairs. In the bottom photo is the Jeremiah O’Brien returning here yesterday.

Looking over the World War Two submarine, the USS Pampanito, from the top of the O’Brien toward Telegraph Hill at sunset in October of 2018: Views like this is one of the reasons that the Jeremiah O’Brien is back where she belongs.

A few years ago, I stumbled across an old gas station in the Sunset District that I thought was pretty cool. I took some pictures of it and later in the office, I found an old photo of it on the internet to do a then and now. (opensfhistory.org)

Built on the southeast corner of Irving and 16^th in 1926, they don’t make gas stations like this anymore.

Here’s another vintage photo of the old filling station, courtesy of OpenSFHistory.org and outsidelands.org.

Another look at the service station during the 1960s: On the Sunday before last, the last Sunday of February, I got a chance to get out of the office and spend the day in San Francisco with visiting family members from Texas. We drove by the corner on the way out to Ocean Beach near sunset time. They just couldn’t find a way to save the little building since I first saw it, fenced off and lonely looking when I took my pictures in 2016. I don’t know why I thought they would save it, I should know better by now. (Western Neighborhoods Project)