In 1899 it's control passed from the State to the City of San Francisco.

The Topography of the Park in 1870	History of the Concourse (a movie) A BRIEF HISTORY OF URBAN PRESSURE ON THE PARK 1/5/02 BIG REC, the Beginning, History of Use, and Today . 1/26/04 May Day Celebrations (1889 to 1950) 3/30/02 The Sweeny Observatory (1891-1906) 12/30/01 The Casino in the Park (1881-1896) 12/29/01 The Aviary (1892-1930) 11/17/01 The proposals of William Hammond Hall, the first Park Superintendent
The Park Then and Now A history of the Park as told in postcard from 1900 on.	The Archives of old photos
Until the Zoo was established on Sloat, the park served as the city "Menagerie." The story of Monarch the Grizzly Bear Initially the Park was gated and closed at sunset. Citizens patitioned the Commission to leave the Park open evenings and the resolution for a time was to open the Park on moonlit nights only. A related article from the The San Francisco WASP April 30, 1881 Back to Home Page	References in Print