SF West History, April–June 2015) George R. Stanton, center, with friends and dogs after rabbit hunting in the Sunset sand dunes. Possibly Charlie Williams on left., circa 1917 -
On January 5, 1984, George Stanton wrote a letter of condolence to the widow of Harry Wallenberg. After sharing memories of her husband, Stanton told stories of his childhood in the sand dunes of the Sunset and Parkside Districts in the early twentieth century. Mr. Stanton had told similar tales to Mary Ada Williams for her book Parkside Pranks and Sunset Stunts. Stanton, who was born in 1899, played minor league baseball before joining the San Francisco Police Department. He passed away in 1987. Our thanks to WNP member Bob Wallenberg for letting us share some excerpts from the letter.
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Sunset District pioneer and benefactor.
Carl Larsen: The Gentle Dane
by Lorri Ungaretti
(Originally published in the WNP Member Newsletter, Spring 2009.) Carl Larsen s Chicken Ranch facing the Sunset District sand dunes around Noriega Street and 17th Avenue, circa 1900., 1900 -
In the late 1800s, many speculators began buying land in the Sunset District. By the early twentieth century, landowners in the area included Michael deYoung, Fernando Nelson, and Adolph Sutro. But one of the largest land owners, Carl Larsen, also had other ties to the district.
Larsen did not live in the Sunset District, but he owned a business and a lot of land in the area. Sometimes called the Gentle Dane, he donated land for parks in the Sunset and probably would have given more to his city, but underhandedness after his death prevented any further gifts.