Woody family

A collection of 20 posts

Cow Hollow

Campground for Socialists

In 1972, San Francisco's Union Street was the scene for upwardly mobile singles.

Paid-members only

Grab Bag

Grab Bag #62

Pancake palace, the big orange bridge, a new book, and bowling (again).

South of Market

The Last to Know

San Francisco stories end with the last storyteller.

Grab Bag

Grab Bag #61

A gaseous San Francisco history grab bag of hats, instant photos, and one famous recipe.

Paid-members only

Grab Bag

Grab Bag #59

Thanksgiving history Grab Bag (the Woody has Covid Edition)

Civic Center

Fighting Flu in Civic Center

The Red Cross planned one thing and got another in 1918 San Francisco.

Telegraph Hill

Telegraph Place

Having a crush on some long-gone San Francisco houses and wondering what happened to Good Children.

Grab Bag

Grab Bag #51

Three years of San Francisco Story means an over-long Grab Bag with German churches, Danish tug-of-war teams, bowling, and Woody wool-gathering.

Paid-members only

Grab Bag

Grab Bag #48

Woody goes artifact-hunting in San Francisco's past.

Grab Bag

Grab Bag #45

Super-sized San Francisco history hash of huckster cowboys, old cars, old bars, ruined mansions, hitching posts, and Lotta's fountain.

Christmas

Christmas Letter 2025

"A Christmas Carol" is a love story, especially for Woody.

Paid-members only

Grab Bag

Grab Bag #43

Emporium roof rides, the Human Jukebox, and Dianne Feinstein: a classic San Francisco Grab Bag, right?

Paid-members only

Grab Bag

Grab Bag #42

A Woody-thinking-too-much Grab Bag. You have to expect that now and then...

Cliff House

Stuck in Zero Gear

I used to walk to work daily, mixing in the 38-Geary bus now and then. But job responsibilities have had me mostly behind the wheel this year and I’m trying to find a way to get back walking. Driving is the American norm, of course. The most recent AAA

Gold Rush

Gold Rush Prefab

"Portable houses" were one solution to San Francisco's 1849 housing crisis.

Grab Bag

Two Years of San Francisco Story: Grab Bag #35

Celebrating two years of San Francisco Story with an Anchor Steam at Temple Bar, a little car polo, and a lot of gratitude.

Grab Bag

Grab Bag #33

Woody's 100th San Francisco Story heads to Eureka Valley.

Paid-members only

Grab Bag

Grab Bag #032

Love, eggs, and baseball in San Francisco.

Paid-members only

Grab Bag

Woody Grab Bag #008

A preview of Woody's San Francisco Story Annual 2022 featuring an excerpt about the larger-than-life diva, Lilian Slinkey, AKA "Madame Durini."

Grab Bag

Woody Grab Bag #001

Debut of the Woody Grab Bag, a San Francisco history hash.