Outside Lands
Encyclopedia
Outside Lands was the name used in the 19th century for the present-day Sunset District
in San Francisco, California
. With few roads and no public transportation, the area was covered by sand dunes and was considered inaccessible and uninhabitable. Today, after extensive development, the area is home to Golden Gate Park
, Ocean Beach
, and a well-developed neighborhood.
in February 1848 ceded it to the United States
. The area was U.S. Government land at the time of the Gold Rush
. The City and County of San Francisco, which was growing rapidly, desired the land and petitioned for it in the 1850s. After years of court battles, the U.S. Government declared the area part of San Francisco in 1866. In 1866, the federal government upheld the city’s title to the Outside Lands against claims of squatters. During the course of lengthy litigation over the Outside Lands, local politicians, led by Frank McCoppin
and other citizens, rallied for establishment of a public park in the western quarter of the city. A supervisorial committee subdivided the Outside Lands and proposed an arrangement whereby squatters could donate a portion of their claims for a public park in return for clear title to the remainder of their lands. The proposal won McCoppin the Mayor’s office, and gained the approval of the state legislature.
Parks in the City of San Francisco.” Soon after, the newly-formed park commission advertised bonds to fund park improvements. Enough bonds were sold to finance a topographical survey of Golden Gate Park and its approach. Surveyor and engineer William Hammond Hall
won the contract to survey park land, completed his report on February 15, 1871, and in August that year was appointed as engineer of the park. Initial work completed in 1871 included grading, fencing, drainage and irrigation work, and development of a park nursery. The following year, 22,000 hardy and quick growing trees were planted, park roads built, and visitors began to arrive by the thousands.
Sunset District, San Francisco, California
The Sunset District is a large neighborhood in the west-central part of San Francisco, California, United States.-Location:The Sunset District is the largest district within the city of San Francisco. Golden Gate Park forms the neighborhood's northern border, and the Pacific Ocean forms its...
in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. With few roads and no public transportation, the area was covered by sand dunes and was considered inaccessible and uninhabitable. Today, after extensive development, the area is home to Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
, Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Ocean Beach is a beach that runs along the west coast of San Francisco, California, United States, at the Pacific Ocean. It is adjacent to Golden Gate Park, the Richmond District and the Sunset District. The Great Highway runs alongside the beach, and Cliff House and the site of the former Sutro...
, and a well-developed neighborhood.
History
Like all of California, the Outside Lands were a Mexican possession until the Treaty of Guadalupe HidalgoTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is the peace treaty, largely dictated by the United States to the interim government of a militarily occupied Mexico City, that ended the Mexican-American War on February 2, 1848...
in February 1848 ceded it to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The area was U.S. Government land at the time of the Gold Rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
. The City and County of San Francisco, which was growing rapidly, desired the land and petitioned for it in the 1850s. After years of court battles, the U.S. Government declared the area part of San Francisco in 1866. In 1866, the federal government upheld the city’s title to the Outside Lands against claims of squatters. During the course of lengthy litigation over the Outside Lands, local politicians, led by Frank McCoppin
Frank McCoppin
Frank McCoppin was the first Irish-born Mayor of San Francisco. He was married in 1862 to Elizabeth Bird Van Ness in San Francisco, thereby becoming the son-in-law of former mayor James Van Ness.McCoppin was a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary from 1851 until he emigrated to the United States...
and other citizens, rallied for establishment of a public park in the western quarter of the city. A supervisorial committee subdivided the Outside Lands and proposed an arrangement whereby squatters could donate a portion of their claims for a public park in return for clear title to the remainder of their lands. The proposal won McCoppin the Mayor’s office, and gained the approval of the state legislature.
Creation of Golden Gate Park
On April 4, 1870, the state legislature passed “An Act to provide for the improvement of PublicParks in the City of San Francisco.” Soon after, the newly-formed park commission advertised bonds to fund park improvements. Enough bonds were sold to finance a topographical survey of Golden Gate Park and its approach. Surveyor and engineer William Hammond Hall
William Hammond Hall
William Hammond Hall was a civil engineer who was the first State Engineer of California, and designed Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA.After serving with the U.S...
won the contract to survey park land, completed his report on February 15, 1871, and in August that year was appointed as engineer of the park. Initial work completed in 1871 included grading, fencing, drainage and irrigation work, and development of a park nursery. The following year, 22,000 hardy and quick growing trees were planted, park roads built, and visitors began to arrive by the thousands.