Which SF neighborhood was called "butchertown" c. 1920's, and which Catholic church/s would have been located here? Thank you.

-- Gloria Delgado (gloriad@jps.net), October 12, 1998

Answers

According to Gladys Hansen's "SF Almanac," Butchertown (slaughterhouse district) was in four different places in different time periods. In the 20s, it would have been between Selby, Islais Creek Channel, San Francisco Bay and Evans.

-- dorothy (leland@dcn.davis.ca.us), October 13, 1998.

Butcher town in 1940's & 1950's was inhabited by Italians.

-- Joseph Miller (niteowl@pageplus.com), October 14, 1998.

The Sunday EXAMINER on 11/15 had an extensive article on SF neighborhood names. Here's what they had to say about Butchertown:

"How Butchertown got its name is no mystery. When San Francisco was the Wild West, slaughterhouses, meat packers, tanneries and saddle shops dominated the southeastern sector, all the way up to Townsend Street, eventually concentrating around Third and Evans in the Bayview -- then called San Francisco South.

"When Sam Jordan, 73, the former boxer now known as the mayor of Butchertown, established his historic saloon in 1959, he'd open the door onto Third Street and find steers staring him in the face.

"'Everything has moved on,' said his wife, Ruth Jordan. "Redevelopment drove out the last three slaughterhouses in 1969, The City changed the area's name and now nothing is left, save the words 'Welcome to Butchertown' etched in the sidewalk outside Sam Jordan's."

-- John Martini (John_Martini@nps.gov), November 15, 1998.

My grandmother, uncle (on the other side), and many family friends were from butchertown. As was my grandmothers gradeschool classmate, baseballs famous Lefty O'Doul. My grandma and the other Stregel girls used to talk about the cowboys riding their horses on the sidewalk on Third St. and getting between the girls and a herd of cattle heading to the slaughterhouses. The girls would stand flat against the buildings until the cattle passed and the cowboys made sure it was safe. Butchertown folks, and I guess many SF natives, even had/have a slight accent if you listen closely. Sort of a Chicago and New England hybrid in my opinion. But I'm no expert on dialect. As for location, my uncle used to say the big pastures south of butchertown, probably where Candlestick Park is now, only needed three-sided fences because the bay was one side. There were lots of Germans in butchertown as meatcutting seemed to be a trade aquired in the old country. Henry Miller, of the huge California "Miller and Lux Ranch", started in Butchertown.

-- Mark Marden (kram293@webtv.net), March 15, 2001.

My grandmothers family lived in Butchertown--Carrey was the last name and also Perret. They were French, and I agree, they had a very different accent in their speech. Has anyone done any more research on where that accent came from? I remember visiting my grandmother's sister in the 1940's and the stench was incredible!

-- Val Hoover (valhoover@msn.com), December 30, 2001.

Well,now, in my day, Butcher Town was basically near where, I believe, an Embassy Suites Hotel stands today. Roughly speaking near Grand Avenue and Highway 101. On the bay side of the highway. My first experience with Butcher Town came early in the 1950's. We sold some livestock there pigs, calves. That's when both Armor Meat Packing and Swift Meat Packing Companies were still in town. I was in the 4H then and we had the priviledge of touring Swift Packing House. Starting out in the feed lotsand progressed through the entire smear. It was an experience I'll remembe forr life.

-- Gary Greg Leach (klrlnggl@aol.com), April 26, 2002.

Thank yu one and all, forhewlping me with, "Where is Butxcher Fown."

-- (klrlnggl@aol.com), January 27, 2004.

for the past eleven years, i have been located on the north shore of islais creek, and have become essentially obsessed with the history of this area, including butcher town. older locals have described butchertown as the area surrounding islais creek, and the last rendering plant, shut down some time in the 1960's was at the current locale of the walgreens shopping center at third and evans, just across the street from the historic sam jordons. locals also say that the waters of islais creek ran red with the blood of the butchered animals for many years. as a result of my obsession, i have constructed a web page with many historical photos of butchertown- here is the url:http://www.islaiscreek.com/ButcherTownHistoricalPhoto.html (sorry, rather large web page, may take some time to load)

in addition, more photos and history of this area can be found at: http://www.islaiscreek.org/

would appreciate any feed back that you have david erickson

-- David Erickson (zabudam@pacbell.net), April 05, 2004.

My father grew up in Butchertown on Galvez near Third. He worked for James Allen & Son from the late 30's until his death in 1976. Growing up I lived in the area also, we went to Bayview Elementary, All Hallows Catholic School and of course All Hallows Catholic Church. There was alo St Paul the Shipwreck Church. Both churches were closed by the archdiocese but are now reopened and served by the Franciscan Priests. There were alot of colorful stories that my father and his friends would tell us about the area. Are the kids or grandkids of any of you out there?

-- joyce turner (joyce95126@aol.com), July 13, 2004.