A San Francisco Story

San Francisco in 1938 and 2023

I enjoyed my trip into San Francisco, and despite my trepidation in driving the van around that city with all its hills and narrow streets, I think I did surprisingly well. I had a great day, saw everything I had wanted to see, and still had time to find another dog beach where surfer dudes were doing their thing, which was fun to watch. I also did some wandering around in Chinatown and along the piers. I did manage to lose my van after finding the perfect (i.e., free and level) parking spot near Pier 33, and was in panic mode for about 45 minutes while Sadie and I searched in vain through all the winding, angled streets down by the waterfront. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Google map history just showed me walking in circles and I couldn’t tell at all where it was that I left off driving and started walking. As an aside, earlier in the day when I had parked on a narrow street, I made a deliberate mental note of what street and nearby landmarks. Why I did not do that in this case I’ll never know, except that I thought that there was no way I could miss it because it was in such an obvious and visible spot. In the end it was right where I had left it, after convincing myself that I had misread the parking signs and it had been towed. Whew!

It was late in the afternoon when I was dealing with trying to find the van and so I was pretty tired by the time I trekked across the Oakland Bay Bridge (in 5pm traffic) to my Harvest Host location, only to discover that the brewery (which is a great taproom and makes great brews) was located in an extremely sketchy part of town. As a single woman I really didn’t feel like I wanted to be alone in that neighborhood after all the wonderful brewery people left for the night. They were very understanding of my situation, so I bought some beer and then found a nice, affordable motel near the airport. By the time I got there I was exhausted and pretty much just tumbled into bed.

Sadie appreciated the couch and I appreciated having the whole bed to myself all night!

The bonus, of course, of my unscheduled stay in a hotel, was the unscheduled hot shower I enjoyed in the morning!

In 1938 Alcatraz Island was still actively housing convicted people and had been doing so since 1857. It first served as a military prison from 1857 to 1933, and went through several expansions during that period. In 1933 the island became the largest civilian maximum security federal penitentiary. Many famous criminals ended up there, including Al Capone, who was sent there in 1934 and was still there in 1938 when the Larsons were in town. It was officially closed in 1963 due to the costs of maintaining it, but it had also acquired a reputation for many abuses and scandals over the years.

Alcatraz is quite striking even today as a tourist destination. When the Larsons saw it in 1938 it was full of prisoners.

If you haven’t seen the movies Bird Man of Alcatraz (1962) or Murder in the First (1994), both of which are based on true stories and fairly well done as far as movies go (in my humble opinion), I highly recommend them.

In contrast to the federal penitentiary serving as a landmark for the city, Cliff House was all about luxury living and entertainment in San Francisco. The original construction was in 1863 and was intended to be a resort for the wealthy of San Francisco and those who came to visit. San Francisco’s population exploded after the Gold Rush, but the point on which Cliff House was built was undeveloped at the time. The first two buildings would burn down, first in 1894, and then again in 1907. The third building was built with structural steel and concrete, and opened in 1909. The original family who had built it (and rebuilt it) sold it in 1937, but Cliff House was still operational when the Larsons went to the point to see it and the beautiful view behind it.

The Oakland Bay Bridge is an impressive structure several miles long that was constructed in 1936, just two years before the Larsons would traverse it. At the time it broke several records for design and engineering, among them being the longest suspension bridge in the United States. When I crossed it in 2023, it was quite an experience and a still a marvel of engineering. The Bay Bridge famously collapsed in 1989 due to an earthquake, a fact not lost on me as I drove across it…

Grant Street in Chinatown was very lively the day I was there, and I even managed to parallel park the van on a rather steep incline. Yes, I used the parking brake and she was still there waiting for me when I got back!

I’m sure Chinatown was an interesting place to visit in 1938 and I can attest that it is still an interesting place to visit in 2023.

Connecting with Alex

When the Larsons got to Bakersfield on March 9, they stayed in the area for two weeks, continuing to exchange letters and postcards with the kids and family back home in Fredonia, New York, until just a couple days before they left to head home. Part of that time they spent in Los Angeles and Hollywood, a two day affair that included a trip to the races, which I’ve already talked about. Part of that time they spent touring around the beautiful mountains of the Kern River Valley, and I know they did the more mundane things like get the car serviced, laundry, and trips into downtown to see the Bakersfield sights and just hanging out and enjoying each other’s company.

In addition to all that, they also made an overnight trip to San Francisco, but I don’t believe this was a clear part of the plan until they heard from Frank Larson’s son Alex in a telegram dated March 14. The telegram was in response to a letter his brother Fred apparently sent after they had arrived in Bakersfield, inquiring whether they could come. It reads:

Dear Fred and Family received letter please come to Frisco - Al Larson

Up to that point I don’t believe it was certain that they would be seeing Al at all or going to San Francisco, and they clearly wanted to make sure it would be alright for them to head up there.

In the letter to his 15-year-old son Bill after visiting San Francisco, Fred described their time there as follows:

Bill we had some time today at Frisco. Went thru China Town last nite. Saw the city by nite from the top of a hill. Saw Alcatraz where they keep all the tough guys. It rained for 20 days in Frisco and we ran into a lot more water and washouts. The Frisco bridge is 8 1/2 miles long and cost 77 million. Was also went up to the Cliff House and saw the sea lions. Left Frisco at 2:30 this p.m. and drove to Bakersfield 325 miles and got in at 9 o’clock. Some drive. Am going to bed.

Leaving at 2:30 p.m. and arriving in Bakersfield at 9 a.m.??? The way Fred describes it, it sounds like he was the only driver, but we don’t know that for sure. Perhaps someone else drove the early part of the trip and then Fred took over when it got dark. This is an example of how this family pushed themselves to get the most out of their trip. Driving 325 miles on small roads all night through the mountains between San Francisco and Bakersfield took them 18 hours. Seems pretty incredible to think about! But let’s not forget that Fred was a seasoned ambulance driver and was used to going all sorts of places in the middle of the night. He did get into the occasional accident, one of which was very serious a few years earlier back near Limestone, but all in all he was used to long haul night time driving. I assume part of the reason it took him all night was because he probably pulled over to take cat naps every so often. After all, he had four close family members he was personally responsible for while he was driving. While on my own adventure to the west coast, I have no desire to follow in those footsteps and do any nighttime driving!

But what is also remarkable to me is that there is no mention of spending any time with Alex in Fred’s letter. When Frank and Emma drove out to California to see Jane and Alex in 1926, there are numerous pictures taken of the family together. There are no pictures of Alex taken in 1938, but there are several pictures of the Bakersfield family taken that year. I have very little evidence to suggest that Jennie in Bakersfield stayed connected much with her brother up in San Francisco, and I’m thinking that maybe she didn’t, for reasons that may become more clear below.

This is a picture of Alex taken during Frank and Emma’s trip to California in 1926. Alex is on the far left, followed by Emma, Alex’s wife Margaret (pretty sure), Frank, and Alex’s stepson Frank (pretty sure). I believe Alex and Margaret had baby Marian that year, which could be the reason Frank and Emma decided to visit. Pure speculation on my part, but it does make sense.

Florence told my mother Alex was the “black sheep” of the family. Why would she say that? Who was Alex and what changed between the 1926 and 1938 visits?

Alex was born in July 1889, and grew up in Limestone. As a teen he worked at his father Frank’s grocery store, but sometime around 1915 he made his way out to California, specifically San Francisco. He may have gone out with his sister Jennie and brother Walt when they went out to prospect, but we can’t be sure and have no pictures to verify it. Once there, he settled into life in San Francisco, serving honorably in WWI as a cook from April 20, 1917 to February 10, 1919. He was about 5 foot 6 inches and weighed about 140 pounds according to his WWII registration card. He had a tattoo on each arm, perhaps acquired while he was serving in the military.

He was living at 316 1/2 Bartlett Street in San Francisco when he enlisted, and he would still be living there when he died in 1948.

I decided to sprinkle some of Jay’s ashes on Alex’s grave when I visited. He had few friends or family looking out for him by the time he died, and I just thought he and Jay might hang out together so that Alex won’t be alone.

For his honorable service he received a military funeral and is buried in the Golden Gate National Cemetery.

In March, 1918, while he was serving in the Army, Alex must have been granted leave because he married Margaret Manning, an Irish girl who grew up in California, on March 23 in the Lutheran Church. This marriage had been in the planning for quite some time, with Margaret and Alex getting a marriage license issued on August 17, 1917, after he had enlisted but before he was sent overseas. For the actual marriage certificate issued in March 1918, Alex listed his residence as the Presidio in San Francisco, which was the largest Army installation on the west coast at that time, and his occupation was listed as “soldier.”

Although there are a number of inconsistencies in names, dates, and birthdays in the 1920 and 1930 census records, I think I can piece together the following: After Alex was discharged from the Army, he and Margaret settled on Natoma Street in San Francisco, but by 1930 they would be back at the Bartlett Street address. In the 1920 census Alex is listed as a dry goods salesman, which makes sense because he did work in his father’s grocery in Limestone for a time. In 1930 Alex is listed as a “laundry marker” for his occupation. I’m not sure exactly what that is, but in the 1930’s laundry was a whole different process and perhaps he worked in a dry cleaners or other professional laundry service. The 1930 census also shows Alex living with someone named Annie, who is identified as his wife. This is a bit confusing because the children in the house in 1930 included his stepson Frank, who we know was Margaret’s son. There is also a little girl Marian living there and she was 4 at the time, which suggests that she was Alex and Margaret’s daughter and was born around 1926 when Frank and Emma made their visit. Misprint? Were they separated at the time and someone named Annie was in the home? Hard to tell because Margaret (who appears also to have gone by Marjory sometimes) was clearly living at the Bartlett Street address according to other available records in different years in the 30’s and 40’s and I don’t think they ever got divorced although they would not stay together.

The beige building is 316 Bartlett Street. Hard to tell how close this is to what the building looked like in 1938 or while Alex was living there for most of his life between 1917 and 1948. No doubt serious renovations have occurred over the last 75 years.

The residence at 316 Bartlett Street served as the primary residence for not only Alex and Margaret, but also his stepson Frank, and Frank’s biological father Joseph Karl. Yes, you read that right. Apparently Frank’s stepfather and biological father and his mother were all sharing the same apartment. Were they all living together there at the same time, or were they coming and going? No way to know.

In February, 1940 Frank was with Joseph Karl at the Bartlett Street home when his father apparently had a heart attack (Who really knows, but I’m speculating this because the coroner’s report suggests that he was complaining of pain in his arm and chest earlier in the day). The coroner’s report states that his “divorced wife visited him at 1:00 and again at 3:50.” This seems to suggest that she was not living there at the time, but then the same coroner’s report lists her as a witness who resided at the Bartlett Street address with Frank. Confusing! Where was Alex when all this was going on? Maybe he and Margaret were separated for a time? Possible, but two years later in 1942 Alex again listed his address at Bartlett Street when he filled out his WWII draft registration card.

I have been unable to find the 1940 census that would show us where Alex was living then, so I can’t be sure where he was living or whether he was together with Margaret in 1938 when his family visited. It is also unclear what his occupation might have been during that time. There are some records suggesting that he tried a stint as a real estate professional. Based on what we know about his downward trajectory, I doubt that this would have been a successful career move. Given the uncertainty of the visit in 1938, and Fred’s tentative inquiry as to whether they should come, I’m guessing that he and Margaret may have been having troubles or were separated at that time. That said, Fred did include two pictures of Marian posing in a ballerina outfit in his scrapbook, so it seems they may have seen her but it isn’t clear.

This sweet picture of Alex’s daughter Marian was in my grandfather’s scrapbook. She would have been about 12 years old when they visited.

The San Francisco paper trail is inconsistent and difficult to piece together. Still working on sorting everything out.

In any case, after the 1938 visit, things continued to go downhill for Alex. In 1948 he was still living on Bartlett Street, but his wife, daughter and stepson had moved to a place on Noe Street. Here is how the coroner’s report described the case:

HISTORY OF CASE (supposed facts to be proven at inquest):

The deceased resided at 316 1/2 Bartlett Street. According to information received, Mrs. Larson lived with her daughter at 1071 Noe St., and the dec. is supposed to have been sick for 2 months, probably due to malnutrition resulting from excessive drinking. He had been in bed for about 2 mos. complaining only of weakness. On 4/26/48, a tenant in the deceased’s home, Sid Vermillian, called Emergency Service and the deceased was admitted to Mission Emerg. Hosp. at 3:01 p.m. 4/26/48. diagnosis: malnutrition and overexposure. At 3:55 p.m. 4/26/48 he was admitted to Ward E, San Francisco Hosp. He died at 10:45 p.m. 4/27/48. from possible poisoning of unknown etiology. According to information from the hospital, dec. was not comatose when admitted, but refused to give any history. History was given by the family that dec. had been using large quantities of acetanilid, Bromo Seltzer and “nervine.” Dr. Gorman, of the hospital staff, stated that although this appeared to be a case of poisoning of some type, it didn’t appear to be food poisoning.

The coroner’s report lists his weight as 113, almost 40 pounds less than what he reported when he filled out his WWII registration card six years earlier in 1942.

My quick and dirty “research from the road” on acetanilid didn’t turn up much, but apparently once it was developed in the 19th century it was used as an analgesic, or pain killer, in medicine for a number of years. Although effective, it was discovered to be highly toxic, causing damage to liver and kidneys, and is banned from being used for medicinal purposes. Bromo Seltzer, on the other hand, was developed in the late 1800’s and was sold as a cure for headaches and also heartburn well into the 1960’s. Because of its sedative effect, it was a popular hangover medicine, providing some evidence that Alex was drinking and then trying to mask the effects of the drinking in order to function. Bromo Seltzer eventually became banned due to the toxicity and poisonous nature of its ingredients. The third item identified by Margaret, “nervine,” was also a sedative that used bromide, the same primary ingredient in Bromo Seltzer. It was thought to calm nervousness and jitters. Any one of these would have been dangerous in large quantities, but all three? Poor Alex must have been desperately crying out for help that wasn’t available and just wanted to find peace in body and spirit.

Here again we have an example of someone who was in extreme distress and needed help to overcome his addiction to alcohol and the mental illness of depression that almost certainly went with it. In a departure from the quick end that his brother Walter sought out in Mobile and also his nephew in Bakersfield, Alex seems to have been a tortured soul for a very long time, and so lived out his life self-medicating with alcohol, then countering the effects of the alcohol with the over-the-counter quack substances that were toxic and poisonous. These substances may have been effective tranquilizers in the sense that they settled his stomach, allowed him to sleep, and calmed his nerves, but they were not effective at helping him overcome his dependency. Alcoholics Anonymous was started in the late 1930’s, but it isn’t clear how far it had spread during the time it might have been most helpful to Alex. There was also a shift occurring within the medical field after World War II that began to see alcoholism as a disease, but not enough was understood about withdrawal symptoms, such as delirium tremens. Alex’s use of the toxic tranquilizers may have been the result of his attempts to combat the DTs and other symptoms as he tried to gain control over his illness. Nothing is certain, but it is clear that Alex probably suffered for a very long time, and may have been on the edge of his long and final decline when the family showed up in 1938.

As time went on, the cycle of excessive drinking, followed by excessive use of tranquilizers to calm his body and provide relief, accelerated, getting worse and worse, until Margaret had had enough and moved out of the house with Marian and Frank, leaving Alex all alone in his misery and sickness. It took a boarder to seek help for him, but by that time it was way too late, and he didn’t last 2 days in the hospital. It is revealing that although he was not comatose and was apparently conscious and capable of speech, he “refused” (according to the hospital report) to provide any information. I’m sure the shame of what he was experiencing and feeling must have been staggering by the end and the last thing he wanted to do was tell the doctors what he had been doing. But Margaret knew what had been going on, and probably didn’t know how to help because it had been going on for so many years.

Addiction is an ugly beast that has wrecked many families. And so Alex died alone in the hospital, wasted away to a thin sliver of his former self.

I’m ending this article on this rather sad and somber note, but I did want to tell the story of Alex as best I could with the information I have. He deserves our respect and to be remembered for his dignity and the struggle that he endured for so many years. And so we say goodbye, and rest well (with Jay by your side).

Alex Larson, in happier times.