Eells Plants Eucs
August, 2007
Eells Playhouse on 400 block of Montford in 1910.
> click to enlarge
This photo was taken in 1910 from Reed Creek looking up toward the 400 block of Montford. The land is part of Alexander Eells’ eight-acre farm between Montford and LaVerne. Note the eucalyptus trees along Montford, some of which have survived to this day.
Here is what he wrote in his diary at home in San Francisco on Monday, Jan. 1st, 1906: “Went to Millwood place on 11 o’clock train Saturday am. [Millwood was the train station on Miller Ave. at Willow St.–ed.]. Spent all Sunday in setting out the Eucalyptus trees I had taken over the week before. Set them out all along Montford Ave. and also along LaVerne Ave. above our building site. Hope they will form a hedge or screen. I had about 60 small Eucalyptus trees which just about finished the belt along Montford Ave. with a clump at a slide.”
Here is what he wrote in his diary at his Homestead Valley home on Saturday February 10th, 1910: “We have had a little playhouse built just at the far end of the bridge & Carrie & the children spend a good deal of their time there because it is so much warmer than in the large house.”
Carrie was his wife. The children in order of birth were Margaret, Helen and Harriet. Carrie and Harriet are sitting in front of the playhouse. Harriet was born at 3 am on July 29, 1906 at home in Homestead Valley with Dr. Annie Anderson of Mill Valley attending. Three months earlier, on April 21, the Eells family had fled to Homestead from their home at 1168 Haight St. which had been damaged by the earthquake.
If you have comments or questions about this article or other topics
pertaining to the history of Homestead Valley,
please feel free to e-mail Chuck Oldenburg.