What Are Archeologists Finding At The Sutro Dig Site- An Interview with Archaeologist Tim Spillane

Описание: San Francisco based archaeologist Tim Spillane along with archaeologists from the National Park Service are excavating the remains of a late-19th century amusement park known as Merrie Way. The park was called Merrie Way by its founder Adolph Sutro, who filled it with amusement rides used in the 1894 Midwinter Fair in Golden Gate Park. Sutro, then mayor of San Francisco, incorporated the rides into the opening of his newly constructed Cliff
House, Sutro Baths, and a scenic railroad around Land's End. Between the Ocean Terrace railroad station and the Baths along Lobos Avenue a series of concession stands offered food and services to the public. The amusement park and its "stands" lasted around 15-20 years before they were eventually dismantled and the public began to gravitate to the flatlands below the Cliff House on Ocean Beach with the construction of other amusement areas like the Chutes-at-the-Beach in 1913 and finally, Playland at the Beach in 1928.

In 2011 the location of the old Merrie Way will become the park Land's End Lookout visitor center. To preserve the artifactual history of this early amusement ground, Spillane and Park archaeologist Leo Barker will be conducting public excavation programs Monday through Saturday between May 16 and June 11, 2011. Come visit and learn about the historical archeology of Land's End, or join the work and participate in the study of a part of old San Francisco.