Go take the survey, you can always come back to the Howler later:
http://www.phdgbdsurvey.org/

Okay, when you were taking that survey, did you notice the kind of amazing map of micro-mini-neighborhoods?

I’m looking at you, “Baja Dogpatch,” pick a name. A divided house cannot stand.

* “gritty Dogpatch” is a thing. Please consider a new adjective.

Archival: Meet the Spencer House

Uppercasing says:

The John Spencer House was built in about 1895 (it’s hard to say for sure; the city’s building records burned in 1906), and is a shining, brilliant relic of Queen Anne architecture.

Let’s go to the directories! Where do we first see Mr. John Spencer?

1881:

Spencer John C., artificial flowers and feathers, 1024 Market, r. NW cor Mason and O’Farrell

1024 Market is where Machine Coffee & Deli is today.

Only a few years later, the store has a slightly more interesting name:
1887:

Spencer John C., proprietor The Wonder Flower and Feather Store, 1024 Market, r. 2618 Market

Eventually, hats!
1891:

Spencer John C. proprietor
The Wonder Hat Flower and Feather Store, 1024 Market, r. 225 Castro

225 Castro is just a quick trip on the F line away, or a half hour plus walk.

1894 saw an an expansion of business: the store address was listed as 1024-1026-1028 Market, but Mr Spencer still lived at 225 Castro.

Finally, in 1896, we see Mr. Spencer in his new home:

Spencer John C., proprietor The Wonder Hat, Flower and Feather Store, 1024-1026 Market, r. NE cor Baker and Haight

In 1897, it looks like Mr. Spencer took on a partner, but Spencer himself is finally listed at 1040 Haight.

Spencer & Mitau (John C. Spencer and Morris Mitau) proprietors The Wonder, 1026 Market

Spencer John C. (Spencer & Mitau) r. 1040 Haight

By 1899, the shop had condensed to 1026 Market. In case you’re wondering, Morris Mitau lived at 2226 Clay.

John is listed in the 1905 and 1907 directories at 1080 Haight, but in 1908, James Costello, seeming president of O’ Connor, Moffatt & Co, has the residence, and Mr. Spencer has moved to 2140 Vallejo. O’ Connor, Moffatt & Co was later acquired by Macy’s and became Macy’s West.

This is possibly on the heels of being “burned out” by the 1906 fire, as is written up in Volume 7 of the Illustrated Milliner:

The full extent of the terrible tragedy at San Francisco can never be fully realized by any but those who passed through this awful calamity. … The entire life work and savings of many a deserving woman, who has struggled against all forms of adversity, was represented in the loss of some of their millinery shops.

The shop moves around a bit on Mission and Van Ness, but then in 1920, Alice Spencer is listed at the widow of John Spencer. An Arthur E Spencer is listed at the same address, married to a Nina, and as the manager of Wonder Millinery.

Looking for the Wonder Millinery finds it in the 26 April 1894 San Francisco Call:

. Strangely, it looks like there might be a separate “Wonder” millinery (small m) around the same time.

The Illustrated Milliner is a pretty awesome magazine.

In 1922 the Wonder Millinery is still at 930 Market, but Arthur E Spencer isn’t listed as a manager or milliner, but an engineer. He might not even be the same Arthur. I’d say it’s safe to say that the Spencer feather and hat empire had come to a close.

Armed Robbery:
On April 13th at 11:00 pm, officers responded to the 600 block of 22nd St. to a call of a robbery. They met with the two victims, ages 29 and 39. The victims told the officers that they were at a party in the area and stepped outside to smoke a cigarette. As the victims were listening to music from one of their smart phones, they were approached by two suspects. One of the suspects pointed a handgun at the victims and demanded all of their property. The victims, fearing for their lives, gave up their personal belongings which included a purse, laptop bag, and cell phone. The suspects then went through the victims’ pockets and took additional items. The suspects then fled on foot, east on 22nd. The officers searched the area for the suspects but were unable to locate them that night. This incident is under investigation. (SFPD Case No.
130303471)

As a good-neighbor measure the AIC should really install some cameras that cover the blocks around their building.

But the work! “Creatures from the Deep” by Arline Fisch is lovely and exciting. Unfortunately, having the jellyfish cordoned off in a single space reduced their three dimensionality — they would have been well served to be installed at multiple heights in individually navigable groups.

“Accomodation” by Rebecca Hutchinson is an installation constructed in-place. The sculptural work was beautiful and seemed to be organic and alive, but also suffered from feeling pressed into a corner.

The real star of the show was “A Sculptural Odyssey, 1968-2011” by Michael Cooper, being a stunning exploration of the fetishization of machine — automotive forms reinterpreted into abstractions, surreal larger-than-life handguns, and impossible chairs and conveyances that seem all-but-real. The artist’s work is simultaneously grotesque and sublime: perfectly expressed three dimensional collages.

If you miss the free admission this weekend, the regular admission is $8 — but it might be worth it just to avoid having to wade through intense crowds. Then again, with such strong work, there is a chance that they will be mobbed every weekend. This museum could be the new anchor for the neighborhood.

So, what night is the Dogpatch Art Walk (Dogpatch Art Bark?) each month? Are there enough galleries, studios, and museum to make that work?

The Bold Italic says:

Behind a nondescript door in Dogpatch, Jason Munchausen is trying to revolutionize the way we breathe – one jar at a time.

…

What drives an otherwise successful guy to leave his job as the start-up coordinator at a start-up that incubates start-ups in its start-up incubator and then launches new start-ups to chase a crazy dream of handcrafting fine American air? “There was a need, really,” Jason says. “I mean, where I grew up, in the Midwest, there was one kind of air. You either breathed it or you didn’t. And then when I moved out here, I guess expecting to find, like, a thousand different kinds of air, no dice. Just the same air.” Jason started experimenting with different blends, compositions, and testing them out on his friends and his 12 roommates.

Oh, and when that Subway Sandwiches franchise opens in Potrero Launch, we will be running a special Dogpatch Dealz™ coupon. I forgot to mention that before, but it’s pretty cool.

Really, though, it was ads or a paywall, so you get in-article ads like this:

I cannot thank you enough for reading and spending the time to decipher the jokes in my silly headlines.

What can we find out about Tom’s Drydock? grepping for that address in a few Polk city directories yields the following list of businesses:

1929 CLOTHING DEALERS — MEN’S AND BOY’S — RETAIL: Peterson Bros (Fred L (Annie I) and Frank O) clo
1935 Bruno Anthony (Cath) restr
1936 Antone restr
1936 Bruno Tony (listed two ways)
1937 Martinelli Hugo (Iole) restr
1939 Garcia Jos restr 628 20th
1939 Antonio Bruno restr 632 20th
1940 Bruno Antonio
1942 Crenshaw Eliz restr 628 20th
1942 Olympia Cafe 600 20th

Once the directories started including reverse address lookups, we can much more easily get a picture of the block:
1952

600 Olympia The liquors MA13798
602 1/2 Paul’s Smoke Shop
624 Lejon Restr UN31389
628 Drydock The liquors KL23603
632 Victory Cafeteria restr KL20148

The reverse lookup directories also list the cross streets. Out east of Illinois there are a few paper streets that never really got put into place. (Michigan runs through the storage lot)
1962 by address:

20TH — From the bay west, 3 south of Mariposa
Massachusetts intersects
Delaware intersects
Louisiana intersects
Georgia intersects
Michigan intersects
501 Industries Commissaries Co MA1-3545
Illinois intersects
necor Bethlehem Steel Co (ship bldg div) MA1-3545
600 Olympia The tavern MA1-3798
602 Paul’s Smoke Shop UN1-1128
616 Main Mast The tavern MA1-6774
624 Lejon Restr
628 Doug’s Dry Dock (Douglas Johnson) tavern KL2-3603
632 Ole’s Lunch restr

1972

600 Olympia Cafe and Tavern 621-3796
602 1/2 Ortega’s Smoke Shop 861-1128
616 Main Mast The tavern 621-9044
628 Doug’s Dry Dock tavern 552-3603
632 Ole’s Lunch 621-9203

1977 / 1978

600 Olympia The cocktail lounge 626-2031
604 Jim’s Smoke Shop tobacco shop 626-1940 / 626-6750
616 Main Mast The tavern 863-7023
628 Doug’s Dry Dock tavern 552-3603
632 Arturo’s Restaurant 863-2484

It looks like the tavern picked up Tom’s name in 1979 or 1980. The 1980 and 1982 editions of the directory look like they have nearly identical listings for the block:

1980 / 1982

600 Olympia The cocktail lounge 626-2031
602 Bialik Veronica textile designer
604 Jim’s Smoke Shop tobacco shop 626-6750
616 Main Mast The tavern 863-7023
628 Tom’s Dry Dock (Thos B Pandora) tavern 552-3603
632 Arturo’s Restaurant 863-2484

What became of Tom, of Tom’s Drydock?

The Redding Record Searchlight says:

PANDORA, Thomas, 74, passed away on January 31, 2009 at home surrounded by his wife, family and friends. Tom was born August 6, 1934 in Portland, Maine to Christian and Carolyn Pandora. Tom joined the Navy in 1952, he was in the submarine division where he did a spy mission off the coast of Russia during Korean War, and was stationed in Hawaii for 2 1/2 years. Tom left the Navy in 1959, he was discharged out in San Francisco and remained there where he worked and later owned Tom’s Dry Dock on 22nd and 3rd for 28 years. It was during that time he met and married Joyce and they enjoyed 26 years together, traveling and enjoying their children and grandchildren. Tom loved to barbecue and feed friends, some of his happiest times were fixing corn beef and cabbage dinners on St. Patrick’s day and having friends and family over to help eat it. After retiring Tom developed a passion for old cars and was a member of the Golden Valley Street Rodders, CHVA, and a former member of Redding Rambling A’s. He was also a member of the Cattlemen’s Association. Tom is survived by his wife, Joyce; three sons, Marty (Arcelia), Rene, and Raymond (Rita); two daughters, Karen (Steve) and Lisa (Stan); two brothers, John and Philip; two sisters, Norma and Margaret. Numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren and nieces and nephews. Tom was a foster parent to many boys in the San Francisco area.

Tom sounds like a stand up guy.

Warrant Arrest:

On March 15th at 3:53 am, officers responded to a call of a masked suspect carrying a pick axe in the area of 20th and Pennsylvania. They searched the area and located the suspect at 17th and Connecticut. Sure enough, he had a pick axe with a large wooden handle in his possession. The suspect initially lied to the officers about his identity but later revealed his true name and admitted to having a warrant. He was placed under arrest. The suspect was booked at Bayview Station for the $10,000 narcotics warrant as well as for providing false information to an officer. (SFPD Case No. 130215365)

No word on the location of the suspect’s gold mine.

There’s a new tumblr that collects those writings, suitable for your subscription and perusal:
http://dogpatchcryptohistory.tumblr.com/

I don’t know who maintains that tumblr, but I’m a little jealous.

Blandy’s Barrel Aged Manhattan

Blandy’s Barrel Aged Manhattan from Moving Portraits on Vimeo.

Blandy’s Barrel Aged Manhattan is a manhattan cocktail aged for three months in a Blandy Madeira wine barrel. Blandy’s Aged Manhattan is a collaboration between Roland Blandy of Mobile Libations and Carl Sutton of Sutton Cellars.

For more information visit: http://mobilelibations.com/
Special thanks to:
Carl Sutton http://suttoncellars.com/
Serpentine http://serpentinesf.com/
Lee Miltier http://leemiltier.com/
Ray McKenzie http://handfulofsalt.com/
Video by Moving Portraits http://movingportraits.tv/

* I cannot say, because I was not provided with any samples. Hint hint. At least it is a nice video.