Hassler Health Farm

Last updated
Hassler Health Farm
Hassler Health Farm
Former namesSan Francisco Health Farm (1927–1931)
Alternative namesHassler Health Home
General information
StatusDemolished
Type Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Public Hospital
Address167 Edmonds Road, San Carlos, California 94070 United States
Coordinates 37°28′35″N122°17′19″W / 37.4764911°N 122.2886004°W / 37.4764911; -122.2886004
Opened1927
Closed1964; converted into a public hospital, which closed in 1972
Demolished1985

Hassler Health Farm, formerly known as San Francisco Health Farm between 1927 and 1931, was a tuberculosis sanatorium for patients of the San Francisco Bay Area, owned by the City of San Francisco. It was located in a remote part of San Mateo County, California, in what is today San Carlos, until 1964. After the discovery of antibiotics, tuberculosis became a reduced threat, leading the building to be converted into a hospital for the poor. It was closed in 1972 and sat empty until 1985, when the buildings were demolished. [1] Today, the grounds are home to the 366-acre Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve.

Contents

History

Tuberculosis Sanatorium

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, tuberculosis became a widespread public concern, as the disease, which infects the lungs, was common among the poor. After tuberculosis was determined to be contagious, infected patients were either encouraged or forced to enter sanatoria. According to early medical exports, rest in a dry, temperate climate, surrounded by lush scenery and little stress, was thought to treat tuberculosis, along with rheumatism, asthma, and other diseases. [2] San Francisco, as a major urban center, developed a need for a location to sequester tuberculosis patients away from others. A rural site in San Mateo County, far from development and surrounded by these suggested amenities, was selected for the sanitarium. The facility opened in 1927. [3]

As the San Francisco Department of Public Health first administered the site, it was originally named the San Francisco Health Farm, although by 1931, it was known as the Hassler Health Farm. The site's namesake was Dr. Hassler, the Director of San Francisco's Board of Health in the 1910s and 1920s. [4] Over the years, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the site's capacity increased from 44 beds in 1927 to 100 beds by 1939. [5]

As part of a Works Progress Administration project funded at $100,000, [6] additional buildings were added to the campus in the early 1940s, further increasing the capacity to 260 beds. [7] John Bakewell Jr., whose other projects ranged from San Francisco City Hall to Stanford's Hoover Tower, designed the site, working alongside contractors Albert E. Mangs and Associates Pacific Construction, M. E. Vukicvich, Martinelli Construction, and R. A. McLean. Workers constructed a new kitchen and dining buildings, two ward buildings, a children's building, residences for doctors and nurses, an improved sewage system, a new water tank, and an incinerator. [1] In an attempt to support the recovery of patients, the grounds were kept pristine, with Spanish tiled roofs and big decks off the wards with lounge chairs. Friends and family members could visit patients in other rooms. Records of patients, as well as death certificates, are stored at the County Recorder's Office in Redwood City. [8]

Public Hospital

Advances in medicine in the late 1950s, including the widespread availability of antibiotics that could treat and cure tuberculosis patients, reduced the need for separate treatment facilities. In 1964, the sanatorium was closed and converted into a chronic care hospital for the poor, still under the name Hassler Health Farm or Hassler Health Home. Most patients were elderly. In 1972, the facility was closed permanently, and the buildings sat vacant until the grounds were sold to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District in 1983. [9]

Abandoned Grounds

In between the hospital's closure in 1972 and its demolition in 1985, the buildings sat idle. Limited fencing was erected around the site, but the grounds were frequently visited by local high school students who went to party. It was during this time that the site developed a local reputation for being a former ward for the mentally insane, [10] although this was never the case. [11] Local residents recall near-accidents resulting from walking on the caving-in roofs of the hospital's wards and sneaking around the grounds after large storms. In the early 1980s, a local student called into a radio program on a Friday and announced a big party was to be held at the site that night. Kids showed up, as did many police officers, who had been tipped off by the radio announcement. [12]

Among local visitors to the abandoned grounds, Jon Dunkle, locally referred to as "The Peninsula Serial Killer," evidently frequented the site. [13] Dunkle was ultimately found guilty of the murder of four teenage boys, the first of which was 15-year-old John Davies on November 8, 1981. Based on official testimony from Davies' family members, the site of the first murder was likely at the Hassler Health Farm grounds, where Dunkle had lured Davies, a family friend who would often visit the site together with Dunkle. [14]

There were various attempts to redevelop the property. In May 1975, then-San Francisco mayor Joseph Alioto suggested that the property be used as a halfway house for up to 500 Vietnamese residents following the end of the Vietnam War. [15] Members of the Redwood City Woman's Club advocated for the use of Hassler Health Farm as a rehabilitation center for female alcoholics, or male alcoholics and derelicts. [16] In November 1973, Proposition "I" was placed on the ballot for San Carlos voters, a bond that would have raised $1 million for the purchase of the property to keep it as open space. Although the site was seen as lucrative, especially since the development of the San Carlos hills, the proposition was rejected by voters. [17]

Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve

A trail sign at Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve, referencing the Hassler Health Farm and other local features. PulgasRidgeTrailSign.jpg
A trail sign at Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve, referencing the Hassler Health Farm and other local features.

Neighbors of the site approved a tax assessment in the early 1980s to help fund the purchase of the site, which was assisted by financial contributions from the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. [18] In 1983, the City and County of San Francisco officially sold the area to the open space district. [1] The sanitarium was demolished in 1985, leaving the site to be reclaimed by nature. The 366-acre grounds were opened to the public as Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve, with over 6 miles of trails, an off-leash dog area, and guided nature hikes. [18] The word Pulgas, meaning "fleas" in Spanish, comes from Rancho de las Pulgas, the Spanish land grant that encompassed the present-day site.

When the sanatorium was operating, a grove of 102 Eucalyptus trees were planted at the site. The open space district began planting native plants in 1985, and in 1997, began removing non-native plants for environmental preservation, including Eucalyptus trees. In 2007, upon hearing news of additional tree removal, neighbors in the Brittan Heights area protested the district's efforts, although they were mostly unsuccessful. Less than 42 of the original 102 Eucalyptus trees remain on the site. [19]

One trail on the property is named the Hassler Trail, and there are several physical remnants of the buildings still present today, including rock retaining walls and steps. [18] On September 1, 2007, the San Mateo County Office of Education opened the Canyon Oaks Youth Center, a community school for local youth with mental health or behavioral issues, who live at the site and attend vocational classes. [20] According to county reports, students have access to local trails on the property. [21] As of 2021, SamTrans Route 295 serves the site once a day in each direction. [22]

Notably, across Edgewood Road lies Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve. Through the 1960s, this site also had a similar purpose, first operating as the Canyon Sanatorium and later a gerontology hospital. [16] Rates were advertised as $15 per week for selected cases, [23] and for more details, interested parties were suggested to contact the Medical Director at the Flood Building in San Francisco. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Peninsula</span> Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Peninsula is a peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area that separates San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. On its northern tip is the City and County of San Francisco. Its southern base is Mountain View, south of Palo Alto and north of Sunnyvale and Los Altos. Most of the Peninsula is occupied by San Mateo County, between San Francisco and Santa Clara counties, and including the cities and towns of Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, Colma, Daly City, East Palo Alto, El Granada, Foster City, Hillsborough, Half Moon Bay, La Honda, Loma Mar, Los Altos, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Pacifica, Palo Alto, Pescadero, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Mateo, South San Francisco, and Woodside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Mateo County, California</span> County in California, United States

San Mateo County, officially the County of San Mateo, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 764,442. Redwood City is the county seat, and the third most populated city following Daly City and San Mateo. San Mateo County is included in the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley, CA MSA, Silicon Valley, and is part of the San Francisco Bay Area, the nine counties bordering San Francisco Bay. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula. San Francisco International Airport is located in the northeastern area of the county and is approximately 7 miles (11 km) south of the city and county limits of San Francisco, even though the airport itself is assigned a San Francisco postal address. The county's built-up areas are mostly suburban, and are home to several corporate campuses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmont, California</span> City in the US state of California

Belmont is a city in San Mateo County in the U.S. state of California. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, on the San Francisco Peninsula about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. Known for its wooded hills, views of the San Francisco Bay and stretches of open space, Belmont is a quiet residential community in the midst of the culturally and technologically rich Bay Area. It was originally part of Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas, is named. The city was incorporated in 1926. Its population was 28,335 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redwood City, California</span> City in the United States

Redwood City is a city on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California's Bay Area, approximately 27 miles (43 km) south of San Francisco, and 24 miles (39 km) northwest of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people to being a port for lumber and other goods. The county seat of San Mateo County in the heart of Silicon Valley, Redwood City is home to several global technology companies including Oracle, Electronic Arts, Evernote, Box, and Informatica. The city's population was 84,292 according to the 2020 census. The Port of Redwood City is the only deepwater port on San Francisco Bay south of San Francisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodside, California</span> Town in California, United States

Woodside is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula. It has a council–manager system of government. The population of the town was 5,309 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District</span>

Formed in 1972 by voter initiative, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) is a non-enterprise special district in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has acquired and preserved a regional green belt of open space land and provides opportunities for ecologically-sensitive public enjoyment and education.

Kings Mountain is an unincorporated community in San Mateo County, California, located along State Route 35 between Skeggs Point and Pise Mountain. This is about 5 miles (8 km) north of Woodside Road (SR84). In the U.S. Geological Survey, National Geographic Names Database, the area is identified only as a geographic feature of type "summit" and not as a populated place. The community is inside area code 650 and uses the Woodside ZIP Code 94062.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redwood Creek (San Mateo County)</span> River in California, United States

Redwood Creek is a 9.5-mile-long (15.3 km) perennial stream located in San Mateo County, California, United States which discharges into South San Francisco Bay. The Port of Redwood City, the largest deepwater port in South San Francisco Bay, is situated on the east bank of Redwood Creek near its mouth, where the creek becomes a natural deepwater channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve</span> Public recreation area in California, US

Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve is a public recreation area in the Santa Cruz Mountains, San Mateo County in northern California. It is managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve</span> Californian park

Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve is a regional park located in the Santa Cruz Mountains in San Mateo County, California along the San Francisco Peninsula. Its 3,137 acres (1,269 ha) and 10.4 miles (16.7 km) of trails are managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arequipa Pottery</span>

Arequipa Pottery was a type of Arts and Crafts style pottery produced in Marin County, California, in the United States from 1911 until 1918. Arequipa Pottery differs from many Arts and Crafts pottery businesses because it was produced as part of the therapy process for women recovering from tuberculosis in the San Francisco Bay Area. The pottery was also produced from local clay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Trancos Creek</span> River in California, United States

Los Trancos Creek is a creek that flows northerly from Monte Bello Ridge on the northeast slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains to its confluence with San Francisquito Creek at Stanford University in California, United States. The creek forms the boundary between northwestern Santa Clara County and southeastern San Mateo County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesnoye Sanatorium</span> Hospital in Tolyatti, Russia

Lesnoye Sanatorium is the oldest medical institution in the city of Tolyatti, Russia. Its main focus is tuberculosis treatment.

Cordilleras Creek is a 3.8-mile-long (6.1 km) northward-flowing stream originating in the Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It forms the border between San Carlos and Redwood City in San Mateo County, California, United States before entering Smith Slough where its waters course to Steinberger Slough and thence to San Francisco Bay.

The town of Colorado Springs, Colorado, played an important role in the history of tuberculosis in the era before antituberculosis drugs and vaccines. Tuberculosis management before this era was difficult and often of limited effect. In the 19th century, a movement for tuberculosis treatment in hospital-like facilities called sanatoriums became prominent, especially in Europe and North America. Thus people sought tuberculosis treatment in Colorado Springs because of its dry climate and fresh mountain air. Some people stayed in boarding houses, while others sought the hospital-like facilities of sanatoriums. In the 1880s and 1890s, it is estimated that one-third of the people living in Colorado Springs had tuberculosis. The number of sanatoriums and hospitals increased into the twentieth century. During World War II, medicines were developed that successfully treated tuberculosis and by the late 1940s specialized tuberculosis treatment facilities were no longer needed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thornewood Open Space Preserve</span>

Thornewood Open Space Preserve is a small regional park located in the Santa Cruz Mountains in San Mateo County. The park lies in the San Francisco Bay Area and is operated by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. It offers approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of hiking and equestrian trails and is dog-friendly. The Schilling Lake Trail leads to Schilling Lake, a protected wildlife habitat. This trail offers brief views of the southern San Francisco Bay, Palo Alto and surrounding cities, and the Diablo Range. From Schilling Lake, the Bridle Trail leads to Old La Honda Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam McDonald County Park</span> Park in San Mateo County, California

Sam McDonald Park, located between La Honda and Loma Mar in San Mateo County, California, United States, is operated by the San Mateo County Department of Parks. The park is 867 acres (3.51 km2) of redwood forest, mixed woods and open meadows. Trails climb up to a ridgeline with views across the Pescadero Creek valley, Butano Ridge, and the Pacific Ocean. The park includes Heritage Grove and borders Pescadero Creek County Park through which it connects to Memorial County Park, Portola Redwoods State Park, and Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Horseback riding is popular here, and many use Jack Brook Horse Camp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Mateo County History Museum</span>

The San Mateo County History Museum is located in downtown Redwood City, California. Housed inside the former courthouse built in 1910 for the San Mateo County Superior Court, the museum showcases the rich history of San Mateo County and the surrounding area. Operations and funding for the museum are by the San Mateo County Historical Association (SMCHA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firland Sanatorium</span> Hospital in Washington, United States

The Firland Sanatorium was Seattle's municipal tuberculosis treatment center. It opened on May 2, 1911, and closed on October 30, 1973.

The Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is a public open space preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The preserve is located along both sides of Bear Creek Road, west of State Route 17 and Lexington Reservoir, and mostly north and east of the Skyline Boulevard and Summit Road sections of State Route 35. It surrounds the Presentation Center, a conference and retreat facility run by the Sisters of Presentation.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Hassler Health Home - Redwood City CA". Living New Deal. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  2. ↑ Neufeld, Rob. "Visiting Our Past: Asheville was flush with a "Magic Mountain" high". The Asheville Citizen Times. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  3. ↑ "Bits of History: Photo Description". bitsofhistory.plsinfo.org. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  4. ↑ "Hog Company's Feeding Plant Under City Ban". San Francisco Chronicle . February 7, 1919. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  5. ↑ "San Francisco History - Got Questions? Archive". www.sfgenealogy.org. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  6. ↑ "Tuberculosis Center Planned For Farm". Oakland Tribune . February 23, 1937. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  7. ↑ "26 February 1941". San Francisco Chronicle . p. 10.
  8. ↑ "Hassler Health Home (site) - San Carlos, California | abandoned / shut down". wikimapia.org. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  9. ↑ Wilson, Greg (2018-04-14). "A Walk in the Woods". Walking Redwood City. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  10. ↑ "Redwood City Memories: 'How about the Insane asylum?'". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  11. ↑ Wilson, Greg (2018-04-14). "A Walk in the Woods". Walking Redwood City. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  12. ↑ "Hassler Health Home (site) - San Carlos, California | abandoned / shut down". wikimapia.org. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  13. ↑ Rowley, Lauren & Holcomb, Ashley. "Jon Scott Dunkle - Radford Univ. Department of Psychology."
  14. ↑ Brinck, Gretchen (1999). The Boy Next Door. New York, NY: Kensington, 1-365.
  15. ↑ Sundul, Duane (May 21, 1975). "Hassler Health Farms". San Mateo County Times . Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  16. 1 2 Foster, Mrs. Charles J. (1973). ""This Old House"" (PDF). Redwood City Woman's Club. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Voters Bid on Hassler". San Mateo County Times . November 15, 1973. p. 24. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  18. 1 2 3 "Pulgas Ridge Preserve". Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  19. ↑ "Eucalyptus tree removal riles local neighborhood". East Bay Times. 2007-01-08. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  20. ↑ "Canyon Oaks Youth Center - School Directory Details (CA Dept of Education)". www.cde.ca.gov. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  21. ↑ "Canyon Oaks Youth Center" (PDF). San Mateo County Government. December 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Route 295". www.samtrans.com. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  23. ↑ SFGATE, Bob Bragman (2016-02-19). "A peek at lost San Francisco - hospitals, sanitariums and institutions". SFGATE. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  24. ↑ JOURNAL OF THE OUTDOOR LIFE. 1922.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.