Welcome
The Hundred Vara Society is a volunteer-run club of historians, archivists, and collectors dedicated to documenting and preserving the heritage of San Francisco's South of Market district -- known historically as "South of the Slot" and officially designated the 100 Vara Survey in 1847.
Our members maintain private collections of photographs, maps, city directories, business records, and oral histories relating to the neighborhood's working-class residents, industrial enterprises, and commercial establishments from the 1860s through the present day. Collectively, our holdings are particularly strong in the pre-1906 period, the reconstruction era, and the wholesale and light manufacturing trades that characterized the district through most of the twentieth century.
About the Name
In 1847, surveyor Jasper O'Farrell was commissioned to extend San Francisco's boundaries southward from Market Street. He laid out the new district in blocks of 100 varas square (a vara being a Spanish unit of measurement equal to approximately 33 inches). The resulting "100 Vara Survey" created the distinctive street grid -- set at an angle to the older pueblo streets -- that defines South of Market to this day.
The Society was founded in 1953 by a group of longtime residents and business owners concerned with preserving the district's history as redevelopment pressures began to transform the neighborhood.
Collections
Among our members' holdings:
- Over 3,000 photographs dating from 1858 to the present
- San Francisco city directories, 1861-1982 (incomplete)
- Business records from 47 South of Market firms
- Maps and insurance atlases
- Oral history transcripts (interviews conducted 1971-1989)
- Newspaper clippings and ephemera
Note: Materials are held in private collections throughout the Bay Area. Research requests are circulated among members who may hold relevant materials. Photocopies and scans can be provided for a fee of $3.00 per page, plus postage.
Research Request Form
Use this form to submit a research inquiry. Your request will be circulated to members who may hold relevant materials. Please allow 2-4 weeks for a response. For complex requests, a research fee may apply.
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Membership: Annual membership is $35 for individuals, $50 for households. Members receive our occasional newsletter, The Slot, and invitations to lectures and walking tours. To inquire about joining, use the form above.
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