Question:
In the “San Francisco Call” of August 13, 1910, George Barron, curator of the Golden Gate Park Museum is quoted ;
”Barron urged the erection of a temporary structure in which to house the two engines that were used in connection with the “steam paddy” in leveling the sand hills of San Francisco in the early fifties, and which have been offered to the park by David Hewes.”

The “Steam Paddy” in this article is a steam excavator that arrived in San Francisco in January 1851, and was instrumental in removing sand south of Market Street and filling in the mud flats of Yerba Buena Cove in the 1850s.

Can you confirm that the David Hewes “Steam Paddy” was ever part of the Golden Gate Park Museum collection?

Answer:

Golden-gate-park.com mainly focuses on current attractions and news regarding the park. I would suggest contacting someone from the deYoung Museum to verify your information. Perhaps, they can better assist you.

The contact information for the museum is:

Address:

50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
San Francisco, CA 94118

Telephone: (415) 750-3600

Email: contact@famsf.org