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Was There Ever An Exotic Zoo In Glen Canyon?

From the San Francisco Chronicle, July 18, 1897. Courtesy of the San Francisco Public Library, Articles and Databases.
Map of the proposed Mission Park and Zoological Gardens in Glen Park, drawn by Berkeley landscape architect George Hansen for the realty firm Baldwin & Howell in July, 1897.

KALW listener Richard Goldman wanted to know if there was ever an exotic zoo in Glen Canyon, and whether there was a railroad that connected the canyon to downtown San Francisco. 

Today, Glen Canyon is a preserved open space surrounded on all sides by the urban bustle of San Francisco — but that wasn't always the case.

To find out just what this "monkey ranch" actually looked like, we sent reporter Jesse Rhodes to dig up the answer. Click the audio player above to hear the answer. 

Got a question for Hey Area? Ask it here.

This story first aired in September of 2017.

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