Sutro Midway
(Merrie Way, Merry Street, Mary Street, Sutro's Coney
Island, Midway Plaisance)
![](Midway%20Plaisance,%20Firth%20Wheel%201898,%20Behrman%20SU-45%20(Blaisdell)_small.jpg)
Marilyn Blaisdell Collection
"Midway Plaisance Ocean Beach, Cal 1898"
![](wheel/FW-SB-CH-2AA_small.jpg)
Courtesy of Dennis O'Rorke
John Martini (2/1/2023): Scenic railway was added after
other Merrie Way attractions, possibly summer of 1896.
![](Firth%20Wheel%20&%20scenic%20railway,%201900c,%20LE-027,C-1%20(GOGA%20Slide%20collection)_small.jpg)
Firth Wheel & scenic railway, 1900c, LE-027,C-1 (GOGA Slide collection)
![](Firth%20Wheel%20detail%20(GOGA%2080-C-127)_small.jpg)
Firth Wheel detail (GOGA 80-C-127)
![](Firth%20Wheel,%20Scenic%20Railway%20(Blaisdell)_small.jpg)
Firth Wheel, Scenic Railway (Blaisdell)
![](Merrie%20Way,%20Firth%20Wheel,%20Scenic%20Railway%20(WNP%20IMG_3729)_small.jpg)
Merrie Way, Firth Wheel, Scenic Railway (WNP IMG_3729)
More info:
https://www.outsidelands.org/merrie-way2.php
- Newspaper Clippings -
![](The%20Evening%20Mail%20-%20Dec%2012%201894.jpg)
The Evening Mail - Dec 12 1894
![](Visalia%20Times%20Delta%20-%20Jan%2016%201895.jpg)
Visalia Times Delta - Jan 16 1895
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Apr%203%201895.jpg)
The San Francisco Call - Apr 3 1895
Reconstruction of the Firth Wheel
![](../../history/1895/San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%2010%20July%201895%20amusements.jpg)
San Francisco Call - 10 July 1895
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Oct%209%201895.jpg)
The San Francisco Call - Oct 9 1895
![](Wasp,%20Feb%201896_small.png)
"The Wasp" magazine, Feb 1896
![](San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%20Feb%201%201896.jpg)
San Francisco Examiner - Feb 1 1896
This story references the Midwinter Fair kiosks that Sutro purchased.
Receipts can be viewed
here and
here.
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%20Feb%2010%201896.jpg)
The San Francisco Examiner - Feb 10 1896
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Feb%2027%201896.jpg)
San Francisco Call - 27 Feb 1896, col 1
![](San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%2027%20February%201896.jpg)
San Francisco Call - 27 Feb 1896, col 5 |
![](San%20Francisco%20Chronicle%20-%20Feb%2027%201896.jpg)
San Francisco Chronicle - Feb 27 1896 |
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%20Feb%2028%201896.jpg)
The San Francisco Examiner - Feb 28 1896
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%20Mar%201%201896.jpg)
The San Francisco Examiner - Mar 1 1896 |
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Mar%201%201896.jpg)
The San Francisco Call - Mar 1 1896 |
![](../sutrobaths/newspaper/The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%20Mar%207%201896%20midway.jpg)
The San Francisco Examiner - Mar 7 1896
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Mar%2013%201896.jpg)
The San Francisco Call - Mar 13 1896
Briefly called "Sutro Coney Island"
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Mar%2031%201896.jpg)
The San Francisco Call - Mar 31 1896
(This ad runs repeatedly, at least through Apr 16 1896)
![](Marysville%20Daily%20Democrat%20-%20Apr%2030%201896.jpg)
Marysville Daily Democrat - Apr 30 1896
![](../sutrobaths/newspaper/The%20Mendocino%20Beacon%20-%20May%209%201896%20firth.jpg)
The Mendocino Beacon - May 9 1896
"The Firth wheel revolves slowly"
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Jun%2013%201896.jpg)
The San Francisco Call - Jun 13 1896
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%20Jun%2014%201896.jpg)
The San Francisco Examiner - Jun 14 1896
(tightrope walk by Professor Seal Williams)
|
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Jul%202%201896%20p7%20c3.jpg)
The San Francisco Call - Jul 2 1896, col 3 |
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Jul%202%201896%20p7%20c7.jpg)
The San Francisco Call - Jul 2 1896, col 7 |
![](San%20Francisco%20Chronicle%20-%20Jul%204%201896.jpg)
San Francisco Chronicle - Jul 4 1896
"opening of the scenic railway"
![](San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%208%20July%201896.jpg)
Illustration showing the Sutro Midway
San Francisco Call - 8 July 1896
![](San%20Francisco%20Chronicle%20-%20Jul%208%201896.jpg)
San Francisco Chronicle - Jul 8 1896 |
![](The%20St%20Joseph%20Herald%20-%20Jul%2012%201896.jpg)
The St Joseph Herald - Jul 12 1896
Last reference to the Firth Wheel in operation, Jul 1 1896
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Jul%2017%201896.jpg)
The San Francisco Call - Jul 17 1896
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Jul%2025%201896.jpg)
The San Francisco Call - Jul 25 1896
![](San%20Francisco%20Chronicle%20-%2008%20Aug%201897.jpg)
San Francisco Chronicle - 08 Aug 1897
![](Oakland%20Tribune%20-%20Aug%2014%201897.jpg)
Oakland Tribune - Aug 14 1897
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%20Mar%2031%201899.jpg)
The San Francisco Examiner - Mar 31 1899
![](San%20Francisco%20Chronicle%20-%20Apr%2013%201899.jpg)
San Francisco Chronicle - Apr 13 1899 |
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%20Apr%2013%201899.jpg)
The San Francisco Examiner - Apr 13 1899 |
![](Sacramento%20Union%20-%2017%20Nov%201907.gif)
Sacramento Union - 17 Nov 1907
Firth Wheel dismantled
![](San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%2014%20March%201911%20(firth%20wheel%20demolition).jpg)
Ffirth Wheel demolition
San Francisco Call - 14 March 1911
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Examiner%20-%20Mar%2015%201911.jpg)
The San Francisco Examiner - Mar 15 1911
![](The%20San%20Francisco%20Call%20-%20Mar%2021%201911.jpg)
The San Francisco Call - Mar 21 1911
|
|