Sans Souci Valley

You are walking through an area historically known as Sans Souci Valley. The name is a French phrase meaning without worry, a whimsical title for a place that was once a remote, wind-swept expanse of sand dunes. In the mid nineteenth century, this valley was a rough, difficult landscape that separated the Mission District from the Presidio. During the intense winter storms of eighteen sixty-one and eighteen sixty-two, the valley gained a more dramatic reputation. Locals believed a small lake near the intersection of Fulton and Divisadero Streets overflowed, sending a torrent of water that surged through the dunes. This deluge was said to have carved deep paths through the sandy terrain and caused significant damage to nearby properties. A roadhouse of the same name, the Sans Souci Roadhouse, once stood as a landmark near this watery scene, providing a refuge for those brave enough to traverse the windswept wilderness. By the eighteen seventies, the valley was largely graded and developed, burying much of its wild, watery history beneath the city streets you see today.