In 1916, one block of Edna Street north of Monterey was closed, and relocated 200 feet to the west–the dogleg portion.
The reason? Sewer pipes. This was the low spot in the block, and you can’t argue with gravity. (This is on the route of Sunnyside’s old creek.)
When the old bit of Edna was closed in May, the Chronicle noted that Mayor “Sunny Jim” Rolph made light of the dull parochial work of signing this sort of official act, by making reference to the steam ship Edna.
The San Francisco-based steamer Edna had been seized recently in the Falklands by the British government, as it was during the Great War, and the ship had done service to their enemy, the Germans. Read more about that here, in a newspaper from the time.
Sunnyside’s Edna was named for the first child of Rudolph Mohr (1853-1928), Secretary of the Sunnyside Land Company, and many other companies, when the streets were laid out in 1891. Most of the investors wanted their own names on the streets; Mohr preferred to honor his daughter and his hometown in Germany (Hamburg). Edna Mohr later married into the Russ family.
Here is a photo taken at the intersection soon after the relocation and paving on Monterey. The new portion of Edna Street can just be seen on far left.
