John Freeman

John Freeman is a native San Franciscan and a graduate of the University of San Francisco. He began his career as a history teacher in the local public schools, but his minor in mathematics quickly trumped history. He retired in 2001 after over thirty years of teaching high school math. John has now returned to his love of local history, concentrating primarily on the period of reconstruction following the earthquake and fire of 1906.


He has contributed articles on the great San Francisco contractor, Fernando Nelson for The San Francisco's Architectural Heritage Newsletter. He also has an article in the San Francisco Museum & Historical Society Quarterly, The Argonaut (Winter 2003) on The Chutes amusement park. He has also contributed on-line to the SFM&HS Encyclopedia and to the Western Neighborhood Project.

John had written an article that is available on-line. It is on the topic that John will present at the September 14, 2004 SFM&HS meeting, The Portola Festival 1909 - A Party with a Purpose.