Baker Beach may be the most scenic beach in San Francisco — a postcard-worthy view of both the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge — but the beach also has plenty of San Francisco history. A recent search in The Chronicle archives turned up dozens of negatives showing San Franciscans enjoying the beach during the mid to late 20th century, as well as Chronicle stories about notable events at the beach — including one deadly one.

The beach was originally known as Baker’s Beach, named in 1866 for the Baker family, who owned a dairy farm in the area.

“An almost unknown nook with an ideal climate for fine bathing,” a reporter wrote in a Sept 1, 1889, Chronicle story. “Right in the entrance of the Golden Gate, where the surf beats most furiously over the bar, and trade winds howl past the crags of Lobos and Bonitas points, there is a little bay which has escaped the notice of all save a few campers.”

The beach, like others in San Francisco, can be sparsely populated during the foggy summer, but when the fog takes a break and the temperature rises, city dwellers flock to the beaches. On such a warm day in 1959, Baker’s Beach gained unwanted notoriety as the site of the only fatal shark attack in San Francisco history.

Even though the beach had signs advising against swimming because of undertow and currents, two San Francisco State students waded along the shore and swam out about 50 yards. They had been in the water about 10 minutes when Shirley O’Neill noticed her friend Albert Kogler struggling.

“She turned to look at him and saw a ‘big, black shape and what looked like a tail flip over.’” The Chronicle wrote. “It’s a shark,” Albert screamed again. “Go back. Go back.”

She swam to the beach and got a line to pull him back to shore. People on the beach helped notify the police department, but it was the Coast Guard that had the proper vehicles to climb down to the beach and back to deliver him to the hospital.

Kogler died from blood loss two hours later in the hospital. O’Neill won an award for her heroism but in the immediate aftermath she was more concerned about her friend’s soul. O’Neill, a devout Catholic, asked if she could baptize him while he was on the beach waiting for help to arrive, and did so with waters from the surf nearby.

“The first anxious question she asked her priest when she emerged from a drugged sleep yesterday afternoon was: ‘Is salt water all right for a baptism?’” reporter Arthur Hoppe wrote.

Despite earnest scientists telling The Chronicle that “man-eating” shark attacks were extremely rare, authorities closed beaches for several weeks following the attack.

While located within the Presidio, Baker’s Beach was always accessible to the public. But in 1973, it was transferred from the U.S. Army to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Picnic tables, fire rings, barbecue grates and restrooms were installed, and the parking lot was expanded. It was at this point, with little fanfare, “Baker’s Beach” became “Baker Beach.”

In more modern times Baker Beach has become known for more offbeat pastimes, including nude sunbathing on the northern part of the beach. In 1986, the first Burning Man event was held on the beach when Larry Harvey and Jerry James burned an effigy of a man on the beach during the Summer Solstice. They continued the ritual for several years until 1990, when park staff refused to let them burn “the Man” anymore. Harvey and James conducted the burn a few days later in a Nevada desert, where the event would find its full-time home.

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From the Archive is a weekly column by Bill Van Niekerken, the library director of The Chronicle, exploring the depths of the newspaper’s archive. It’s part of Chronicle Vault, a twice-weekly newsletter highlighting more than 150 years of San Francisco stories. It is edited by Taylor Kate Brown, The Chronicle’s newsletter editor. Sign up for the newsletter here and follow Chronicle Vault on Instagram. Contact Bill at bvanniekerken@sfchronicle.com and Taylor at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com.