Mount Davidson is the highest of the hills in San Francisco.
It was recognized as a park in the year 1929. “The sum of $15,000 was appropriated by the city to purchase and preserve 20 acres of Sutro's forest for a park in 1927 with the support of Mayor Rolph (who served four terms and would become governor) and the first woman elected to the Board of Supervisors, Margaret M. Morgan. The land was dedicated as a city park on the 84th birthday of Park Superintendent John McLaren in 1929” (Proctor).
Mount “Davidson” was named in 1910 after George Davidson, at the request of the Sierra Club to honor him and his scientific achievements (Proctor).
The Cross serves as a memorial of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-16. The Armenian Genocide occurred when the Turkish Ottoman Empire decided to exterminate 1.5 million Armenians from their homeland (2022 Council of Armenian Americans of Northern California).
There have been 4 Crosses in total. The first 3 were made out of wood and other materials that led to the destruction of the monuments via arson and other conditions. The one that stands today is made of concrete and steel. “The concrete cross atop Mt. Davidson, erected in 1934, was one of a series of five crosses built during the Depression using donations. In 1997, San Francisco voters approved the monument’s sale to the Council of Armenian-American Organizations of Northern California” (San Francisco Recreation and Parks)
“On July 21, 1997, the .38 acre site of the cross is auctioned to the highest bidder: the Council of Armenian Organizations of Northern California. Voters overwhelmingly approve Proposition F on November 4, 1997” (Proctor).
