It's hard to imagine cows walking up Third Street or sheep on Innes Avenue, yet a large portion of the area known today as Bayview Hunters Point was once extremely rural. Called Butchertown by locals, the neighborhood was a source of much of San Francisco's food. Over the years, it evolved into an interesting combination of residences, businesses, and industries. The area was home to slaughterhouses, tanneries, tallow works, a saddle shop, the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, numerous boat yards including the legendary Allemand Brothers Boat Repair, and the U.S. Naval operations at Hunters Point Shipyard. Alongside these entities lived thousands of residents with unique stories and lifestyles.

Author Tricia O'Brien, whose own family has deep Bayview Hunters Point roots, tells the area's story through more than 200 vintage photographs culled almost exclusively from the collections of local families and history-minded organizations. She shows readers the dramatic transformation that has occurred since the early days; the naval shipyard that once dominated the area is being redeveloped and the new Third Street light rail extension is bringing further change to the Bayview. Today, the neighborhood has its challenges, but this stirring collection is proof that the Bayview's history is an illustrious one and its spirit is strong.