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Finnila's Finnish Baths

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+#REDIRECT [[Finnila's Finnish Baths]]
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-{{Article for deletion/dated|page=Alfred Finnila|timestamp=20130427220207|year=2013|month=April|day=27|substed=yes|help=off}}
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-'''Alfred August Finnila'''<ref name=ASCE>{{cite book|title=Yearbook|publisher=American Society of Civil Engineers|date=1937|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yC3yAAAAMAAJ&dq=Alfred+Finnila&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6zF-UY2eFoaw0QW62ID4Dg&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA}}</ref> (born on December 12 - deceased on September 26, 2000) was an American civil engineer, born and raised in [[San Francisco]], [[California]] in [[USA]].
-As an engineering draftsman<ref name=ASCE />, Finnila oversaw all the ironing work and half of the road work of the [[Golden Gate Bridge]], during the uplifting of the bridge's main structure in 1933–1937.<ref name=Examiner>San Francisco Examiner. May 27, 1982. No. 147, p. 2. ''Golden Gate Bridge'' - 45th anniversary of completion.</ref>  Immediately following the completion of the bridge work, the [[Art Deco]] design of the famous [[Bridge Round House]] [[diner]] was completed by Alfred Finnila at the southeastern end of the [[Golden Gate Bridge]] in 1938. <ref name=King>
-{{cite news
-  |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/place/article/Golden-Gate-Bridge-s-plaza-flawed-but-workable-3585446.php#ixzz2Q9CklCT1
-  |title=Golden Gate Bridge's Plaza Flawed but Workable
-  |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]
-  |date=25 May 2012
-  |first=John|last=King
-}}</ref><ref name=Kligman>
-{{cite web
-  |url=http://www.pgecurrents.com/2012/05/25/from-sea-to-shining-sea-pge%E2%80%99s-earley-joins-tribute-to-golden-gate-bridge/
-  |title=From Sea to Shining Sea: PG&E’s Earley Joins Tribute to Golden Gate Bridge
-  |work=Currents
-  |publisher=[[Pacific Gas and Electric|PG&E]]
-  |date=25 May 2012
-  |first=David|last=Kligman}}</ref>
-==Roots and early life==
-In 1902, Alfred Finnila's father Matti Finnila (Finnish spelling: Finnilä) immigrated from [[Kalajoki]], [[Finland]] to [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], sponsored by his brother, who owned a baking oven manufacturing business in [[Los Angeles]].  Matti's brother wrote a book called ''Moneyless Society''.  In Los Angeles, Matti Finnila learned the skill of bricklaying.  In 1906, the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|San Francisco earthquake]] inspired Matti Finnila - like many other Finns <ref name=Lutheran>[http://www.allwelcomelutheran.org/about ''Lutheran Church of the Cross'' - homepage].</ref> - to move to [[San Francisco]], to help rebuild the city.
-In [[San Francisco]], Matti Finnila met Alexandra (Sandra) Lantta from [[Ullava]], [[Finland]].  The couple married and settled to live in the San Francisco's heavily [[Finland|Finnish]]-populated [[The Castro, San Francisco|Castro District]].  Matti Finnila established a bricklaying business and in the early 1910s opened a Finnish-style sauna club, [[Finnila's Finnish Baths]], for the general public.  Matti and Alexandra Finnila had the son Alfred Finnila in 1913 and a daughter Edna Finnila (later [[Edna Jeffrey]]) in 1916. <ref name=Jeffrey>[http://forbidden.bravesites.com/edna-jeffrey Edna Jeffrey Biography - author of the novel ''Till I'm with You Again''].</ref>
-In 1919, the Finnila family opened a new bathhouse at 4032 17th Street, a half block west from the busy Castro Street.  The Finnila family owned the entire 3-4 floor building, where separate ladies' and mens sauna and massage facilities were embedded in the basement.  In 1932, Alfred Finnila finished constructing a new [[Finnila's Finnish Baths]] bathhouse building on [[Market Street (San Francisco, California)|Market Street]] in [[San Francisco]].  Two years before, in 1930, Finnila had began attending civil engineering classes at [[University of California, Berkeley]], to become a civil engineer.  Finnila graduated from UC Berkley in 1937.
-==Finnila's Finnish Baths==
-[[Finnila's Finnish Baths]] was a popular and important element in the history of San Francisco's [[The Castro, San Francisco|Castro District]] from the 1910s starting. <ref name=Examiner/><ref name=The_Contest>{{cite book|url=http://www.stevanneauerbach.com/works.htm|title=The Contest|author=Auerbach, Stevanne}}</ref><ref name=Finnila>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.fi/books?id=N2u0ygpm2j0C&pg=PA159&lpg=PA159&dq=Finnila+-+The+Contest&source=bl&ots=2oxZ_B_MZ1&sig=8Lv5bYgDqMKz5CSCUIQJbFjMIoY&hl=fi&sa=X&ei=fI4RUfPcIaiE4gSDhYGADQ&ved=0CCkQ6AEwADgU#v=snippet&q=Finnila's&f=false|title=The Contest - Finnila's-related exerts|author=Auerbach, Stevanne}}</ref>  In 1932, Alfred Finnila finished on San Francisco's [[Market Street (San Francisco, California)|Market Street]] the construction of the new [[Finnila's Finnish Baths]] bathhouse, which he himself had designed. As the general manager, Alfred Finnila oversaw the operations of the ''Finnila's'' health club business for nearly seven decades, from 1931 to September, 2000.
-Despite of public outcry to try to save the bathhouse, it was demolished in 1986 by Alfred Finnila.  Finnila's opened up in new location on San Francisco's Taraval Street. In 1986-1987, Alfred Finnila constructed a new building in place of the old bathhouse on Market Street.  The new building was named ''Market & Noe Center''.  The primary owner of it today is [[Edna Jeffrey]], the sister of the deceased Alfred Finnila.<ref name=Jeffrey/>  Prior to the demolishing of the old bathhouse, a part of the property where [[Cafe Flore]] has been operating since 1973 - up to date -, was owned by Alfred Finnila.  Other businesses were renting space from the old Alfred Finnila's bathhouse building, just like they are today from ''Market & Noe Center''.
-===Geothermal drilling===
-From 1932 to 1986, Alfred Finnila had his business offices and a store front for his geothermal drilling business on street level at 2280 [[Market Street (San Francisco, California)|Market Street]], in the same building where the bathhouse operated.  The geothermal drilling business explored for hot water and oil resources, mainly in the states of [[California]] and [[Nevada]].
-==Golden Gate Bridge==
-From January 5, 1932, to May of 1937, Alfred Finnila participated in the construction of [[Golden Gate Bridge]]. As an engineering draftsman,<ref name=ASCE /> Finnila oversaw all the ironing work and half of the road work of the bridge.
-Aside from [[Joseph B. Strauss]], the bridge's chief architect, Alfred Finnila can be credited as perhaps the single most important key player in the uplifting of the bridge.<ref name=Examiner/>
-===Bridge Round House===
-Among his accomplishments associated with the construction of the [[Golden Gate Bridge]], Alfred Finnila designed the famous [[Bridge Round House]] diner which opened in 1938 at the southeastern end of [[Golden Gate Bridge]], adjacent to the tourist plaza which was renovated in 2012.  [[Bridge Round House]] became the all time busiest San Francisco Bay Area restaurant, before it was turned to an unofficial gift shop and a visitor center.  Thereafter, [[Bridge Round House]] served for a long time as a starting point for countless [[San Francisco Bay Area]] tours.  In 2012, a renovation work of [[Bridge Round House]] was completed and it was revealed as a suave [[Art Deco]] treat - a diner -, as Alfred Finnila had designed it.<ref name=King/><ref name=Kligman/><ref name=Barmann>
-{{cite web
-  |url=http://sfist.com/2012/05/25/john_king_says_new_golden_gate_brid.php
-  |title=New Golden Gate Bridge Visitor's Center Kinda Sucks
-  |work=sfist
-  |date=May, 2012
-  |first=Jay|last=Barmann
-}}</ref>  The gift shop was removed as a new, official gift shop has been included in the adjacent plaza renovations.<ref name=Kligman/>
-==Larkspur Landing==
-[[File:Larkspur Landing 3020 03.JPG|thumb|Larkspur Landing at dusk on a Sunday]]
-Among various properties in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] owned by Alfred Finnila was the area known as [[Larkspur Landing]] in [[Marin County, California|Marin County]].  In the 1970s, Alfred Finnila sold, leased and rented parts of [[Larkspur Landing]] to the City of [[Larkspur, California|Larkspur]] and to various businesses, including the restaurant chain of [[Victoria Station (restaurant)|Victoria Station]].<ref name=History1>[http://www.vicsta.com/ Prime Rib and Boxcars: Whatever Happened to Victoria Station?] History of the chain (ISBN 0972796622).</ref><ref name=Larkspur>[http://articles.latimes.com/1986-03-19/business/fi-22781_1_restructuring ''Victoria Station is still working on its restructuring.''] March 19, 1986 - Los Angeles Times.</ref>
-A part of the Larkspur Landing area was sold to the City of [[Larkspur, California|Larkspur]] to be used as a major [[Marin County, California|Marin County]] ferry terminal.  That part today is known both as ''Larkspur Landing'' and as ''Larkspur Ferry Terminal''.<ref name=History2>{{cite web | author= | title=Ferry History | url=http://goldengateferry.org/researchlibrary | publisher=Golden Gate Ferry | year=2009 | accessdate=2009-05-21}}</ref>
-===''Dirty Harry'' filming===
-Director [[Don Siegel]] filmed the final scenes of the 1971 movie [[Dirty Harry]] on the area of [[Larkspur Landing]] and at the adjacent East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.  After hijacking a school bus, the character of [[Scorpio Killer|"Scorpio"]] - played by [[Andrew Robinson (actor)|Andy Robinson]] - drives into East [[Sir Francis Drake Boulevard]] at the [[Greenbrae, California|Greenbrae]] interchange, before crashing into the site of the Hutchinson Company quarry. <ref name=History2/><ref name="dirtyharryfilminglocations">{{cite web|url=http://dirtyharryfilminglocations.wordpress.com/finale-hutchinson-co-quarry-larkspur-landing-ca/|title=FINALE – Hutchinson Co. Quarry, Larkspur Landing, CA &laquo; Dirty Harry Filming Locations|accessdate=2013-04-27}}</ref><ref name="poskanzer">{{cite web|last=Poskanzer|first=Jef|url=http://www.acme.com/jef/photos/20sep2002_dirty_harry/mvc-3540.html|title=''Dirty Harry'' - filming locations|accessdate=2013-04-27}}</ref>  During the filming of [[Dirty Harry]], the movie crew, including the actor [[Clint Eastwood]], visited [[Finnila's Finnish Baths]] - the health club owned by Alfred Finnila in [[San Francisco]] - for sauna bathing and for massage. <ref name=History2/>
-==Awards and recognition==
-Still shortly before closing its popular [[Market Street (San Francisco, California)|Market Street]] location in San Francisco in the 1980s, [[Finnila's Finnish Baths]] - owned and operated by Alfred Finnila - was awarded the title "The Best" two times in row by the popular bi-weekly and free [[San Francisco Bay Area]] entertainment magazine [[San Francisco Bay Guardian]].  According to the paper, Finnila's was "The Best Sauna and Massage Parlor" in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] in 1983 and 1984.<ref name=Best>''San Francisco Bay Guardian'' - No 37, 1984.</ref>
-==See also==
-* [[Golden Gate Bridge]]
-* [[Bridge Round House]]
-* [[Larkspur Landing]]
-* [[Finnila's Finnish Baths]]
-* [[Cafe Flore]]
-* [[The Castro]]
-==External links==
-{{Commons category|The Castro, San Francisco}}
-* [http://www.dreamworld.org/sfguide/Neighborhoods/ Guided photo tour of Castro].
-* [http://forbidden.bravesites.com/edna-jeffrey Edna Jeffrey Biography - co-owner of Finnila's, author of the novel ''Till I'm with You Again''].
-* [http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/place/article/Golden-Gate-Bridge-s-plaza-flawed-but-workable-3585446.php#ixzz2Q9CklCT1 ''Bridge Round House''], designed by Alfred Finnila, renovated and revealed as a suave Art Deco treat - SFGate.
-* [http://articles.latimes.com/1986-03-19/business/fi-22781_1_restructuring ''Victoria Station is still working on its restructuring.''] March 19, 1986 - Los Angeles Times (re: Victoria Station at ''Larkspur Landing'' in California).
-* [http://www.acme.com/jef/photos/20sep2002_dirty_harry/mvc-3540.html ''Dirty Harry'' - filming locations.] Poskanzer, Jef - access date 2013-04-27.
-* [http://dirtyharryfilminglocations.wordpress.com/finale-hutchinson-co-quarry-larkspur-landing-ca/ FINALE – Hutchinson Co. Quarry, Larkspur Landing, CA &laquo; Dirty Harry Filming Locations].
-* [http://dirtyharryonlocation.wordpress.com DIRTY HARRY ON LOCATION].
-* [http://facebook.com/AlfredFinnila Alfred A. Finnila on Facebook].
-* [http://facebook.com/Finnilas Finnila's Finnish Baths on Facebook].
-* [http://books.google.fi/books?id=N2u0ygpm2j0C&pg=PA159&lpg=PA159&dq=Finnila+-+The+Contest&source=bl&ots=2oxZ_B_MZ1&sig=8Lv5bYgDqMKz5CSCUIQJbFjMIoY&hl=fi&sa=X&ei=fI4RUfPcIaiE4gSDhYGADQ&ved=0CCkQ6AEwADgU#v=snippet&q=Finnila's&f=false/ Finnila's-related exerts from the novel ''The Contest'', by Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D.].
-== References ==
-{{reflist}}
-{{European Americans}}
-{{Finnish diaspora}}
-[[Category:1913 births]]
-[[Category:2000 deaths]]
-[[Category:American civil engineers]]
-[[Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni]]
-[[Category:People from San Francisco, California]]
-[[Category:American people of Finnish descent]]
-[[Category:Finnish American| ]]
-[[Category:Finnish diaspora|American]]
-[[Category:European American]]