San Francisco, California History
"I have seen purer liquors, better segars, finer tobacco, truer guns and pistols, larger dirks and bowie knives, and prettier courtesans here in San Francisco than in any other place I have ever visited, and it is my unbiased opinion that California can and does furnish the best bad things that are available in America."
– Hinton Helper, 19th Century Author
San Francisco, California, a vibrant metropolis nestled in the heart of Central California, stands as a cultural, commercial, and financial epicenter. The city’s narrative is one woven with threads of rapid economic transformations and a rich tapestry of cultural diversity, resulting in a history as captivating as its iconic skyline.
The story of San Francisco, California, begins long before the arrival of European explorers. Archaeological findings suggest that the region was inhabited as early as 3,000 BC. When Europeans first set foot on this land, the Yelamu tribe, part of the Ohlone linguistic group, thrived in numerous small villages scattered across the landscape. Their lives were intertwined with the natural rhythms of the area, a connection that would be irrevocably altered by the events to come.
The first European to navigate these waters was the English sea captain Sir Francis Drake, who, in 1579, anchored his ship off the rugged coast of Point Reyes. While Drake claimed California for England, he missed discovering the vast expanse of San Francisco Bay. For nearly two centuries, the area remained largely untouched by European presence, a silent witness to the ebb and flow of time.
The winds of change began to stir in November 1769, when Gaspar de Portola spearheaded a Spanish expedition, venturing overland from Mexico. This marked the first documented European encounter with San Francisco Bay. The Spanish, recognizing the strategic importance of the location, returned in March 1776 under the leadership of Juan Bautista de Anza, accompanied by a contingent of settlers. This expedition established the Presidio of San Francisco, a military outpost designed to secure Spain’s claim to the territory. The following year, in 1797, Mission San Francisco de Asis, commonly known as Mission Dolores, was constructed. This mission served as a center for converting the native Ohlone people to Christianity, a practice that would profoundly impact their culture and way of life.
The year 1821 marked a significant shift in the political landscape as Mexico gained independence from Spain, and California became part of the newly formed nation. Under Mexican rule, the mission system gradually declined, and its vast landholdings were privatized, transforming the region’s social and economic structure.
A pivotal moment in the development of San Francisco, California, occurred in 1835 when Englishman William Richardson constructed the first significant homestead beyond the immediate vicinity of Mission Dolores. Collaborating with Mission Alcalde Francisco de Haro, Richardson laid out a street plan for a nascent town, christened Yerba Buena, after an aromatic herb that grew abundantly in the area. This humble beginning attracted new settlers, who built their homes and businesses around Portsmouth Square plaza, laying the foundation for the future metropolis.
During the Mexican-American War, in July 1846, U.S. Navy Captain John B. Montgomery claimed Yerba Buena for the United States. A flag was raised over the town plaza, symbolizing the transfer of sovereignty, and US Marine Second Lieutenant Henry Bulls Watson was placed in command of the garrison. The town was officially renamed San Francisco in January 1847, a name that would soon resonate around the world.
Despite its attractive port and naval base potential, San Francisco, California, remained a small settlement until the discovery of gold in 1848 ignited the California Gold Rush. This event triggered an unprecedented influx of people, transforming the sleepy town into a bustling city almost overnight. The population exploded from a mere 1,000 in 1848 to an astonishing 25,000 by December 1849, making San Francisco the largest city on the West Coast.
However, these early years of rapid growth were fraught with challenges. The city faced a scarcity of water and firewood, critical resources at the tip of a windswept peninsula. Residents were forced to import water, fuel, and food to sustain themselves. Moreover, the limited land area prompted citizens to fill in the marshlands of Yerba Buena Cove, where much of present-day downtown San Francisco stands today.
The California Gold Rush era, between December 1849 and June 1851, was also marked by a series of devastating fires. The worst of these occurred on the night of May 3, 1851, when a blaze erupted in a paint and upholstery store on the south side of Portsmouth Square. Fueled by strong winds, the fire rapidly engulfed the downtown area, its flames visible for miles out to sea. The inferno raged for 18 blocks before reaching the waterfront, claiming lives and causing an estimated $10-12 million in damages. Despite the destruction, the resilient residents rebuilt the town, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to the city’s future.
This era also witnessed a surge in violence and crime. In response, vigilante committees were formed in 1851 and again in 1856 to combat corruption and lawlessness. These groups took the law into their own hands, lynching 12 people, kidnapping others, and forcing elected officials to resign in an attempt to "clean up" the city.
By 1853, the California Gold Rush was waning, but San Francisco, California, was firmly established as a major urban center. The U.S. Military began constructing Fort Point at the Golden Gate and fortifying Alcatraz Island to secure San Francisco Bay, solidifying the city’s strategic importance.
The discovery of silver in the west, including the Comstock Lode in Nevada in 1859, further fueled the city’s growth. The influx of people led to increased lawlessness, and the Barbary Coast district became notorious as a haven for criminals, prostitution, and gambling.
In the decades that followed, San Francisco transformed into a major metropolitan city, with new neighborhoods developing in all directions. Chinatown, in particular, experienced rapid growth and remains one of the largest concentrations of Chinese outside of China.
Many businesses founded during this period, including Levi Strauss & Co., Ghirardelli Chocolate, and Wells Fargo Bank, continue to thrive today, testaments to the entrepreneurial spirit of the city’s early days. Mansions were erected in the Nob Hill neighborhood, some of which now serve as famous and expensive hotels, such as the Mark Hopkins Hotel and the Huntington Hotel. This rapid growth, however, complicated city planning efforts, leaving a legacy of narrow streets that still contribute to unique traffic challenges.
In 1864, Hugh H. Toland, a South Carolina surgeon, founded the Toland Medical College, which later evolved into the University of California – San Francisco, a leading institution in medical research and education.
The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 transformed the San Francisco Bay Area into a vital center for trade and commerce. By 1870, the city’s population had soared to 150,000. Cable cars began operating in 1873, navigating the city’s steep hills, and Victorian houses lined the streets alongside significant commercial buildings, churches, schools, and theaters.
Golden Gate Park was established in 1887, providing a green oasis for the growing population. By 1890, San Francisco’s population had reached nearly 300,000, making it the eighth-largest city in the United States. San Francisco’s position as the West Coast’s largest city peaked between 1870 and 1900, with approximately 25% of California’s population residing there.
As the turn of the century approached, San Francisco was renowned for its flamboyant style, stately hotels, grand mansions, and vibrant arts and cultural scene. However, the first decade of the 20th century would bring significant challenges.
In 1900, a bubonic plague epidemic struck after a ship carrying infected rats arrived. Chinatown was the most affected area. Although medical authorities recognized the epidemic in March 1900, California’s Governor Henry Gage denied its existence for over two years, attempting to protect the city’s reputation and prevent economic losses due to quarantine. In 1902, Gage lost re-election, and the new Governor, George Pardee, implemented medical solutions, effectively stopping the epidemic in 1904. During those two years, 121 cases were identified, resulting in 119 fatalities.
On April 18, 1906, a devastating earthquake struck San Francisco and Northern California in the early morning hours. The earthquake caused buildings to collapse and ruptured gas lines, igniting a massive fire that raged for several days. Despite efforts to contain the blaze by dynamiting blocks of buildings to create firebreaks, over 75% of the city was reduced to ruins. The disaster claimed approximately 3,000 lives, injured more than 200,000, left over half of the city’s population of 400,000 homeless, and caused an estimated $400 million in damages. The earthquake and fire remain the deadliest natural disaster in California’s history.
The rebuilding process began immediately, but it took several years. In the interim, trade, industry, and people migrated south to Los Angeles. While the city was still recovering, a second bubonic plague epidemic struck in the summer of 1908. This time, 160 cases were identified in all areas of the city. However, due to the swift actions of the authorities, the mortality rate was lower, with 78 people succumbing to the disease.
In 1915, the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, a world’s fair, was held in San Francisco from February 20 to December 4, 1915. While the primary purpose was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, it was also widely seen as San Francisco’s opportunity to showcase its resilience and recovery from the 1906 earthquake. The fair was built on a 636-acre site along the northern shore, between the Presidio and Fort Mason.
San Francisco, California, remained America’s largest city west of the Mississippi River until 1920, when it lost that title to Los Angeles, California.
During the Great Depression, not a single San Francisco-based bank failed. The city embarked on several significant engineering projects, including the construction of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, which were completed in 1936 and 1937, respectively. During this period, Alcatraz, a former military stockade, began operating as a federal maximum-security prison.
San Francisco hosted another world’s fair in 1939 and 1940. The Golden Gate Exposition celebrated the city’s two newly built bridges. To accommodate the fair, Treasure Island was constructed near where the Oakland and San Francisco spans of the Bay Bridge converge. Dredging for the flat, geometrically-shaped artificial island began in February 1936, requiring 19 million cubic yards of fill for the 385-acre site. Afterward, the island was taken over by the U.S. Navy from 1941 to 1997.
During World War II, San Francisco’s military defense properties became hubs of activity. Fort Mason served as the primary port of embarkation for service members shipping out to the Pacific Theater, creating numerous jobs and attracting even more people to the area.
After the war, returning servicemen and increased immigration further boosted the city’s population. In the decades that followed, San Francisco became a magnet for America’s counterculture, giving rise to the "hippies," the Sexual Revolution, the Peace Movement opposing the Vietnam War, and the Gay Rights Movement. These movements solidified San Francisco’s reputation as a center of liberal activism in the United States.
The late 1990s saw the rise of the dot-com industry, drawing startup companies, entrepreneurs, and computer experts to the city.
Today, San Francisco, California, is the 13th-most populous city in the United States and the fourth-most populous in California, with nearly 900,000 residents. The high demand for housing, driven by its proximity to Silicon Valley and the limited supply of available housing, has made the city one of the most expensive places to live in America.