San Francisco has a shady past that began when the Spanish cowboys brought 340 horses, 302 head of cattle and 160 mules to graze here in 1776. The Native Ohlone Indians had been in this area for over 14,300 years and initially didn't resist the arrival. This was until the Spaniards demanded that the locals build them a mission dedicated to God and Spain which they would take over the running of once it was completed. In return the locals were promised one meal per day which wasn't always a guarantee. Many tried to escape but were captured and forced to work. In the 50 years that the Spanish ruled California the Indian numbers were reduced by 75% thanks mainly to the introduction of Smallpox. By 1845 there were only around 6,700 locals left and they weren't interested in working for the priests. Combined with the fact that the desert land was difficult to farm, the 20 soldiers that manned the station had to rely on 1 small shipment of supplies per year and swarms of fleas the mission failed. Today there is a mass grave full of the locals that died here under the mission which is now named Mission Delores (Mission of the Sorrows).
Easy come, easy go was Spain’s attitude when handing over the settlement to the newly independent nation of Mexico. Little did they know, Mexico would make this colony a profitable venture with a bustling hide and tallow trade at Yerba Buena Cove, where the Financial District now stands.
Yankee trappers soon arrived to make their fortunes, and this trading post became a desirable destination for freed African Americans after Mexico outlawed slavery in Alto California. It wasn't long after that the American-Mexico war broke out which ended up with California being conceded to the United States.
In 1848 Sam Brannan, a real estate speculator and Mormon tabloid publisher of the California Star published sensational news of a gold find 120 miles from San Francisco. Brannan had his reasons for publishing what was then pure speculation as fact: he was hoping it would excite some interest back East in some swampland he was trying to sell, not to mention scooping rival San Francisco newspaper the Californian. San Franciscans ignored Brannan’s bluster at first, preoccupied with news of the handover of California to the US from Mexico. To prove his point, Brannan traveled to Sutter’s Fort, where news of the find was verified under conditions of strict secrecy. Brannan didn’t exactly keep his word by running through the San Francisco streets upon his arrival, brandishing a vial of gold flakes and shouting, ‘Gold! Gold! Gold on the American River!’
But Brannan’s plan backfired. Within weeks San Francisco’s population shrank to 200, as every able-bodied individual headed to the hills to pan for gold. Both newspapers folded; there was no one around to read, write, or print them. Good thing Brannan had a backup plan: he’d bought every available shovel, pick and pan, and opened a general store near Sutter’s Fort. Within its first 70 days, Brannan & Co. had sold a whopping $36, 000 in equipment – about $949, 000 in today’s terms. Initially Brannan charged big-spending Mormon buyers a special tax he claimed was for the church. But, when Mormon founder Brigham Young reportedly requested a cut for the Church, Brannan retorted he’d like a receipt from God!
Luckily for Brannan’s profits, other newspapers around the world weren’t that scrupulous about getting their facts straight either, and hastily published stories of ‘gold mountains’ near San Francisco. Within months, boatloads of prospectors arrived from Europe, Australia, and China, and another 40, 000 prospectors trudged through snow and mud overland, eager to scoop up their fortunes on the hillsides. Sailors in sight of San Francisco abandoned ship, and swam ashore to empty their pockets at mining supply stores. Prices for mining supplies shot up tenfold, and Brannan was raking in $150, 000 a month, almost $4 million in today’s terms. Food wasn’t cheap either: a dozen eggs could cost as much as $10 in San Francisco in 1849, the equivalent of $272 today.
The arrival of all these men created what was referred to as the "barbary Coast", a red-light district that quickly took on its seedy character during the California Gold Rush (1848–1858). It was known for gambling, prostitution and crime. At the end of 1849, out of a population of between 20,000 and 25,000, only about 300 were women and an estimated almost two-thirds of those were prostitutes.
The city continued to get carried away and exist in a lawless society until the 1906 earthquake hit. The earthquake and resulting fire are remembered as the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States alongside the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. The death toll from the earthquake and resulting fire, estimated to be above 3,000, is the greatest loss of life from a natural disaster in California's history. The economic impact has been compared with the more recent Hurricane Katrina. It was here that San Francisco turned a corner and changed its ways.
Hippies flocked to Haight-Ashbury in the 1960s, reaching a peak with the 1967 Summer of Love. In the 1970s, the city became a center of the gay rights movement, with the emergence of The Castro as an urban gay village. By the mid-1970s, the rainbow flag was flying high over San Francisco.
Needless to say the 3 main attractions for us in San Francisco was Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and the famous tramway featured in so many films.
We hopped on a ride on the tramway that took us from the city centre up the steep hills to Fishermans Wharf. This was quite cool but we were unlucky to get stuck with a clown conductor who wouldn't let us stand outside and hang off the back, instead we were crammed in like sardines. Still next time we see it on the TV we can say we have been on it.
Whilst on the tram ride up the steep hills, the line passes by what is claimed to be the "World's Crookedest Street". This is said to be a unique winding, zigzag street with a 40 degree incline.
The switchbacks design was created in 1922, and was born out of necessity in order to reduce the hill's natural 27% grade, which was too steep for most vehicles to climb. It is also a serious hazard to pedestrians, who are accustomed to a more reasonable sixteen-degree incline. The crooked section of the street, which is about 1/4 mile (400 m) long, is reserved for one-way traffic traveling downhill and is paved with red bricks. The speed limit in this section is only 5 mph.
Fishermans Wharf was also a nice interesting area and it has a carnival atmosphere with all the little shops and restaurants about. Pier 39 is also home to a colony of California Sealions that were bathing in the sunshine.
San Francisco has a massive fantastic park called Golden Gate Park. We took a walk here on our last day and discovered that it was 1017 acres (1.6 sq miles). It had loads of interesting things to see which included American Bisons and some little wild gophers! It is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York and is home to 13 million visitors per year.
You can watch some videos of the wee gopher here and here.
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