USA > California > San Francisco County > San Francisco > The San Francisco directory: embracing a general directory of citizens, a street directory, a new and complete map of the city, 1852-53 > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19
---
12
gress of their fellow-men through the difficulties of travel, and rendering assistance in desperate cases. New-comers often landed from shipboard, rigged in their Sun- day best, and with boots brightly polished, intending to strike the natives with surprise by such tokens of high civilization. But scarcely had they touched terra firma, when they made the deep discovery that terra firma was not there; and they were glad to get back to the ship, with the loss not only of Day &. Martin's polish, but of the boots themselves, which they were constrained to leave deep buried in the streets of San Francisco !
It is cause of regret that the history of that winter has been left so much at the mercy of memory and tradition, and that exact observations of the quantity of rain were not recorded. To hear the eloquent narrations of the survivors, one might suppose that the windows of Heaven were kept steadily open, from the com- mencement to the end of the rainy season. The few exact records in our pos- session, published at the time in the newspapers, tell a different story. It appears that the rains set in regularly with a storm from the S. E. on the 13th of November, and terminated sometime in March, and that the number of days on which rain fell in that period was seventy.one. That is to say, just one-half the days during the rainy season were free from rain. Building operations were not entirely sus- pended. The brick building of Burgoyne §. Co., and several other brick edifices were completed during the winter.
On the 21st of February there was a considerable fall of hail, which remained on the ground for some hours, among the spring flowers that covered the hills.
In those days, before the recent improvements in the delivery of letters, the Post Office exhibited the most curious scenes on the arrival of the mails from the At- lantic States. People crowded by hundreds into the long lines, to march to the windows in quest of letters from home. Desperate efforts were made to secure a place near the window, in anticipation of the opening of the office. Men rose from their beds in the middle of the night for this purpose. It was a common practice to provide a chair, and hitch up, step by step, as the procession slowly advanced, and to while away the time, with cigars and other appliances. Persons were exposed for hours to the most drenching rains, which they bore with heroic fortitude, rather than relinquish their post. Men of speculative views who ex- pected no letters, secured advanced places, and then sold them, sometimes for as much as eight or ten dollars.
The most motly population in the world was then congregated in San Fran- cisco, and the capricious taste of the citizens in regard to dress served to add to the apparent diversity. Every man had his own standard of fashion, entirely in- depenent of the rest of the world. A ludicrous account of their costumes was printed in the Alta California newspaper, referring to the short waisted frocks, the cut-aways, the high collars, the broad tailed and the swallow tailed dress coats, the double breasted jackets, the surtouts, the bang-ups, the Spanish wrappers, the serapes, the blankets, the bear skins-the boots, high topped and low topped, fair topped, red topped and green topped, fisherman's boots and horseman's boots and miner's boots, brogans, gaiters and shoes of patent leather, calfskin and cowhide, There was also a marvellous variety of hats, though the most popular was the Cal- fornia slouch, which had the virtue or plianey and was convertible into a pillow.
13
a basin, a handkerchief or a basket, without injury to its substance or form. As the female population increased, the costume of the men began to approach a more uniform standard, and now, even the slouch hat, which for a long while cleaved to the caputs of the old Californians, has given place to trim and formal models from Broadway or Chestnut Street.
In those days the humor of the people inclined them not in the slightest degree towards intellectual pursuits. From the multitudes of gambling and drinking houses, and the crowds that filled them, one might infer without sinning violently against truth, that drinking was a universal habit, and that gambling was the regular occupation of one half of the people, and the nightly diversion of the other half. In the progress of civilization and refinement, during the winter aforesaid, two theatres were kept in operation, and a portion of the citizens began to amuse themselves with concerts, balls, dinner parties, and military suppers.
In the winter aforesaid, Happy Valley began to figure in the world's history, and discussions were had in the papers as to the rightful claimant of the honor attached to giving it that name. "The Mission" also began to attract notice, and when, in the movement for the incorporation of the city, it was proposed to extend the city limits to embrace the Mission, sundry anti-annexation meetings were held by the denizens of that region, and a formidable opposition of a gaseous and ineffectual character was made to the union.
The first rush homeward took place in this winter. Driven from the mines by the weather, many of the most fortunate adventurers, and not a few of the most unfortunate, looked with longing hearts towards the father-land. All the tickets for the Steamers being taken, extraordinary prices were offered for them. For a steerage ticket, the original cost of which was $150, as much as $450 was fre- quently given.
The first of the series of calamitous conflagrations that have marked the history of the city, broke out on the 24th of December, 1849, about 6 o'clock, A M. It commenced in an upper story of Dennison's Exchange, on the East of the Plaza, about where Kearny is intersected by Merchant street. From this point it spread down Washington street nearly to Montgomery, and also towards Clay street, destroying most of the houses in the block, which had been built up from street to street, with the exception of a portion of Clay street. Nearly 50 houses and stores were consumed, and the destruction of property was estimated at a million of dollars. The fire of November, 1852, broke out almost on the same spot, and burnt over a portion of the same ground, but with less destruction of property.
Early in 1850, an express wagon made its appearance in the streets. In March the pioneer milk wagon awakened certain agreeable emotions in many minds. There was also some excitement created by a threatened reduction of the price of washing-from six to four dollars a dozen.
A curious incident transpired in January, 1850, which was nothing less than the public sale of three females from Sidney, to pay their passage to this port. The transaction occurred near Clark's Point. They were sold for five months, at fif- teen dollars each ; the captain pocketing the money with entire satisfaction.
In March, 1850, was formed the "Strangers' Benevolent Society," for the relief of the indigent sick front all parts of the world.
4
14
From the 12th of April, 1849, to the 29th of January, 1850, a period of a little over nine months, there arrived by sea at San Francisco 39,888 immigrants, of whom 1421 were females. Of 805 vessels from which they landed, 487 were American, and 318 foreign. In the year ending April 15, 1850, there arrived 62,000 passengers, 2,000 of whom were females. The number of vessels convey- ing them was 695 American, and 418 foreign.
·The winter of 1849-50 witnessed the first step towards the formation of the present enormous debt of the city. The expenditures for December were $135,000 and the receipts $175,000, leaving a balance in the treasury of $40,000. In Jan- uary and February the expenditures were $201,000 and the receipts only $137,000, leaving a deficit of $24,000, which was the nucleus of the present debt. 'Two thirds of the receipts above mentioned were from the sale of city lots. The debt then begun, increased rapidly, and in little more than a year reached the enormous sum of $1,000,000 .. When the treasury became exhausted scrip was issued, bear- ing interest at three per cent. per month. The credit of the city growing worse and worse, the scrip depreciated until it would not command over one-third of its nominal value. Persons having claims against the city drew up bills for two or three times the amount of the claim, so that they might realize, from the sale of the scrip received in payment, the full amount of the debt in cash. Thus, a tradesman furnishing a thousand dollars' worth of supplies to the hospital, would present his bill for three thousand and receive that amount in scrip, bearing inte- rest at the rate of thirty-six per cent. per annum. When the debt was funded and converted into ten per cent. bonds, he received bonds equal to the amount of the scrip and interest ; that is to say, if the scrip had run six months the city paid him $3540 in bonds, with an annual interest of $354, or more than one-third the original debt ! A more extraordinary specimen of financiering can scarcely be conceived.
In the course of the year 1850, the principal streets were graded and laid with planks. Commercial street, from Montgomery to Kearny, was first completed. Anticipating another winter like the past, the preparation of the streets was hast- ened as the autumn advanced, and when the season for rain arrived, the chief thoroughfa res were effectually covered with wood. The winter, however, brought but little rain, and the fires of May and June following, destroyed a large portion of the costly expenditure, which had added largely to the debt of the city
After introducing the subject, it would not be right to pass without commenda. tory notice, the arrangements finally adopted to redeem the credit of the city, and to pay off the million-and-a-half of debt. The funding of the debt, and the issuing of bonds bearing interest at 10 per cent. per annum, has already been mentioned. The bonds were made payable in twenty years, and provision was made to re- deem a portion annually, in the mean time. The citizens co-operated earnestly in the movement, and submitted cheerfully to the imposition of a heavy tax for the purpose. The credit of the city was at once restored, and the bonds rapidly appreciated to their par value. The transition from utter and almost hopeless bankruptcy, to a basis of secure and permanent credit, and that too, after the dis- astrous fires of May and June. 1850, and the still more ruinous conflagrations of May and. June, 1851, which laid the city in ashes a second time, was rapid and
15
extraordinary, exhibiting a degree of energy and courage rarely met with in the history of municipal governments.
In the spring of 1850, there were three daily newspapers published in the city, the " Alta California," the "Pacific News," and the " Journal of Commerce," all dailies. To these were added, during the year, the "Evening Picayune," the " Herald," and the " Courier."
As the increase and prosperity of San Francisco are closely associated with the progress of improvement in the entire Pacific region, it may be well to add the list of papers published at the same date in other parts. . They were as follows :
California-" The Placer Times," published weekly, at Sacramento.
Oregon-" The Oregon Spectator," semi-monthly.
New Grenada-" The Panama Echo," weekly; and "The Panama Star," occasionally.
Valparaiso-" The Neighbor," and "The Mercantile Reporter ;" both monthly. Sandwich Islands-" The Honolulu Times," weekly; "The Friend," monthly; and " The Polynesian," monthly.
Navigators' Islands-" The Samoan Reporter," twice a year.
In less than a year afterwards, there were eight daily papers existing in San Francisco, and a number of others, at Sacramento, and other settlements in California.
In the spring and summer of 1850, the citizens found considerable entertainment in holding public meetings on the Plaza, to protest against various proceedings of the city authorities. Speeches were delivered, committees appointed, and every conceivable effort made short of actual violence, and even that was threatened by some. But though the population appeared almost unanimous in these movements, it would seem that those in authority pressed onward to the accomplishment of their purposes, with a degree of energy and determination characteristic of the people of California.
The first election under the City Charter was in April, 1850, when upwards of four thousend votes were given. John W. Geary was chosen Mayor, and Frank Tilford, Recorder.
The second great fire was on Saturday, the 4th of May, 1850. It commenced at four o'clock in the morning, in the United States Exchange, a drinking and gambling house, on the east side of the Plaza-almost the identical spot where the first fire originated. The entire block between Kearny, Clay, Montgomery and Washington streets was destroyed, with the exception of Dubois' Banking House and Burgoyne & Co.'s. North of Washington street, the fire extended from Montgomery to Dupont, destroying both the adjoining blocks, except a row of buildings on Jackson above Montgomery. Three hundred houses were destroy- ed, and property valued at from three to four millions of dollars. It was only by blowing up a number of buildings that the destruction was confined to those lim- its. One life was lost, and several persons were injured by fire-arms which ex- ploded in the burning houses. This fire was generally believed to have been caused by incendiaries, and large rewards were offered for their apprehension, but as usual, without success. On the day after the conflagration, a party of laborers
16
applied to the Mayor for compensation for services, which he declined paying, as they had not been employed by him or by the authorities. This so incensed them that a riot well nigh ensued. Such villainous rapacity deserves the severest rep- rehension. Men who will not assist their fellow citizens without compensation, on an occasion of public calamity, are scarcely one degree superior to the wretches who would cause the calamity.
The work of rebuilding was carried on with great activity, and in a few weeks the burnt district had given place to a new city. On Friday, the 14th of June, came the third great fire. It began in the Sacramento House, on the east side of Kearny street, between Clay and Sacramento streets, about eight o'clock in the forenoon. The wind being high, the flames spread rapidly towards the bay, sweeping the entire space, two full blocks in width, between Clay and California streets, to the water's edge, which was then part of a block below Montgomery street. Three hundred houses, and three millions of property were destroyed. This fire was acknowledged to be the result of accident or carelessness, connected with a stove pipe.
Hitherto nothing effectual had been accomplished to secure the city against the ravages of fire. But now the most vigorous efforts were set on foot, consisting of the organization of fire companies, and the construction of wells and reservoirs. Many brick buildings were erected, and Montgomery street, from Washington to Sacramento, on the west side, was built up almost entirely with substantial brick structures, intended to be fire-proof.
During this summer the city began to stretch out into the bay. The houses were built on piles, and no attention was paid to filling in. As late as Septem- ber, goods from ship board were landed at high water, by lighters, in the store- houses on the east side of Montgomery street, near Jackson. When the tide favor- ed their operations, the sounds of labor and the voices of the workmen were heard all night along the margin of the bay.
Vessels from all parts of the world continued to crowd into the harbor freighted with passengers and merchandise. The bay was filled with noble ships of all nations, and the storehouses were crammed to their utmost capacity. Unce arri- ving in port, it was next to impossible to get away; for the crews almost invaria- bly deserted the first chance, and rushed to the mines. Many of the vessels were dragged at high water into favorable situations and grounded, to be converted into storehouses. One of these, the Niantic, was converted into a large hotel, which took the name of the ship. It was burnt. together with many others, in the fire of May following.
In July, 1850, there were seven churches in the city, viz :
The First Baptist Church, Washington street, near Stockton; The First Con- gregational Church, corner of Jackson and Virginia streets ; The First Presby- terian Church, occupying the superior court room, city hall ; Trinity Episcopal Church, corner Jackson and Powell streets; Grace Church, corner Powell and Jackson streets; The Methodist Episcopal Church, Powell street, near Washing- ton ; and the Catholic Church, Vallejo street, near Dupont.
On the 29th of August, the death of President Taylor was commemorated by a funeral procession ; one remarkable feature of which was the appearance in the
17
procession of a large body of Chinese, in national costume. It was probably the first procession ever witnessed in the limits of Christendom, of which that curious people formed a prominent portion. From that time to the present, they have taken the same interest in all such public proceedings-several hundred of them at one time, sharing in our national demonstrations, with the banners, music, and other arrangements peculiar to themselves. And they have invariably proved to be, as a people, docile, sober and orderly, thus exhibiting the proper traits of good citizenship. Since that time, however, they are becoming more civilized and re- fined, by constant intercourse with the white population, and many have added drinking and gambling to their accomplishments.
On the morning of Sept. 17th, 1850, occurred the fourth great fire. It originated before day, in the Philadelphia House, a drinking establishment on the north side of Jackson street, between Kearny and Dupont. Though the air was calm, it spread with amazing rapidity among a mass of wooden buildings, crowded together, and ended by sweeping over almost the entire space bounded by Pacific, Mont- gomery, Washington and Dupont streets. There were no brick buildings to arrest its progress. About 150 houses were destroyed, and nearly half a million of pro- perty. This fire was by some persons attributed to design, but it was most probably caused by the carelessness of a drunken lodger. So rapid was its out- break, that several persons lodging in the adjoining house, were glad to escape with only a single garment. ١
On the 18th of October, 1850, the steamship Oregon arrived from Panama, bringing the glad tidings of the admission of California into the Union, which threw the citizens into a delirium of joy. The most extravagant exhibibitions of delight were manifested through the evening and night, and public buildings, hotels, and many private houses were brilliantly illuminated. The admission was formally celebrated on the 30th of the month, by a grand procession, in which, as usual, Chinamen formed one of the most striking features-an oration on the Plaza, and a universal ball in the evening.
On the 29th of October, the steamboat Sagamore exploded, while leaving the wharf for Stockton, killing some thirty or forty persons.
Early on the morning of the 31st, a building adjoining the City Hospital, at the head of Clay street, was fired by an incendiary, and both those buildings destroy- ed. The hospital, then owned by Dr. Peter Smith, was filled with patients, many of whom were saved from the flames only by the most strenuous efforts of the fire- men and citizens. Several of the patients were badly burnt before they could be rescued.
In October of this year, Malignant Cholera made its appearance, and reached its height in the latter part of November, the greatest number of deaths in one day not, at any time, exceeding ten or twelve. A Cholera Hospital was opened in Broadway above Dupont street, and the most vigorous measures were adopted by the Board of Health to cleanse and purify the city. After a very lenient visitation, the scourge disappeared from our midst about the end of the year.
On the evening of the 14th of December, a fire broke out in an iron building in Sacramento street, below Montgomery, and destroyed several large store-houses,
18
and property valued at 1,000,000 dollars. By the arduous efforts of the firemen and citizens, it was prevented from spreading in that rich and crowded district.
The winter of 1850-51 was remarkably dry, scarcely any rain falling. It was the very reverse of the winter preceding. Extensive preparations had been made against wet, the principal streets being nicely covered with plank, and the roofs of storehouses secured from leakage. The "Old Californians " got their long boots in readiness, but, though they mounted them every foggy morning, and strode through the streets in defiance of weather, the rain did not come. The sky was mostly cloudless, and the air mild and balmy.
The constant and long continued inpouring of merchandise, from all quarters of the world, had by this time filled the market to repletion. In all parts of the State the storehouses were crammed with goods. There followed in the spring of 1851, a great depression of trade, with prices extremely low. Goods sold at auc- tion were mostly sacrificed, in many cases not bringing the first cost. This state of things continued till the importations had greatly diminished in the latter part of the year, and the stock had been reduced by consumption and by fire. Coal sold as low as eight dollars a ton, flour ten dollars a barrel, and clothing was cheaper than in the Atlantic cities.
At the second election under the City Charter, in April, 1851, the votes were something over 5,920. C. J. Brenham was chosen Mayor, and R. H. Waller, Re- corder.
The streets being now in good order, an enterprise was set on foot to light them at night. Lamps were placed in Montgomery street, by which that street was handsomely illuminated in the evening, and the work was going forward in other streets, until it was arrested by another fire.
Of all the conflagrations that have visited the city with ruin and devastation, that of May 1851, was by far the most important, both in regard to the loss of pro- perty and the loss of life. It broke out on the evening of Saturday, the 3rd of the month, about 11 o'clock, in the upholstery establishment of Baker & Messerve situated on the south of the Plaza, adjoining the site of the present Post Office building. A high wind was blowing from the west, and the flames soon began to spread towards the bay, with astonishing rapidity, extending at the same time northward and southward. The most desperate efforts to stay the fiery torrent were utterly powerless. The scene was awfully grand, beyond the force of lan- guage to express. All night the fire continued to rage and to spread, until the morning sun rose on a city in ruins. The very heart of the city, the centre of trade and business, was eaten out, leaving little else than the sparsely built out- skirts. Immense stores of valuable merchandize, filled nearly all the buildings in the track of the element. From Kearny to Battery street, and from California to Pacific, scarcely a house was left. The substantial brick and iron structures, in tended to be fire-proof, melted away before the avalanche of flame. Fiftcen en- tire blocks were consumed, besides parts of several others. The extreme limits on the north and south were Broadway and Pine streets. But five of the brick build- ings on Montgomery street were left, and ten or twelve in other localities. Six persons were in the iron building of Taaffe & McCahill, on the corner of Sacra-
19
mento and Montgomery streets, attempting to save it, when it took fire. They were unable to force open the doors, and all perished in the flames. Quite a num- ber of lives were lost in other parts, and many persons were badly burnt in rush- ing through the flames to make their escape. Three men were subsequently cruslied to death by the falling of a wall in Montgomery street. Upwards of one thousand houses were consumed, mostly large store houses, filled with valuable merchandize. The amount of property destroyed was variously estimated at from seven to twelve millions of dollars. This fire, though by some ascribed, as usual, to design, is now generally charged to accident or carelessness.
On the morning of the 22d of June was the sixth great fire, which commenced about 11 o'clock, in Pacific street below Powell, during a high gale of wind from the west. It extended from Broadway on one side to Washington on the other, crossing the latter street below Kearny, and reaching to Clay. Its eastern limit was Montgomery street. A portion of this district had just been rebuilt. Four or five hundred houses were burnt, the larger proportion of which were small wooden tenements. Among the larger buildings destroyed were the City Hall, on the corner of Pacific and Kearny streets, the City Hospital, the Presbyterian Church in Stockton street, the Alta California printing office, and the Jenny Lind Theatre. The old adobe building on the plaza, lately occupied as offices, also succumbed to this fire. It was formerly used as the Government House, and con- tinued to be employed for public uses, after the occupancy of the country by the Americans. It was once a favorité resort of large flocks of blåck birds, which re- tired to the Presidio on the increase of the human population. The last impor- tant event witnessed by the old adobe was the hanging of Jenkins by the Vigi- lance Committee, from the beam at the end of its portico, on the night of the 10th of June.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.