San Francisco [antikvár]

INTRODUCTION In the middle of the 18th century, treasure-laden Spanish galleons were a familiar sight along the rugged and often dangerous coast of California. Like many ships before them, they probably failed to notice a narrow inlet which led to a deep, natural harbour known today as San Francisco Bay. It was not until 1775 that a Captain Ayala anchored within the Golden Gate and claimed this part of California for the Spanish Empire. The following year a mission and a military garrison were established as well as the settlement called Verba Buena, Spanish control in California, however, did not last long and in 1821 it was taken over by Mexico. This resulted in hostilities breaking out, in the course of which some Americans raised the 'stars and stripes' over the still small but growing outpost of Yerba Buena - which was later to be renamed San Francisco. What could not possibly have been foreseen at that time was that vast quantities of gold were about to be discovered, firstly in El Dorado county, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, in 1848. As a result of this find, eager prospectors from all over the world poured through the Golden Gate and filled the harbour with their ships - many of which were left to rot as their crews joined in the mad scramble for gold. From the east, more than 42,000 gold prospectors and settlers - the famous 'forty-niners' - travelled to the Great Valley and San Francisco, by way of the California Trail, a hazardous route along which many died. The growth-rate of San Francisco was extremely rapid and it soon became a riotous place in which to live. Huge fortunes were squandered in the gaming houses and saloons and murder and robbery were rife - committed by those whose contribution to the Gold Rush was to kill and rob some hardworking miner of his gold. One quarter of the town, the Barbary Coast, was deemed to be beyond control because of its violence and lasciviousness. It is said that the town was actually burned and rebuilt six times during these wild days. When the gold fever finally died down, San Francisco became a virtual ghost town overnight and had to look elsewhere for sources of revenue to bolster its flagging economy. By taking advantage of the region's agricultural produce, and the increasing world trade, the town's situation soon stabilised. Gradually, hills were levelled, streets planned and attractive houses built and San Francisco became, once again, a reputable place in which to live; indeed it was soon the financial and cultural capital of the West A second era of excessive spending and rapid development was soon brought about by the discovery of a silver mountain in the nearby state of Nevada in the 1860's. As a consequence even more hotels, theatres, saloons and houses were erected, amongst them lavish, baroque mansions crovming Nob Hill and Russian Hill. These were for the newly rich silver kings, merchants and railroad builders, millionaires whose life-styles astounded poorer folk. The silver bonanza was to have longer-lasting effects on the city than the Gold Rush and for many people San Francisco became the most sophisticated and fashionable city in all America. Alas, nature - which had so benefited San Francisco - caused, at the peak of the city's development, the greatest disaster in its history. On April 18th, 1906, an earthquake tore apart the very heart of the city. Even worse than the earthquake itself were the extensive fires that followed; fires that were virtually impossible to control due to broken water mains. San Francisco once again recovered and it is today a cosmopolitan city chnging to the northern tip of a hilly peninsula overlooking the Golden Gate to the north and San Francisco Bay to the east. The sheltered and almost tideless harbour is lined with piers, warehouses and shipyards. As the nearest port to the Far East and Hawaii, San Francisco has important trading links with, particularly, these areas and Australia. The growth of this great city has been impeded by the rugged nature of the peninsula and most of the recent development has taken place along the shores of the bay, where land is level and relatively cheap. Since 1939 there has been considerable industrial expansion in areas directly related to the products of farming and fishing. The city also continues to be an important commercial and banking centre for a large part of Western America. For resident and visitor alike, San Francisco is entirely different from any other American city. On the hills are row upon row of distinctive Victorian houses embellished with extravagant turrets and domes, balconies and bay windows, all painted in bright colours. Built mainly of sturdy redwood or fir, these fine houses are an integral part of the San Francisco slcyline. So too are the impressive downtown slqiscrapers, the tempting restaurants of Fisherman's Wharf and the exclusive shops of Ghirardelli Square, an historic waterfront site and once the home of a renowned chocolate factory.