San Francisco History Podcast – Sparkletack

it was 1871. william ralston had become one of the richest and most powerful men in california, partly on the strength of his shrewd business maneuverings, but largely on the fact that he was an incorrigible gambler, a exemplar of his optimistic age. he lived so largely, and spent so lavishly, on his beloved city as well as on himself, that at the peak of his powers he picked up a nickname that has stuck to this day; "the man who built san francisco".

in 1889 this talented young writer, the son of a british colonial schoolteacher and future winner of the nobel prize for literature, visited san francisco on his way from india to england. it was not only his first visit to the city, but his first time in america -- he was on assignment to record his impressions and write letters back to an indian newspaper -- and his brash and snobbish reactions to san francisco and its wild inhabitants are alternately flattering, insulting and very amusing.

Riding around the chilly streets of San Francisco this week I spotted a bumpersticker that I hadn’t seen for some time: “kill your television”. The rich irony of seeing that particular message displayed in San Francisco struck me as it always does. Why? Because television was invented right here in fog city, a fact most everyone has forgotten, along with its inventor, mr. Philo T. Farnsworth.I don’t know if a more euphonious name for an inventor could have ever been dreamed up! Philo was born in August of 1906, just a few months after our own great earthquake, making it all the more poignant that the inventor of arguably the most earthshaking technology of the 20th century, the “Genius of Green Street”, has today been largely forgotten. For further edification: » Farnovision! tons of stuff, including video » short list of patents » San Francisco 1928 Chronicle story (sfmuseum.net) » “Distant Vision” Pem Farnsworths’ biography of philo

part three of the pre-history of san francisco, the early life of the village of yerba buena.

part two of the pre-history of san francisco, the early life of the village of yerba buena. the epic sweep of mexico's revolution and the annexation of california to the united states for all intents and purposes passed the town by. monterey, sonoma, and the great californio ranchos were where most of the action was, with yerba buena developing slowly and in the background.

Ask anyone, the twins are just “The Twins”. They walk alike. They talk alike. But most of all, they look and dress exactly alike, and would not have it any other way. Vivian and Marian Brown are always ready to stop and chat, always ready with a pair of matching smiles and wrist-up hand-waves worthy of a pair of queens … whether you find them cute or creepy, they are among the most photographed icons in all of San Francisco, and have developed an almost cult-like following. It’s somewhat ironic that almost forty years ago these two journeyed all the way across a continent to San Francisco, the ultimate destination for those seeking to express their own snowflake-like individuality, only to make a mark on the town by being … identical. Thanks to Retail for the use of the track “Lipstick”, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

Many people who came to seek their fortune in the gold country failed to strike it rich, but ended up contributing their unique abilities and energies in much more interesting ways. This show is dedicated to just such a man — Andrew Hallidie, the inventor of San Francisco’s world famous cable cars. He was a remarkable character who turned the unique opportunities presented by the gold rush era and his own natural abilities into an invention that changed our fair city forever. For further edification: » Cable Car Museum » Cable Car Days – history book » the Cable Car Guy » more vintage photos Thanks to Jim Fidler for the use of the track “Home Comes the Rover”, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

there have been a great number of letters written from and about san francisco through the decades, some by visitors and some by citizens, some known around the world, others anonymous. it is fascinating to hear voices from the past brought temporarily back to life, to see the city and its environs through the pens of contemporary eyewitnesses... some who wrote with an eye towards posterity, but others who were just sending their thoughts across the country to loved ones left behind. there really is nothing like the comfortable details of a letter back home to connect us, to provide a glimpse into the humanity of previous generations.

san francisco is famously made up of an eccentric patchwork of neighborhoods. what is less known is that some of the most interesting and unusual have come and gone, leaving very little trace of a once vigorous existence. one of these was carville, an eccentric community made up of abandoned streetcars converted into clubs, restaurants and dwellings out on the pacific edge of the fin de siecle city. though virtually no trace is left, it does my heart good just to know that it was once there, and i think of it now every time i ride down the great highway.

show number two in the "streets of san francisco" series, still walking westwards, one street at a time. today's show moves from powell street to polk, with a couple of historical detours along the way.

summer of 1875, and the wells fargo stagecoach is slowly rattling through a mountain pass in the sierra nevada gold country, bearing a cargo of passengers, u.s. mail, and gold. the driver pulls the horses to an abrupt halt at the sight of a man standing confidently on the side of the road. he wears a long dirty duster, a sack of flour over his head with a pair of holes cut for the eyes and brandishes a double-barrelled 12 gauge shotgun. a deep and hollow voice utters the command destined to become the most famous five words in western outlaw history: "please throw down the box." the legend of black bart is born.

By the time I arrived, San Francisco was already a city — and had been one for the previous century and a half. But what went on before that time? What was San Francisco before it was San Francisco? I’ve decided to look into the story of the pre-city peninsula, and the birth of the tiny town of Yerba Buena, starting with the arrival of the Spanish in the 1770s. It will take a couple of episodes to get it all out, so if you’re curious, stay tuned. (or jump ahead to episodes two and three. For further edification: » the Presidio » the founding of San Francisco – an essay from 1926 » detailed Presidio history – pdf » De Anza trail – map thanks to Rup Sode for the use of the beautiful tune “Yosemite”, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network. — correction – 4.5.06 While re-listening to this show recently, I noticed that one of the dates I had given was incorrect — and it happens to have been quite an important one! William Richardson put up his four-posted tent in 1835, and it is to that year which we date the birth of Yerba Buena. A shocking and inexplicable error, but hereby corrected.

The cool evening of February 4th, 1974. Nineteen-year-old Patricia Hearst, heiress to the Hearst family fortune, was relaxing in a rented apartment on campus with her fiancee. The front door burst open and three armed people rushed into the house, dragging Patricia away in her nightgown and stuffing her violently into the trunk of their car. She would not be heard from for two long months, and when she resurfaced, she was no longer “Patty”, but a gun-toting leftist revolutionary named “Tania”. What on earth had happened to Citizen Kane’s granddaughter? For further edification: » PBS timeline » locations » New York social scene Thanks to Rigel Vega for the use of the tune “Montpellier”. Use licensed under creative commons.

As I was riding around town this weekend, I was suddenly struck by a thought: stopped at the intersection of Broadway and Battery Streets, I suddenly wondered to myself: “Broadway? Battery? Where did those names actually come from? Does anyone still remember?” These names must reveal something about the character, history, and essential nature of a mature city, and so I decided to walk the city, block by block, and try to find out the what and why of our city streets. Links to a couple of the resources that I used are listed below, as well as some random street photos. Streets of San Francisco Splendid Survivors – San Francisco’s downtown architectural heritage Tales of San Francisco S.F. Museum online – San Francisco street names A wonderful 1890’s map with the extent of modern landfill indicated in pink. Thanks to Denis Kitchen for the use of the track “My Friend”, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

Charles Cora must have been a happy man as he arrived in San Francisco in 1852 with Arabella Ryan on his arm. And why not? He was a professional gambler of the highest reputation, and would have been delighted by the wide open nature of the town in the gold rush years — a perfect hunting ground for a man of his special talents. Just a few years later, however, his luck would finally end, as he ran into San Francisco’s controversial “Second Committee of Vigilance“… and a noose. Thanks to Qui Custodientes Custodient for the use of the track “A Bug’s Life March”, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.