California TheatreOn this site on January 18, 1869, the California Theatre, built by William C. Ralston, opened with the following stock company: John McCullough, Lawre... [click for more]
Castillo De San JoaquínThe first ship to enter San Francisco Bay, the San Carlos (Captain Ayala), dropped anchor off this point August 5, 1775. Lieutenant-Colonel D... [click for more]
City of Paris BuildingIt was 1850 when the Verdier brothers, immigrants from France, opened a store aboard the ship La Ville de Paris to serve the Argonauts passing through... [click for more]
Eastern Terminus of Clay Street Hill RailroadThe Clay Street Hill Railroad Company, the first cable railroad system in the world, was invented and installed by Andrew S. Hallidie. It started oper... [click for more]
El Camino Real (as Father Serra Knew It And Helped Blaze It)This plaque was placed on the 250th anniversary of the birth of California's apostle, Padre Junípero Serra, OFM, to mark El Camino Real as he k... [click for more]
El Camino Real (as Father Serra Knew It And Helped Blaze It)This plaque was placed on the 250th anniversary of the birth of California's apostle, Padre Junípero Serra, OFM, to mark El Camino Real as he k... [click for more]
Entrance of the San Carlos Into San Francisco BayOn August 5, 1775, the Spanish packet San Carlos, under the command of Lieutenant Juan Manuel de Ayala, became the first ship to enter San Francisco B... [click for more]
Farnsworth’s Green Street LabIn a simple laboratory on this site, 202 Green Street, Philo Taylor Farnsworth, U.S. pioneer in electronics, invented and patented the first operation... [click for more]
First Dynamite Factory In United StatesThe first commercial manufacturing of dynamite in the U.S. occurred in what is now Glen Canyon Park. On March 19, 1868, the Giant Powder Company began... [click for more]
Fort GunnybagsThis is the site of the headquarters of the Vigilance Committee of 1856. On June 21, 1856, Judge David S. Terry was arrested and confined in a cell. T... [click for more]
Golden Gate BridgeConstruction of the bridge started in 1933. Engineer Joseph Strauss and architect Irving Morrow created an extraordinarily beautiful bridge in an extr... [click for more]
Hudson’s Bay Company HeadquartersOn this block, then on Yerba Buena's waterfront, stood the California headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company. Their chief trader, William G. Tae, pu... [click for more]
Juana Briones, Pioneer Settler of Yerba BuenaJuana Briones, born in Hispanic California, was a prominent woman of her time. In the 1830’s and 1840’s she transformed an isolated cove in the then M... [click for more]
Landing Place of Captain J. B. MontgomeryIn the early morning of July 9, 1846, 'when the water came up to Montgomery Street,' Commander John B. Montgomery landed near this spot from the U.S. ... [click for more]
Long WharfIn the spring of 1848, the old Central or Long Wharf was built 'from the bank in the middle of the block between Sacramento and Clay Streets, where Le... [click for more]
Lucas, Turner and Co. Bank (Sherman’s Bank)William Tecumseh Sherman established the branch bank of Lucas, Turner and Co. in San Francisco in 1853, and settled the firm in its own building on th... [click for more]
Montgomery BlockThis is the site of San Francisco's first fireproof building, erected in 1853 by Henry Wager Halleck. It was the headquarters for many outstanding law... [click for more]
Niantic HotelThe emigrant ship Niantic stood on this spot in the early days when the water came up to Montgomery Street. Converted to other uses, it was c... [click for more]
Office of The California Star NewspaperOn this site January 9, 1847, the first newspaper in San Francisco, The California Star - later known as The Alta Californian, ... [click for more]
Old United States MintThis is San Francisco’s second mint (1869). California’s only such Federal Greek Revival structure. Due to unsurpassed productivity, it became a sub-t... [click for more]
Original Site Of The Bancroft LibraryIn 1860 Hubert Howe Bancroft began to collect the wealth of material which was to result in the writing of his monumental history of western North Ame... [click for more]
Portsmouth PlazaNamed for the U.S.S. Portsmouth, commanded by Captain John B. Montgomery, after whom Montgomery Street was named. It was here on the plaza th... [click for more]
Presidio of San FranciscoFormally established on September 17, 1776, the San Francisco Presidio has been used as a military headquarters by Spain, Mexico, and the United State... [click for more]
Rincon HillA fashionable neighborhood in the 1860s, Rincon Hill was the home of William Tecumseh Sherman, William C. Ralston, William Gwin, H. H. Bancroft, and o... [click for more]
Sarcophagus of Thomas Starr KingApostle of liberty, humanitarian, Unitarian minister, who in the Civil War bound California to the Union and led her to excel all other states in supp... [click for more]
Shoreline MarkersThis tablet marks the shoreline of San Francisco Bay at the time of the discovery of gold in California, January 24, 1848. Map reproduced above deline... [click for more]
Site Of First Jewish Religious Services In San FranciscoIn a second-floor room in a store that once stood here, forty pioneers of the Jewish faith gathered on September 26, 1849, Yom Kippur (5610), and part... [click for more]
Site Of Laurel Hill CemeteryThe builders of the West, civic and military leaders, jurists, inventors, artists, and eleven United States Senators are buried here, on the most reve... [click for more]
Site Of The Mark Hopkins Institute Of ArtIn February 1893, Mr. Edward F. Searles donated the Hopkins Mansion to the University of California in trust for the San Francisco Art Institute for '... [click for more]
Site of Brick Building of The Firm of Mellus and HowardIn the Mellus and Howard Warehouse, erected on this site in 1848, the Society of California Pioneers, oldest historical society in the state, was orga... [click for more]
Site of First California State FairCalifornia's first state fair was held on this site on October 4, 1854. Sponsored by the California State Agricultural Society, the exhibition of 'hor... [click for more]
Site of First U.S. Branch Mint in CaliforniaThe first United States branch mint in San Francisco was authorized by Congress July 3, 1852 and opened for operation April 3, 1854. Dr. L. A. Birdsal... [click for more]
Site of Invention Of The Three Reel Bell Slot MachineCharles August Fey invented the first coin-operated, three-reel slot machine in San Francisco in 1895. Fey continued to manufacture the popular 'Liber... [click for more]
Site of Parrott Granite BlockThe Parrott Block was erected in 1852 by John Parrott, an importer and banker. The three-story building, built by Chinese labor, was of granite blocks... [click for more]
Site of The First Meeting of Freemasons Held in CaliforniaOn November 9, 1849, a charter was granted by the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia for the organization of California Lodge 13, now California ... [click for more]
Telegraph HillA signal station was erected on Telegraph Hill in 1849 from which to observe the incoming vessels, a tall pole with movable arms was used to signal to... [click for more]
The ConservatoryCalifornia’s first municipal greenhouse was completed in 1879. Patterned after The Conservatory, Kew Gardens, England, it was a distinguished example ... [click for more]
Treasure Island, Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939-40This artificial island was constructed of bay sand in 1936-7. It was the site of the Golden Gate International Exposition, February 18, 1939-September... [click for more]
Ukrania, Site of Agapius Honcharenko Farmstead“Ukraina” is the site of the farm and burial place of the Ukrainian patriot and exiled orthodox priest Agapius Honcharenko (1832-1916) and... [click for more]
Union SquareThis was the center of San Francisco in pioneer days, deeded for public use January 3, 1850 during the administration of John White Geary, first mayor... [click for more]
Western Business Headquarters of Russell, Majors, And Waddell- Founders, Owners, And Operators Of The Pony ExpressThis was the site of the western business headquarters of Russell, Majors, and Waddell-founders, owners, and operators of the Pony Express, 1860-1861.... [click for more]
Woodward’s GardensR. B. Woodward opened his gardens to the public in 1866 as an amusement park catering to all tastes, and it remained San Francisco's most popular reso... [click for more]
