Published by Heritage House Publishers, PO Box 194242, San Francisco, CA 94119. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Historic San Francisco: A Concise History and Guide

Richards, Rand

Arts & Photography

Heritage House Pub

Historic Walks in San Francisco will take you back in time as you follow 18 self-guided walks down city streets. Besides vivid stories about the sites and buildings along the way and anecdotes about the colorful characters associated with them, you will read tales about such well-known figures as Jack London, Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant, the Emperor Norton, Lenny Bruce, and Janis Joplin, all of whom plated roles in San Francisco's vibrant history. The author also has unearthed such lesser-known gems of the past as: Television was invented in San Francisco in 1927 by a Mormon farm boy. Bull-versus-bear fights were held in the Mission District. Cartoonist Rube Goldberg owned a brothel in Chinatown. A peculiar artifact was found in an 1879 time capsule and what is in the time capsule that will be opened in 2079. Illustrated with easy-to-follow maps and dozens of historic photographs, many of them rarely seen, the book covers more than 400 locations in its 18 walks, each lasting two hours or less. Brimming with insight and the odd fact, laced with humor and drama, Historic Walks in San Francisco sheds new light on the history of one of America's most renowned cities.

Historic Walks in San Francisco: 18 Trails Through the City's Past

History

Americas

Despite the devastation of 1906, historic buildings and artifacts survive from every period of San Francisco's history. This lively narrative of The City from its very beginnings all the way through the earthquake of 1989 tells how to find the historic buildings, sights, and artifacts that make that history come alive. Just a few of the things that you will find in Historic San Francisco are the locations of, and the fascinating histories behind: A 1623 Spanish cannon that once guarded the entrance to the Golden Gate. A gold nugget discovered by James Marshall at Coloma in January 1848. The last surviving Nob Hill mansion. Relics from the 1906 earthquake and fire, including clusters of melted dimes and pennies found in the ruins. Illustrated with more than 70 photographs, maps, and engravings, Historic San Francisco also has capsule biographies of ten San Franciscans, and historical walking tours of downtown San Francisco, Chinatown, Nob Hill, and Haight-Ashbury.

Travel

United States

San Francisco in 1849 was a time and place like no other in American history. As word of the discovery of gold in California spread, people from all over the world descended on San Francisco--ground zero for the avalanche of humanity and goods pouring into the fabled El Dorado. There have been many books on the Gold Rush, but Mud, Blood, and Gold is the first to focus solely on San Francisco as it was at the peak of the gold frenzy. With a 'you are there' immediacy author Rand Richards vividly brings to life what San Francisco was like during the landmark year of 1849. Based on eyewitness accounts and previously overlooked official records, Richards chronicles the explosive growth of a wide-open town rife with violence, gambling, and prostitution, all of it fueled by unbridled greed.

Mud, Blood, and Gold: San Francisco in 1849

San Francisco, 1849. It was a time and place like no other in American history. As word of the discovery of gold in California spread, people from all over the world descended on San Francisco--ground zero for the avalanche of humanity and goods pouring into the fabled El Dorado.There have been many books on the Gold Rush, but Mud, Blood, and Gold is the first to focus solely on San Francisco as it was at the peak of the gold frenzy. With a 'you are there' immediacy, author Rand Richards vividly brings to life what San Francisco was like during the landmark year of 1849. Based on eyewitness accounts and previously overlooked official records, Richards chronicles the explosive growth of a wide-open town rife with violence, gambling, and prostitution, all of it fueled by unbridled greed.At the beginning of 1848, the California village of Yerba Buena had fewer than 1,000 inhabitants and was technically still Mexican territory. On January 24, foreman James Marshall picked up some glittering morsels of gold from the American River, and what was soon called our national madness quickly began. The Gold Rush transformed the nation, fueling the rapid growth of Yerba Buena, which was soon renamed San Francisco. Within several months the population had mushroomed to more than 25,000. Soon after, the forty-niners poured into the gold fields from around the world, driving even greater growth of the city.This is not a history of the Gold Rush itself; rather, Richards has written a concise and engrossing study of a year in the life of San Francisco, illustrating how it was transformed into a metropolis overnight. It is an exciting, often humorous, often sad story filled with colorful characters, boundless greed, and brilliant innovation. Some of the players, such as William Tecumseh Sherman, would go on to greater fame.Fifty-two illustrations, appendix, chronology, bibliography, and index.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Richards, Rand. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Richards, Rand

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Richards, Rand. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Historic San Francisco: A Concise History and Guide

Historic Walks in San Francisco: 18 Trails Through the City's Past

Historic San Francisco: A Concise History and Guide

Mud, Blood, and Gold: San Francisco in 1849

Mud, Blood, and Gold: San Francisco in 1849