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132-603: Charles R. McCormick Lumber Company was founded in 1908 by Charles R. McCormick in San Francisco , California . McCormick purchased a mill site in St. Helens, and formed the Helens Mill Company . To feed the mill McCormick's St. Helens Timber Company also purchased 4,000 acres of timber. In 1912 McCormick formed the St. Helens Lumber Company as parent company over Helens Mill Company and

264-442: A 103-foot (31 m) tall cross built in 1934. Dominating this area is Sutro Tower , a large red and white radio and television transmission tower reaching 1,811 ft (552 m) above sea level. The nearby San Andreas and Hayward Faults are responsible for much earthquake activity, although neither physically passes through the city itself. The San Andreas Fault caused the earthquakes in 1906 and 1989. Minor earthquakes occur on

396-710: A 2023 estimated population of over 9 million. Prior to European settlement , the modern city proper was inhabited by the Yelamu , who spoke a language now referred to as Ramaytush Ohlone . On June 29, 1776, settlers from New Spain established the Presidio of San Francisco at the Golden Gate , and the Mission San Francisco de Asís a few miles away, both named for Francis of Assisi . The California gold rush of 1849 brought rapid growth, transforming an unimportant hamlet into

528-416: A GDP of $ 729 billion in 2022 . The wider San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland Combined Statistical Area is the nation's fifth-most populous, with around nine million residents, and the third-largest by economic output, with a GDP of $ 1.32 trillion in 2022 . In the same year, San Francisco proper had a GDP of $ 252.2 billion, and a GDP per capita of $ 312,000. San Francisco was ranked fifth in the world and second in

660-572: A busy port, making it the largest city on the West Coast at the time; between 1870 and 1900, approximately one quarter of California's population resided in the city proper. In 1856, San Francisco became a consolidated city-county . After three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire , it was quickly rebuilt, hosting the Panama–Pacific International Exposition nine years later. In World War II , it

792-472: A cargo of consisting mostly of jute and gunny sacks in addition to 1,000 tons of rubber, and was subsequently put into drydock of Moore Shipbuilding Company for reconditioning. At the same time USSB also decided to rename all of the big liners in honor of the United States presidents, with Wolverine State becoming President Harrison . The rebuilding work was finalized by June and President Harrison

924-611: A common place to live for people employed in Silicon Valley companies such as Apple and Google . The early 2020s featured an exodus of tech companies from Downtown San Francisco in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and struggles with homelessness and public drug use. Although some observers have raised the possibility that office vacancies and declining tax revenues could cause San Francisco to enter an economic doom loop , other sources have refuted this broad-based characterization of

1056-497: A different vessel and continue their journey. The ships were to call at Honolulu, Kobe , Shanghai , Hong Kong , Manila, Singapore, Penang , Colombo , Suez , Alexandria , Naples , Genoa , Marseille and from there proceed directly to Boston and finish their trip in New York. The cost of such a trip from San Francisco to New York would range from $ 1,000 to $ 1,440 depending on the service and type of accommodations. From New York

1188-571: A fleet of new locomotives. Puget Mill had previously purchased on option on the southern branch of the Port Townsend & Southern Railroad, including the line between Port Discovery and Quilcene, Washington. McCormick closed the sale, and used the line to feed timber from company lands in the Quilcene River and Snow Creek valleys to the mills at Port Gamble and Port Ludlow. (Logs were hauled a log dumps at Linger Longer Bay near Quilcene, dumped into

1320-640: A flood of treasure seekers (known as "forty-niners," as in "1849"). With their sourdough bread in tow, prospectors accumulated in San Francisco over rival Benicia , raising the population from 1,000 in 1848 to 25,000 by December 1849. The promise of wealth was so strong that crews on arriving vessels deserted and rushed off to the gold fields, leaving behind a forest of masts in San Francisco harbor. Some of these approximately 500 abandoned ships were used at times as storeships , saloons , and hotels; many were left to rot, and some were sunk to establish title to

1452-452: A fort on Alcatraz Island to secure San Francisco Bay. San Francisco County was one of the state's 18 original counties established at California statehood in 1850. Until 1856, San Francisco's city limits extended west to Divisadero Street and Castro Street, and south to 20th Street. In 1856, the California state government divided the county. A straight line was then drawn across the tip of

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1584-477: A gourmet marketplace. San Francisco has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen : Csb , Trewartha : Csll), characteristic of California's coast, with moist winters and dry summers. San Francisco's weather is strongly influenced by the cool currents of the Pacific Ocean on the west side of the city, and the water of San Francisco Bay to the north and east. This moderates temperature swings and produces

1716-613: A journey to cross the country, visit Alaska Territory, travel south along the West Coast, then go by ship from San Diego through the Panama Canal to Puerto Rico . President Harrison was selected initially to serve as a vessel by which the President would undertake such travel. The ship's accommodations were to be refurbished and rebuilt in anticipation of important passenger, and all passenger reservations were preemptively cancelled to ensure

1848-554: A large African American population after World War II . The Western Addition is usually divided into smaller neighborhoods including Hayes Valley , the Fillmore , and Japantown , which was once the largest Japantown in North America but suffered when its Japanese American residents were forcibly removed and interned during World War II. The Western Addition survived the 1906 earthquake with its Victorians largely intact, including

1980-453: A logging railroad and timberland near Castle Rock, Washington, which operated out of Camp Cowlitz. Because of his overspending on upgrades and other properties (as well as fluctuations in the lumber market) McCormick struggled to keep the operations afloat, particularly struggling to make his payments to the Pope and Talbot principals. The Pope & Talbot team intervened, taking partial control of

2112-578: A magnet for America's counterculture movement . Beat Generation writers fueled the San Francisco Renaissance and centered on the North Beach neighborhood in the 1950s. Hippies flocked to Haight-Ashbury in the 1960s, reaching a peak with the 1967 Summer of Love . In 1974, the Zebra murders left at least 16 people dead. In the 1970s, the city became a center of the gay rights movement , with

2244-533: A mud bank. Three were killed when a lifeboat was cut in half by her propellers during the abandoning of the ship. The crew and troops, 156 in total, were sent to prisoner of war camps. They were some of the first US POWs of World War II. In the POW camp, 12 of the ship's crew died; three were shot dead exiting the ship. Some of the crew were sent to coal mine forced labor camps in Hokkaido, Japan . Japan salvaged and repaired

2376-550: A population of 808,988 residents as of 2023, San Francisco is the fourth-most populous city in the U.S. state of California behind Los Angeles , San Diego , and San Jose . It covers a land area of 46.9 square miles (121 square kilometers) at the upper end of the San Francisco Peninsula , making it the second-most densely populated major U.S. city behind New York City and the fifth-most densely populated U.S. county , behind four of New York City's boroughs . Among

2508-440: A port and naval base, post-Conquest San Francisco was still a small settlement with inhospitable geography. Situated at the tip of a windswept peninsula without water or firewood, San Francisco lacked most of the basic facilities for a 19th-century settlement. These natural disadvantages forced the town's residents to bring water, fuel and food to the site. Its 1847 population was said to be 459. The California gold rush brought

2640-424: A regular basis. The threat of major earthquakes plays a large role in the city's infrastructure development. The city constructed an auxiliary water supply system and has repeatedly upgraded its building codes, requiring retrofits for older buildings and higher engineering standards for new construction. However, there are still thousands of smaller buildings that remain vulnerable to quake damage. USGS has released

2772-432: A remarkably mild year-round climate with little seasonal temperature variation. SS President Harrison After the United States entry into World War I , a large shipbuilding program was undertaken to restore and enhance shipping capabilities both of the United States and their Allies. As part of this program, EFC placed orders with nation's shipyards for a large number of vessels of standard designs. Design 1095 ship

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2904-583: A significant portion of the Comstock Lode 's gold and silver mines, establishing a virtual monopoly. Using his incredible clout, Ralston was able to generate millions of dollars for San Francisco during its heady boom years. He founded the Bank of California , the first bank in the Western United States, and built the opulent Palace Hotel, a symbol of San Francisco's newfound prosperity and the largest hotel in

3036-460: A spacious public park, resulting in plans for Golden Gate Park . San Franciscans built schools, churches, theaters, and all the hallmarks of civic life. The Presidio developed into the most important American military installation on the Pacific coast. By 1890, San Francisco's population approached 300,000, making it the eighth-largest city in the United States at the time. Around 1901, San Francisco

3168-420: A steel hull with double bottom throughout, and two sets of four-cylinder vertical inverted triple expansion steam engines , with cylinders of 24-inch (61 cm), 40 + 1 ⁄ 2 -inch (103 cm), 54-inch (140 cm) and 54-inch (140 cm) diameter with a 45-inch (110 cm) stroke , that drove two screw propellers and moved the ship at up to 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The steam for

3300-543: A suitable replacement steamer. President Harrison departed Honolulu on November 4 with passengers and cargo consisting of typical Hawaiian exports, such as bananas and pineapples. The Shipping Board then extended her lease with the Los Angeles Steamship Co. for four trips, and then for one extra trip in January 1923, before finally allocating the steamer to Swayne & Hoyt in early February. President Harrison

3432-479: A wave of " Manhattanization " that lasted until the late 1980s, a period of extensive high-rise development downtown. The 1980s also saw a dramatic increase in the number of homeless people in the city, an issue that remains today, despite many attempts to address it. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake caused destruction and loss of life throughout the Bay Area. In San Francisco, the quake severely damaged structures in

3564-483: Is essentially their original form, but most of the city's natural watercourses, such as Islais Creek and Mission Creek , have been partially or completely culverted and built over. Since the 1990s, however, the Public Utilities Commission has been studying proposals to daylight or restore some creeks. An Historical Center of San Francisco monument, where the 1899–1906 City Hall was once located,

3696-408: Is gone." Rebuilding was rapid and performed on a grand scale. Rejecting calls to completely remake the street grid, San Franciscans opted for speed. Amadeo Giannini 's Bank of Italy , later to become Bank of America , provided loans for many of those whose livelihoods had been devastated. The influential San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association or SPUR was founded in 1910 to address

3828-566: Is in United Nations Plaza , at 37°46′48″N 122°24′49″W  /  37.7800397°N 122.4135943°W  / 37.7800397; -122.4135943 The earliest center of San Francisco is Portsmouth Square , in the northeast quadrant of the city anchored by Market Street and the waterfront. Here in the northeast quadrant, the Financial District is centered, with Union Square , the principal shopping and hotel district, and

3960-614: The Bear Flag Revolt in Sonoma and the beginning of the U.S. Conquest of California , American forces from the USS Portsmouth under the command of John B. Montgomery captured Yerba Buena on July 9, 1846, with little resistance from the local Californio population, raising the American flag over Yerba Buena plaza (later renamed Portsmouth Square in commemoration of this event). Following

4092-562: The California earthquake forecast which models earthquake occurrence in California. San Francisco's shoreline has grown beyond its natural limits. Entire neighborhoods such as the Marina , Mission Bay , and Hunters Point , as well as large sections of the Embarcadero , sit on areas of landfill . Treasure Island was constructed from material dredged from the bay as well as material resulting from

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4224-785: The Golden Gate Bridge , cable cars , and Alcatraz . The city is home to a number of educational and cultural institutions, such as the University of California, San Francisco , the University of San Francisco , San Francisco State University , the San Francisco Conservatory of Music , the de Young Museum , the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art , the San Francisco Symphony , the San Francisco Ballet ,

4356-597: The Great Depression slow down, McCormick closed dock at San Diego in April 1931. In 1925 McCormick expanded again, buying the Puget Mill Company from Pope & Talbot, Inc. He had trouble raising the money to buy the company for cash, but the motivated sellers decided to finance the sale, taking mortgages on everything McCormick owned as security. The deal included almost nothing as a down payment, but stipulated that

4488-508: The Hippodrome . During her third voyage, the ship was reported to be in distress while travelling in the Mediterranean, however, that soon turned out to be a mix-up and the vessel safely arrived at Boston in late February 1925. On her next voyage, President Harrison carried home the body of Pancho Villa after he suddenly died during the operation. In October 1926 while the ship was off

4620-495: The Marina and South of Market districts and precipitated the demolition of the damaged Embarcadero Freeway and much of the damaged Central Freeway , allowing the city to reclaim The Embarcadero as its historic downtown waterfront and revitalizing the Hayes Valley neighborhood. The two recent decades have seen booms driven by the internet industry. During the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, startup companies invigorated

4752-601: The Pacific Argentine Brazil Line . Pacific Argentine Brazil Line Routes: Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Bahia Blanca, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Santos, Bahia, and Puerto Colombia. President Hayes (1920) (was Creole State) and President Harrison (was Wolverine State), Design 1095 ships 1927 Ships: Ships 1940, ports: Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Balboa, Cristobal, Norfolk, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, San Juan McCormick Steamship Company's fleet of ships were used to help

4884-489: The Panama Canal on January 31 and arrived at Los Angeles on February 11 after largely an uneventful journey, successfully completing her maiden voyage. She then continued to San Francisco and after loading about 920 tons of freight and embarking ten passengers departed for Honolulu on February 25. After encountering stormy weather on her way to Hawaii, Wolverine State reached her destination on March 4. She sailed out on

5016-802: The San Francisco Opera , the SFJAZZ Center , and the California Academy of Sciences . Two major league sports teams, the San Francisco Giants and the Golden State Warriors , play their home games within San Francisco proper. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) offers flights to over 125 destinations, while a light rail and bus network , in tandem with the BART and Caltrain systems, connects nearly every part of San Francisco with

5148-495: The Tenderloin nearby. Cable cars carry riders up steep inclines to the summit of Nob Hill , once the home of the city's business tycoons, and down to the waterfront tourist attractions of Fisherman's Wharf , and Pier 39 , where many restaurants feature Dungeness crab from a still-active fishing industry. Also in this quadrant are Russian Hill , a residential neighborhood with the famously crooked Lombard Street ; North Beach ,

5280-807: The shipyard . St. Helens Shipbuilding Company built ships for the Emergency Fleet Corporation to support World War I Partial list of ships built: The McCormick Steamship Company, McCormick Lines , was organized in 1921, and by 1925 this corporation had 71 ships operating between 23 ports on the Pacific Coast. The ships had lumber cargo and Passenger Service. Became a part of the Pope & Talbot line in 1938. 1919 Ports: San Diego, Los Angeles (San Pedro), San Francisco, Portland, Hoquiam, Aberdeen, and Seattle McCormick Steamship Company Ships in 1919: Ships 1927, ports: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland In 1927 McCormick Steamship Company purchased

5412-461: The 1910s, a wave of Central American immigrants settled in the Mission and, in the 1950s, immigrants from Mexico began to predominate. In recent years, gentrification has changed the demographics of parts of the Mission from Latino, to twenty-something professionals. Noe Valley to the southwest and Bernal Heights to the south are both increasingly popular among young families with children. East of

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5544-409: The 92 U.S. cities proper with over 250,000 residents, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income and sixth by aggregate income as of 2022. San Francisco anchors the 13th most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States , with almost 4.6 million residents in 2023. The larger San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland combined statistical area , the fifth-largest urban region in the U.S., had

5676-620: The Baja California coast, one of the passengers aboard the vessel fell seriously ill, prompting US Navy destroyer Decatur to rush a surgeon team from San Diego to perform an operation on board the liner. The operation was successful and the passenger was transferred to a hospital upon arrival in Los Angeles where she stayed to recover. In the early morning hours on 6 November 1926 while proceeding from Shanghai to Hong Kong in foggy weather, President Harrison ran aground on Bonham Island, off

5808-535: The Bay Area a center for trade. Catering to the needs and tastes of the growing population, Levi Strauss opened a dry goods business and Domingo Ghirardelli began manufacturing chocolate. Chinese immigrants made the city a polyglot culture, drawn to "Old Gold Mountain," creating the city's Chinatown quarter. By 1880, Chinese made up 9.3% of the population. The first cable cars carried San Franciscans up Clay Street in 1873. The city's sea of Victorian houses began to take shape, and civic leaders campaigned for

5940-673: The Birdman of Alcatraz. San Francisco later celebrated its regained grandeur with a World's fair , the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939–40, creating Treasure Island in the middle of the bay to house it. During World War II , the city-owned Sharp Park in Pacifica was used as an internment camp to detain Japanese Americans . Hunters Point Naval Shipyard became a hub of activity, and Fort Mason became

6072-539: The Hood Canal, and towed to the sawmills. This operation was managed out of Camp Talbot, located beside Crocker Lake, south of Port Discovery. He also built new sawmills, in 1926 one at Port Gamble, Washington and one at Port Ludlow . The Port Ludlow logging operations were based at Camp Walker, at the head of Ludlow Bay. McCormick purchased West Fork Logging Company, with timberlands and a logging railroad based at Camp Union, near Seabeck, Washington. McCormick also acquired

6204-473: The Japanese she was run aground on 8 December on Shaweishan Island at 16 knots to rip her bottom out and deny her use to the Japanese. President Harrison struck the edge of the island on her port side and then rolled off. The impact ripped a hole 90 feet long, but didn't reach the engine room spaces. The ship almost turned over, but righted herself. Strong currents then carried her off the rocks and she settled on

6336-472: The McCormick company. McCormick resorted to harvesting the timber on his land at unsustainable rates, trying to try to increase the company's cashflow enough to cover the annual payments to the Pope and Talbot principals. He soon ran low on timber, and when he wasn't able to do any more, in 1938 the Pope and Talbot families foreclosed on the mortgages, forcing McCormick into bankruptcy. The P&T families bought

6468-512: The Mission is the Potrero Hill neighborhood, a mostly residential neighborhood that features sweeping views of downtown San Francisco. West of the Mission, the area historically known as Eureka Valley , now popularly called the Castro , was once a working-class Scandinavian and Irish area. It has become North America's first gay village , and is now the center of gay life in the city. Located near

6600-701: The Outer Richmond and Outer Sunset can refer to the more western portions of their respective district and the Inner Richmond and Inner Sunset can refer to the more eastern portions. Many piers remained derelict for years until the demolition of the Embarcadero Freeway reopened the downtown waterfront, allowing for redevelopment. The centerpiece of the port, the Ferry Building , while still receiving commuter ferry traffic, has been restored and redeveloped as

6732-449: The President would not be disturbed on his voyage. The company even went as far as switch the captains at sea to ensure the most experienced master was navigating the vessel. However, about a month later this arrangement was cancelled and President Harrison instead went back to her usual duties, leaving on her second trip to South America in early August. While President Harrison was on her voyage, Dollar Steamship Company approached

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6864-521: The Presidio garrison, commanded by Mariano Vallejo , relocated to the Presidio of Sonoma , which was regarded as needing a greater military presence due the proximity of the Russian settlement at Fort Ross . Only a small detachment remained at the Presidio of San Francisco. Mission Dolores sold most of its property in 1836, retaining only the church and related structures. In 1833, Juana Briones de Miranda

6996-688: The San Francisco Peninsula just north of San Bruno Mountain . Everything south of the line became the new San Mateo County while everything north of the line became the new consolidated City and County of San Francisco. The California Gold Rush triggered a wave of entrepreneurial activity as individuals sought to capitalize on the newfound wealth. The discovery of silver deposits, notably the Comstock Lode in Nevada in 1859, further fueled rapid population growth and economic expansion. San Francisco, as

7128-453: The San Francisco economy. Large numbers of entrepreneurs and computer application developers moved into the city, followed by marketing, design, and sales professionals, changing the social landscape as once poorer neighborhoods became increasingly gentrified . Demand for new housing and office space ignited a second wave of high-rise development, this time in the South of Market district. By 2000,

7260-636: The Shipping Board about acquiring seven steamers to serve on their proposed round-the-world passenger service to be run between San Francisco and New York via East Asia and the Mediterranean . The deal was struck in early September 1923 and President Harrison together with six of her sister ships were purchased by the Dollar Steamship Co. for $ 550,000 each. President Harrison returned to California on 21 October 1923 and after unloading her cargo

7392-538: The Shipping Board officially announced the removal of all three vessels from the route, although the Pacific Mail managed to retain two of the withdrawn steamers for a shorter route to Honolulu and the Philippines . The Shipping Board also agreed to recondition and rebuilt both vessels to increase the number of steerage passengers to approximately 220. The steamer arrived home from her last trip to India in mid-April with

7524-529: The Shipping Board representatives the next day. Upon delivery to her owners, Wolverine State was immediately allocated to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company to operate on their route between the West Coast of the United States and East Asia . The vessel then proceeded to Baltimore where she took on board a token load of general cargo and 71 passengers before sailing out on 22 January 1921 bound for San Francisco . The ship passed through

7656-641: The Shipping Board was going to discontinue the service to India as unprofitable. Wolverine State returned home from her second trip in early September via Hawaii where she loaded part cargo of pineapples , hides and tallow . Upon arrival, several members of her crew were arrested for an attempted smuggling of 48 quart bottles of whiskey. Regardless of the rumors, Wolverine State departed for her third trip to India in mid-October, carrying among other cargo approximately 100,000 feet of cedar lumber, ordered by Japanese to make pencils, but believed by many to be used in production of airplanes. On her return trip, one of

7788-500: The Spanish ship San Carlos , commanded by Juan Manuel de Ayala , became the first ship to anchor in the bay. Soon after, on March 28, 1776, Anza established the Presidio of San Francisco . On October 9, Mission San Francisco de Asís , also known as Mission Dolores, was founded by Padre Francisco Palóu . In 1794, the Presidio established the Castillo de San Joaquín , a fortification on

7920-401: The St. Helens Timber Company. In 1912 McCormick expanded the company with a second sawmill, a creosoting plant and shipyard , the St. Helens shipyard . McCormick also expanded into San Diego , California with a railroad ties factory, to supply Santa Fe Railway and the mines of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. At the San Diego site, he built a dock to unload his timbers. With

8052-508: The USSB, being the sponsor. While the vessel was primarily designed for cargo transportation, she also possessed first-class accommodations for 78 passengers. Wolverine State had three decks and also had weather decks constructed on top amidships. A dining hall, a smoking room and a social hall were built and made available for passenger entertainment. The vessel was built on the transverse system of framing and had her hull subdivided into fourteen watertight compartments. She also possessed all

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8184-417: The United States on the Global Financial Centres Index as of September 2023 . Despite a continuing exodus of businesses from the downtown area of San Francisco, the city is still home to numerous companies inside and outside of technology, including Salesforce , Uber , Airbnb , X , Levi's , Gap , Dropbox , and Lyft . In 2022, San Francisco had more than 1.7 million international visitors –

8316-404: The White House to the operator on President Harrison , and the steamer left her berth to the cheers of nearly 5,000 spectators and notable guests, including mayor of San Francisco James Rolph Jr. , John Philip Sousa and Admiral Edward R. Simpson, to inaugurate the service. The ship arrived at Boston on 25 March 1924 after 79 days long voyage, one day behind the schedule, to successfully complete

8448-400: The World War II effort. During World War II, McCormick Steamship Company operated Merchant navy ships for the United States Shipping Board . During World War II McCormick Steamship Company was active with charter shipping with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration . McCormick Steamship Company operated Liberty ships and Victory ships for the merchant navy . The ship

8580-454: The afternoon of 21 August 1929 President Harrison spotted a lifeboat carrying 13 survivors from old German steamer SS Quimistan near Sable Island . The second lifeboat with 13 more survivors, including the captain, was found an hour and a half later. Quimistan was on her last voyage from Norfolk to Genoa to be scrapped there, when she suddenly developed a leak in the afternoon of August 18. After several hours of trying unsuccessfully to stop

8712-405: The area. Further development is taking place just to the south in Mission Bay area, a former railroad yard, which now has a second campus of the University of California, San Francisco and Chase Center , which opened in 2019 as the new home of the Golden State Warriors . West of downtown, across Van Ness Avenue , lies the large Western Addition neighborhood, which became established with

8844-457: The arts and sciences, spurred by leading universities , high-tech , healthcare, finance, insurance, real estate, and professional services sectors. As of 2020 , the metropolitan area, with 4.5 million residents, ranked 5th by GDP ($ 874 billion) and 2nd by GDP per capita ($ 131,082) across the OECD countries, ahead of global cities like Paris , London , and Singapore . It is the fourth-largest by aggregate income and economic output, with

8976-429: The beginning of the assimilation of the Ramaytush people, and the decline of their language and culture. The Spanish Empire claimed San Francisco as part of Las Californias , a province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain . The Spanish first arrived in what is now San Francisco on November 2, 1769, when the Portolá expedition led by Don Gaspar de Portolá and Juan Crespí arrived at San Francisco Bay . Having noted

9108-429: The cabins as well as addition of the covered promenade deck . The contract for remodeling was awarded to the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company and the work on President Harrison commenced soon after her arrival from her regular round-the-world trip. It took more than two months to finish the upgrades, and President Harrison sailed out from Newport News on 29 April 1929 to resume her regular service. In

9240-426: The capture, U.S. forces appointed both José de Jesús Noé and Washington Allon Bartlett to serve as co- alcaldes (mayors), while the conquest continued on in the rest of California. On January 30, 1847, Mayor Bartlett ordained that the city should officially change its name from "Yerba Buena" to "San Francisco", as the former name was only locally recognized and the latter name was in use on international maps. There

9372-400: The city and burned out of control for several days. With water mains out of service, the Presidio Artillery Corps attempted to contain the inferno by dynamiting blocks of buildings to create firebreaks. More than three-quarters of the city lay in ruins, including almost all of the downtown core. Contemporary accounts reported that 498 people died, though modern estimates put the number in

9504-516: The city as a whole, asserting that the issues of concern are restricted primarily to the urban core of San Francisco. As of March 2024, Union Square was in "sorry shape" and had lost its traditional position as the Bay Area's regional shopping hub to Westfield Valley Fair in San Jose. The Ferry Station Post Office Building , Armour & Co. Building , Atherton House , and YMCA Hotel are historic buildings among dozens of historical landmarks in

9636-541: The city's Little Italy and the former center of the Beat Generation ; and Telegraph Hill , which features Coit Tower . Abutting Russian Hill and North Beach is San Francisco's Chinatown , the oldest Chinatown in North America. The South of Market , which was once San Francisco's industrial core, has seen significant redevelopment following the construction of Oracle Park and an infusion of startup companies . New skyscrapers, live-work lofts, and condominiums dot

9768-479: The city's alcalde , renamed it from Yerba Buena (Spanish for "Good Herb"), which had been the name of the first civilian pueblo in San Francisco, as well as the name of Yerba Buena Cove , which the pueblo was on the shore of. Earlier in San Francisco's history, the uninhabited area on the northeastern side of San Francisco was called El Paraje de Yerba Buena , after the herb that was growing abundantly there. The name Yerba Buena continues to be used in locations in

9900-417: The city's population reached new highs, surpassing the previous record set in 1950. When the bubble burst in 2001 and again in 2023, many of these companies folded and their employees were laid off. Yet high technology and entrepreneurship remain mainstays of the San Francisco economy. By the mid-2000s (decade), the social media boom had begun, with San Francisco becoming a popular location for tech offices and

10032-560: The city's southern border, the Excelsior District is one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in San Francisco. The Bayview-Hunters Point in the far southeast corner of the city is one of the poorest neighborhoods, though the area has been the focus of several revitalizing and urban renewal projects. The construction of the Twin Peaks Tunnel in 1918 connected southwest neighborhoods to downtown via streetcar, hastening

10164-563: The city, according to the National Register of Historic Places listings in San Francisco . San Francisco is located on the West Coast of the United States , at the north end of the San Francisco Peninsula and includes significant stretches of the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay within its boundaries. Several picturesque islands — Alcatraz , Treasure Island and the adjacent Yerba Buena Island , and small portions of Alameda Island , Red Rock Island , and Angel Island —are part of

10296-839: The city, such as on Yerba Buena Island and in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and Yerba Buena Gardens . While people residing outside the San Francisco Bay Area use nicknames including "Frisco" and "San Fran", local residents in the Bay Area sometimes refer to San Francisco as "the City" or "SF". The choice of nickname a person uses is a common way for locals to distinguish long-time residents from tourists and recent arrivals. "San Fran" and "Frisco" are sometimes considered controversial as nicknames among San Francisco residents. The earliest archeological evidence of human habitation of

10428-432: The city. Also included are the uninhabited Farallon Islands , 27 miles (43 km) offshore in the Pacific Ocean. The mainland within the city limits roughly forms a "seven-by-seven-mile square," a common local colloquialism referring to the city's shape, though its total area, including water, is nearly 232 square miles (600 km ). There are more than 50 hills within the city limits. Some neighborhoods are named after

10560-507: The country at the time. His financial empire, however, collapsed in 1875 as a result of the Panic of 1873 , triggering a major economic crisis in San Francisco. Development of the Port of San Francisco and the establishment in 1869 of overland access to the eastern U.S. rail system via the newly completed Pacific Railroad (the construction of which the city only reluctantly helped support ) helped make

10692-446: The cylinders on her engines cracked and exploded, forcing the ship to reduce her speed significantly. After an 18-hour long struggle to repair the blown cylinder in super-heated environment, the crew managed to fix the problem Wolverine State managed to catch up on her lost time and reached her destination only three hours behind her scheduled arrival time on January 10, 1922. After Wolverine State departed for her last voyage to India,

10824-408: The decks, had submarine signal system installed and was equipped with wireless apparatus. As built, the ship was 502.1 feet (153.0 m) long ( between perpendiculars ) and 62.2 feet (19.0 m) abeam , and had a depth of 28.3 feet (8.6 m). Wolverine State was originally assessed at 10,533  GRT and 6,195  NRT and had deadweight tonnage of approximately 13,000. The vessel had

10956-678: The development of West Portal , and nearby affluent Forest Hill and St. Francis Wood . Further west, stretching all the way to the Pacific Ocean and north to Golden Gate Park lies the vast Sunset District , a large middle-class area with a predominantly Asian population. The northwestern quadrant of the city contains the Richmond , a mostly middle-class neighborhood north of Golden Gate Park, home to immigrants from other parts of Asia as well as many Russian and Ukrainian immigrants. Together, these areas are known as The Avenues . These two districts are each sometimes further divided into two regions:

11088-500: The emergence of The Castro as an urban gay village , the election of Harvey Milk to the Board of Supervisors , and his assassination , along with that of Mayor George Moscone , in 1978. Bank of America , now based in Charlotte , North Carolina , was founded in San Francisco; the bank completed 555 California Street in 1969. The Transamerica Pyramid was completed in 1972, igniting

11220-467: The engines was supplied by six single-ended Scotch marine boilers fitted for oil fuel. The sea trials were held on 5 January 1921 in the Delaware Bay, off Cape Henlopen . The ship was able to achieve an average speed of 15 knots (28 km/h) over the measured mile, and top speed of 16.5 knots, exceeding her contract requirements. After successful completion of sea trials, the ship was turned over to

11352-748: The excavation of the Yerba Buena Tunnel through Yerba Buena Island during the construction of the Bay Bridge. Such land tends to be unstable during earthquakes. The resulting soil liquefaction causes extensive damage to property built upon it, as was evidenced in the Marina district during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake . A few natural lakes and creeks ( Lake Merced , Mountain Lake , Pine Lake , Lobos Creek , El Polin Spring ) are within parks and remain protected in what

11484-520: The fact that there were no churches to be found, prompted missionaries like William Taylor to come to San Francisco where he began preaching in the streets, using an upright barrel as his pulpit. Taylor was able to garner enough generous donations from successful gold miners with which he used to build a church. One of the most influential figures of this era was William Chapman Ralston . A shrewd banker and investor, Ralston amassed considerable wealth and influence in San Francisco. He gained control over

11616-489: The famous " Painted Ladies ," standing alongside Alamo Square . To the south, near the geographic center of the city is Haight-Ashbury , famously associated with 1960s hippie culture. The Haight is now home to some expensive boutiques and a few controversial chain stores, although it still retains some bohemian character. North of the Western Addition is Pacific Heights , an affluent neighborhood that features

11748-407: The fifth-most visited city from abroad in the United States after New York City, Miami , Orlando , and Los Angeles – and approximately 20 million domestic visitors for a total of 21.9 million visitors. It is known for its steep rolling hills and eclectic mix of architecture across varied neighborhoods , its Chinatown and Mission districts, its cooling summers, fog , and landmarks including

11880-593: The first land grant in Yerba Buena: to William Richardson , a naturalized Mexican citizen of English birth. Richardson had arrived in San Francisco aboard a whaling ship in 1822. In 1825, he married Maria Antonia Martinez, eldest daughter of the Californio Ygnacio Martínez . Yerba Buena began to attract American and European settlers; an 1842 census listed 21 residents (11%) born in the United States or Europe, as well as one Filipino merchant. Following

12012-422: The first leg of her inaugural trip. President Harrison returned to California at the end of April, successfully completing her first round-the world voyage in approximately 110 days. The vessel continued serving roughly the same route until the start of World War II . On her second trip President Harrison picked up a group of Siamese dancers and performers at Singapore and brought them to New York to perform at

12144-400: The funnel. The steamer had to stop and after an investigation it was discovered that large number of 2x4 planks were left in the air space separating the inner and out linings of the funnel. It took approximately five to six hours to clear out the chimney, but the ship suffered no damage and was able to proceed on her journey. While the vessel was still on her trip, rumors started appearing that

12276-511: The gateway to the goldfields, experienced a surge in population and commercial activity. However, the influx of fortune seekers also brought challenges. Lawlessness was rampant, and the Barbary Coast district became synonymous with vice, attracting criminals, prostitutes, and illicit activities, including but not limited to prostitution, bootlegging , and gambling. The rapidly growing population, with its lawlessness, gambling and other vices, and

12408-453: The hill on which they are situated, including Nob Hill , Potrero Hill , and Russian Hill . Near the geographic center of the city, southwest of the downtown area, are a series of less densely populated hills. Twin Peaks , a pair of hills forming one of the city's highest points, forms an overlook spot. San Francisco's tallest hill, Mount Davidson , is 928 feet (283 m) high and is capped with

12540-551: The homes built by wealthy San Franciscans in the wake of the 1906 earthquake. Directly north of Pacific Heights facing the waterfront is the Marina , a neighborhood popular with young professionals that was largely built on reclaimed land from the Bay. In the southeast quadrant of the city is the Mission District —populated in the 19th century by Californios and working-class immigrants from Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Scandinavia. In

12672-533: The larger Port of Oakland . The city began to lose industrial jobs and turned to tourism as the most important segment of its economy. The suburbs experienced rapid growth, and San Francisco underwent significant demographic change, as large segments of the white population left the city, supplanted by an increasing wave of immigration from Asia and Latin America. From 1950 to 1980, the city lost over 10 percent of its population. Over this period, San Francisco became

12804-419: The missions were made to divest themselves of their extensive landholdings and emancipate the indigenous people under their control. As part of the process of secularization, Governor José Figueroa opened up San Francisco to civilian settlement. Prior to secularization, the only settlements in San Francisco had been the military settlement at the Presidio and the religious settlement at Mission Dolores. In 1835,

12936-401: The modern machinery for quick loading and unloading of cargo from nine main hatches, including thirty two 6-ton and one 30-ton booms and twenty steam winches . She also had two of her storage chambers totaling approximately 1,300 tons equipped with refrigerating machinery for transportation of perishable goods such as meat, fruits and vegetables. The ship had electric lights in cabins and along

13068-447: The money Mr. McCormick HAD been able to raise toward the purchase must be spent on upgrading the existing facilities. The sale closed on October 16, 1925. Mr. McCormick had no trouble spending money on the upgrades. In fact, it is said that he just told his people to "buy the best" and left them to their devices. Very quickly the budget was overspent, often on equipment that wasn't necessarily needed—including top-tier logging equipment and

13200-578: The mouth of the Yangtze River . As a result of grounding, she sustained considerable damage to her bottom prompting passenger evacuation. The steamer was refloated next day and was able to proceed to Shanghai under her own power where she entered the drydock for repairs. The grounding forced the Dollar Lines to adjust their schedules as it was learned the work on President Harrison would take several months to finalize. It took almost two months to complete

13332-473: The period of Mexican rule , although it was not until 1833 that the missions would be secularized. Agricultural land became largely privatized as ranchos , as was occurring in other parts of California. Coastal trade increased, including a half-dozen barques from various Atlantic ports which regularly sailed in California waters. With the enactment of the Mexican Secularization Act of 1833 ,

13464-519: The primary port of embarkation for service members shipping out to the Pacific Theater of Operations . The explosion of jobs drew many people, especially African Americans from the South , to the area. After the end of the war, many military personnel returning from service abroad and civilians who had originally come to work decided to stay. The United Nations Charter creating the United Nations

13596-599: The quality of housing after the earthquake. The earthquake hastened development of western neighborhoods that survived the fire, including Pacific Heights , where many of the city's wealthy rebuilt their homes. In turn, the destroyed mansions of Nob Hill became grand hotels. City Hall rose again in the Beaux Arts style, and the city celebrated its rebirth at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in 1915. During this period, San Francisco built some of its most important infrastructure. Civil Engineer Michael O'Shaughnessy

13728-477: The repairs and the liner was finally able to leave Shanghai at the end of January 1927. In early January 1929 it was announced that the Dollar Steamship Company decided to upgrade and remodel several of their liners, including President Harrison at a total cost of approximately $ 2,000,000 . It was planned to increase the number of available accommodations to about 150 and make general improvements to

13860-584: The rest of McCormick's assets from the bankruptcy sale, reorganized the company as Pope & Talbot , and quickly resumed operations. Over expanded and hit by the Depression, McCormick had to give the Puget Mill Company mill back, also his other companies, and properties to Pope & Talbot. Between 1912 and 1927 the St. Helens shipyard, the St. Helens Shipbuilding Company in St. Helens, Oregon on Sauvie Island just south of Warrior Point, launched 42 wooden ships. The St. Helens shipyard also did repair work at

13992-541: The rise of the beatnik and hippie countercultures, the sexual revolution , the peace movement growing from opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War , and other factors led to the Summer of Love and the gay rights movement, cementing San Francisco as a center of liberal activism in the United States . San Francisco and the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area are a global center of economic activity and

14124-434: The same day bound for Calcutta and reached it on April 3 via Manila and Saigon . The vessel departed Calcutta three weeks later with over 7,000 tons of oriental goods as well as exotic birds and monkeys, and reached San Francisco on May 28, successfully concluding her first trip in the Pacific. She immediately sailed out on her second voyage. During the first night out from San Francisco, flames were observed coming out of

14256-409: The schedule. The ship left Los Angeles on the first trip on her new route on October 23 and reached Hawaii about a week later. In the meantime, USSB assigned President Harrison to Swayne & Hoyt to operate between the West Coast of the United States and ports on the east coast of South America. The transfer was delayed for several months to give Los Angeles Steamship Co. a chance to find and refit

14388-529: The several thousands. More than half of the city's population of 400,000 was left homeless. Refugees settled temporarily in makeshift tent villages in Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, on the beaches, and elsewhere. Many fled permanently to the East Bay . Jack London is remembered for having famously eulogized the earthquake: "Not in history has a modern imperial city been so completely destroyed. San Francisco

14520-463: The ship, renaming her Kakko Maru and later Kachidoki Maru . The troopship was part of convoy HI-72, transporting some 950 Australian and British prisoners of war (POWs) and 1,095 Japanese from Singapore to Formosa (Taiwan). Another ship in the convoy was SS  Rakuyō Maru with 1,317 Allied POWs on board. On the morning of 12 September 1944, the convoy was attacked in the Luzon Strait by

14652-406: The ships would sail to Havana and then through the Panama Canal return to San Francisco to complete their round-the-world journeys. President Harrison was to be the first ship to sail on this route, and was officially transferred to her new owners in a special ceremony held on 24 December 1923, with many local dignitaries present. On 5 January 1924, President Coolidge sent a wireless signal from

14784-530: The southern side of the Golden Gate , which later came to be known as Fort Point. In 1804, the province of Alta California was created, which included San Francisco. At its peak in 1810–1820, the average population at the Mission Dolores settlement was about 1,100 people. In 1821, the Californias were ceded to Mexico by Spain. The extensive California mission system gradually lost its influence during

14916-561: The strategic benefits of the area due to its large natural harbor, the Spanish dispatched Pedro Fages in 1770 to find a more direct route to the San Francisco Peninsula from Monterey , which would become part of the El Camino Real route. By 1774, Juan Bautista de Anza had arrived to the area to select the sites for a mission and presidio . The first European maritime presence in San Francisco Bay occurred on August 5, 1775, when

15048-488: The territory of San Francisco dates to 3000 BCE. The Yelamu group of the Ramaytush people resided in a few small villages when an overland Spanish exploration party arrived on November 2, 1769, the first documented European visit to San Francisco Bay . The Ohlone name for San Francisco was Ahwaste , meaning, "place at the bay." The arrival of Spanish colonists, and the implementation of their Mission system, marked

15180-402: The underwater lot. By 1851, the harbor was extended out into the bay by wharves while buildings were erected on piles among the ships. By 1870, Yerba Buena Cove had been filled to create new land. Buried ships are occasionally exposed when foundations are dug for new buildings. California was quickly granted statehood in 1850, and the U.S. military built Fort Point at the Golden Gate and

15312-398: The water, the crew was forced to abandon the ship in sinking condition in the early morning hours of August 19. Quimistan was spotted drifting and burning by steamer SS Yuma who reported her as a menace to navigation. The entire crew was safely landed in New York on August 24, while Quimistan was never located and was presumed to sink soon after the crew left her. President Harrison

15444-421: The wider region. San Francisco, which is Spanish for "Saint Francis," takes its name from Mission San Francisco de Asís , which in turn was named after Saint Francis of Assisi . The mission received its name in 1776, when it was founded by the Spanish under the leadership of Padre Francisco Palóu . The city has officially been known as San Francisco since 1847, when Washington Allon Bartlett , then serving as

15576-596: Was chartered by the United States Navy 27–28 November 1941 to evacuate the 4th Marines from Shanghai (and also the crates with the remains of the now lost Peking Man ), returning to Olongapo, Philippines on 3 December. She was then dispatched to Qinhuangdao (near Beijing) to pick up about 300 Marines of the Beijing and Tianjin Legation Guards and some 1400 tons of equipment and return to Manila. Under pursuit by

15708-415: Was a major city known for its flamboyant style, stately hotels, ostentatious mansions on Nob Hill , and a thriving arts scene. The first North American plague epidemic was the San Francisco plague of 1900–1904 . At 5:12 am on April 18, 1906, a major earthquake struck San Francisco and northern California. As buildings collapsed from the shaking, ruptured gas lines ignited fires that spread across

15840-592: Was a major port of embarkation for naval service members shipping out to the Pacific Theater . In 1945, the United Nations Charter was signed in San Francisco, establishing the United Nations and in 1951, the Treaty of San Francisco re-established peaceful relations between Japan and the Allied Powers . After the war, the confluence of returning servicemen, significant immigration , liberalizing attitudes,

15972-492: Was also concern that a new town being planned by General Vallejo on the Carquinez Strait was to be called "Francisca", after the first name of his wife. After the name change to "San Francisco", the name of Vallejo's town was changed to Benicia , after his wife's middle name. Following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, Alta California was ceded from Mexico to the United States . Despite its attractive location as

16104-592: Was at the height of the Great Depression that San Francisco undertook two great civil engineering projects, simultaneously constructing the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge , completing them in 1936 and 1937, respectively. It was in this period that the island of Alcatraz , a former military stockade, began its service as a federal maximum security prison, housing notorious inmates such as Al Capone , and Robert Franklin Stroud ,

16236-460: Was centered on a plaza that is now Portsmouth Square . A land survey of Yerba Buena was made by the Swiss immigrant Jean Jacques Vioget as prelude to the city plan. Francisco de Haro , a non- Californio Mexican native, became the first alcalde of Yerba Buena. The second alcalde José Joaquín Estudillo was a Californio from a prominent Monterey family. In 1835, while in office, he approved

16368-536: Was drafted and signed in San Francisco in 1945 and, in 1951, the Treaty of San Francisco re-established peaceful relations between Japan and the Allied Powers . Urban planning projects in the 1950s and 1960s involved widespread destruction and redevelopment of west-side neighborhoods and the construction of new freeways , of which only a series of short segments were built before being halted by citizen-led opposition . The onset of containerization made San Francisco's small piers obsolete, and cargo activity moved to

16500-437: Was granted a small rancho at El Polín Spring , near the Presidio, founding the first non-indigenous civilian household in San Francisco. In 1834, the pueblo of Yerba Buena was founded. Yerba Buena Cove (named after a native herb ) was already a favored anchorage spot and the new settlement and trading post was founded by its shores. Yerba Buena was located in what is now the city's Chinatown and Financial District and

16632-788: Was hired by San Francisco Mayor James Rolph as chief engineer for the city in September 1912 to supervise the construction of the Twin Peaks Reservoir, the Stockton Street Tunnel , the Twin Peaks Tunnel , the San Francisco Municipal Railway , the Auxiliary Water Supply System , and new sewers. San Francisco's streetcar system, of which the J , K , L , M , and N lines survive today, was pushed to completion by O'Shaughnessy between 1915 and 1927. It

16764-442: Was immediately put into service as part of the Pacific Argentine Brazil Line , and departed from Seattle and other Puget Sound ports laden with lumber, apples and other general merchandise on 25 February 1923 bound for South America. She took aboard more passengers and cargo at San Francisco and San Pedro and safely reached Rio de Janeiro on April 7 after a 41 day long passage. In early June 1923, President Harding set out on

16896-617: Was originally conceived as a fast troop transport, subsequently modified into passenger and cargo vessel of approximately 13,000 deadweight tonnage after the end of hostilities. Wolverine State was part of initial order for seven vessels placed by the USSB on 1 July 1918 with the New York Shipbuilding Corp. The ship was laid down at the shipbuilder's yard on 13 May 1919 (yard number 248) and launched on 16 September 1920, with Mrs. Edith W. Tweedale, wife of Alonzo Tweedale, controller for

17028-612: Was run by its McCormick Steamship Company crew and the US Navy supplied United States Navy Armed Guards to man the deck guns and radio. Liberty ships operated: Victory ships operated: See also, similar role:- Empire ship , Fort ship , Park ship , Ocean ship . San Francisco San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco , is a commercial, financial , and cultural center within Northern California . With

17160-468: Was scheduled to depart for Manila and Hong Kong, when USSB abruptly cancelled the route again citing lack of profitability. The steamer was berthed in San Francisco and remained laid up until mid-October, when the Los Angeles Steamship Co. made an emergency request to the Shipping Board to provide them with a temporary replacement for the burned steamer City of Honolulu in order to maintain

17292-410: Was the O'Shaughnessy Dam , Hetch Hetchy Reservoir , and Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct that would have the largest effect on San Francisco. An abundant water supply enabled San Francisco to develop into the city it has become today. In ensuing years, the city solidified its standing as a financial capital; in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash , not a single San Francisco-based bank failed. Indeed, it

17424-402: Was transferred to her new owners. The ship remained berthed in the harbor until mid-December when she was put into drydock to apply finishing touches before her inaugural trip, scheduled for early January 1924. The round-the-world service announced by the Dollar Steamship Co. envisioned biweekly departures by all seven vessels, allowing the passengers to leave one ship at any port and reboard

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