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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Part three of the pre-history of San Francisco, the early life of the village of Yerba Buena. (if you missed ’em, listen to part one and part two first.) This is the concluding episode on this theme, taking you right up to the edge of 1848. in this episode: goats, bears, and Mormons! For further […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. If you missed the first one, have a listen here. For further edification: » Buena Vista irish coffee » San […]