Posted in San Francisco January 25, 2017 by

Here Are 12 Things They Don’t Teach You About San Francisco In School

There are plenty of things they don’t teach you about San Francisco in school—and it’s a shame, because the city has quite a fascinating history. Read on to discover some fun facts and interesting things about our great City by the Bay.

1. San Francisco is home to the first lighthouse on the West Coast.
Rochelle R/Yelp
Alcatraz Island is a major tourist attraction, but it's also is the site of the first lighthouse built on the West Coast. The Alcatraz lighthouse was completed in 1854 during the boomtown years of San Francisco when gold was discovered.
2. There is a one-of-a-kind National Historical Monument rolling through the city streets.
Adam S/Yelp
A fact not publicized enough is that our city cable cars are one of only two mobile national monuments in the country. If you go to New Orleans then you'll see the second mobile national monument.
3. We invented the fortune cookie!
Wordshore/Flickr
The Chinese fortune cookie was invented by a Japanese resident of San Francisco. Many people may believe or assume the fortune cookie is from Asia, but alas ...
4. The Bubonic Plague started here.
Clare S/Yelp
This is a historical fact that may be overlooked for good reason. Why? Technically, the first outbreak of Bubonic plague epidemic in the USA was in the Chinatown near Downtown SF in 1900.
5. The Summer of Love really started in the Winter.
Paul Townsend/Flickr
If you want to be exact, the “Summer of Love” did not start until the winter. In fact, the starting point is widely accepted to be in January 1967 when an event called "The Human Be-In" occurred at Golden Gate Park.
6. Angel Island was once a major immigration entry point.
Tim B/Yelp
Angel Island was comparable to Ellis Island as an entry point for immigrants. Angel Island served as a West Coast immigration processing station from 1910 to 1940, and sadly many have overlooked this California historical fact.
7. No new burials have been allowed since 1901.
Thomas Hawk/Flickr
In 1901, the city outlawed burials. Why? Because graveyards within city limits were banned in 1900. However, before 1900, San Francisco was once a town full of cemeteries.
8. Have you seen the oldest surviving monument in San Francisco?
Andrew D/Yelp
Lotta’s Fountain, located off Market Street, is the oldest surviving monument in San Francisco. The fountain served as a meeting point for people for missing people after the 1906 Earthquake.
9. There are ships still buried under the streets of the Financial District.
David/Flickr
Many ships are still buried in the present day Financial District and Embarcadero. This was because hundreds of ships were abandoned by their crews in search of gold during the Gold Rush. Many ships were left and abandoned in the harbor.
10. San Francisco was never affected by the Great Depression.
Ann S/Yelp
During the Great Depression in the 1920s, not a single San Francisco-based bank failed.
11. The Golden Gate and Bay Bridges were built at the same time and opened within six months of each other.
Carissa K/Yelp
The economy in SF was so good, the government/city constructed the Oakland Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge during the Great Depression. The Golden Gate Bridge cost more than $35 million, and was completed ahead of schedule!
12. San Francisco is the birthplace of the United Nations.
Sanjitbakshi/Flickr
SF was at the heart of many important historical developments for many years. In 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization to draw up the Charter of the United Nations.

Did you know any of these things? Also, let us now if we missed something else. Are you interested in learning more about San Francisco? Then discover and learn more about 8 San Francisco Urban Legends You’ll Never Forget.