What Lies Beneath The Streets Of San Francisco Is Amazing
When James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California, on January 24, 1848, word spread quickly (especially for a time well before social media). Within a little over a year, a stream of people (the forty-niners) came rushing into California, not only via land but also sea. Many hastily left behind their modes of transportation in hopes of striking it rich. And, so, today, when you’re walking around the streets of San Francisco’s financial district, you may actually have an old buried ship right underneath your feet. The history behind what lies beneath the streets of San Francisco is amazing.
Filled with gold seekers from New York and Panama, the SS California was the first steamer to enter the Golden Gate in 1849.
Already by the summer of 1850, over 500 vessels were anchored in Yerba Buena Cove, an area that today runs from the intersection of Battery and Broadway to the start of the Bay Bridge.
As the city grew even more, most of the abandoned ships were repurposed for stores, saloons, and hotels. But some were left to sink or simply be built on top of. This map from SFGenealogy plots out the areas where buried ships have been discovered and are thought to possibly be.
Stephanie is a freelance writer and editor based in San Francisco, California. When she's not tapping at a keyboard, she can be found leading groups on gourmet chocolate walking tours (best job ever) or running the many lovely hills and stairs of the city (to burn off all that chocolate, of course). She also runs a travel blog with her husband at Big & Small Travel (bigandsmalltravel.com).
