William Richardson and San Francisco
San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Marker Inscription
The birthplace of a great city. Here, June 25, 1835, William A. Richardson founder of Yerba Buena, (later San Francisco) erected its first habitation, a tent dwelling, replacing it in October 1835, by the first wooden house, and on this ground, in 1836, he erected the large adobe building, known as "Casa Grande".
Erected by Northern Federation of Civic Organizations of San Francisco
The Story
On June 25, 1835, William A. Richardson pitched a tent dwelling on this spot in Mexican-era California, the first habitation of the settlement he named Yerba Buena. He soon replaced it with a wooden house and, in 1836, the substantial adobe known as "Casa Grande." From this modest beginning grew the city that would become San Francisco.
Why it matters
This ground marks the literal founding of San Francisco, a cornerstone of American westward settlement on the Pacific.
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Related people
- · William A. Richardson
Related events
- · Founding of Yerba Buena
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
John B. Montgomery
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On July 9, 1846, at the height of the Mexican-American War, Commander John B. Montgomery of the U.S.S. Portsmouth came ashore and raised the American flag over the little bay-side settlement of Yerba Buena — soon to be renamed San Francisco. The act signaled the United States' seizure of California from Mexico. In 1924 the Daughters of the American Revolution marked the spot.
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