Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, a city of California, on San Francisco Bay and on many railroad lines. It is the western terminal for three trans-continental systems and three coast trunk lines, the Southern Pacific, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fé, and the Western Pacific. Its advantageous situation has made it the chief seaport on the W. coast of North America. It occupies the mountainous peninsula bordering upon the Pacific on the W., the Golden Gate on the N., and the Bay of San Francisco on the E. Since the completion of the Panama Canal its importance as an ocean terminus has rapidly increased. The city has a land area of about 50 square miles. It is unusually hilly and the hills cut in two directions, rising steeply from sea-level to several hundred feet above the sea. Southwest of the main portion of the city the twin peaks, Mt. Sutro and Mt. Davidson rise to a height of over 900 feet above water-level. Among the best known hills are Telegraph Hill, Nob Hill, and Russian Hill. Nob Hill was the site of the palatial residences of the early millionaires who made their fortunes in the gold mines of the State.

A large part of the site of the city is reclaimed area, won from the bay. The streets of the city are for the most part broad and well paved. South of Market Street the streets are practically level. North of the street, however, the streets run with a steep grade. Market Street is the chief thoroughfare, on which are located the leading banks, department stores, newspaper offices, and office buildings. The junction of Market, Kearny and Geary streets is the business center of the city. Market Street and the adjacent streets form the retail shopping district.

The climate of San Francisco is invigorating. The winters are warm while the summers are cool. The mean temperature ranges from 50.8° to 56.5°. The rainfall averages about 21 inches. Snow rarely falls in the city, while it is entirely free from cyclones and tornadoes. There are within the city limits many beautiful parks and boulevards. Golden Gate Park has an area of over 1,000 acres and was reclaimed from the sand dunes. It contains playgrounds, zoölogical gardens, an academy of sciences, a museum, and many other attractions. There are in all 35 public parks and squares, embracing about 1,400 acres. The Presidio, the military reservation of the Federal Government, is practically a part of the park system of the city. The Marina, which was the site of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition contains the Palace of Fine Arts, the Column of Progress, and the beautiful Marina Boulevard, which skirts the Golden Gate. Since the fire of 1906 the city has devoted much attention to the system of roads and boulevards. The historic Mission Road, the city's oldest thoroughfare, has been modernized and forms a most attractive boulevard.

The city is notable for its magnificent private and public buildings. During the last decade the business district has been completely rebuilt at an expenditure of approximately $350,000,000. For many blocks along Market Street and its tributary thoroughfares imposing structures stretch in unbroken ranks. One of the most extensive examples of city planning in the United States is the Civic Center, situated north of Market Street and east of Van Ness Avenue. This includes the city hall, erected at a cost of $4,000,000 and the Auditorium, with a seating capacity of 12,000, and a public library. These buildings are grouped about a spacious plaza. Nearly all denominations have handsome church edifices. Notable among these are Old St. Mary's, St. Luke's, the First Congregational, the First Presbyterian, and St. Mary's Cathedral.

The city has excellent educational facilities. In 1919 there were 66,893 pupils enrolled in the public schools. The University of California is 9 miles E. of the city, and Leland Stanford, Jr., University is 30 miles S. In the city proper are the College of Physicians and Surgeans, St. Ignatius College, San Francisco Institute of Art, and many private educational institutions. The technical schools include the California School of Mechanical Arts, the Polytechnic High School, and the Y. M. C. A. Technical School.

San Francisco has in recent years become one of the most important industrial and commercial cities in the United States. Its harbor is unsurpassed and has an area of 420 square miles with a water frontage on the bay of 10 miles. In 1918 there was a completed sea-wall, 15,000 feet in length, with 39 piers and many open wharves. New docks and wharves are being built by the State. Hunters Point Dock is the largest dry dock on the Pacific coast. There are direct steamboat connections to all ports along the Pacific coast of North and South America, to Japan, China, the Philippines, the Orient, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia, as well as services to the Canal, to Atlantic coast points, and Europe.

In 1920 there were over 2,500 factories in San Francisco, giving employment to more than 55,000 wage-earners. Ship-building construction during and following the World War became one of the most important industries. In 1919 there were launched 53 vessels, of which 50 were steel, 2 wood, and one concrete. At the end of that year there were 31 steel vessels under construction. During 1919 there were launched 49 naval craft, including one battleship, 4 gunboats, 31 destroyers, 7 submarines, and 6 tugs. At the close of that year there were 61 naval craft under construction. The total exports of the city in 1919 amounted to $235,685,879. The total imports amounted to $238,074,061. The leading industries include the manufacture of boots and shoes, bread and bakery products, clothing, copper, tin and sheet iron products, printing and publishing products, foundry and machine shop products, and flour and grist mill products.

There were in the city in 1920, 37 banks, with 19 branches. The bank clearings amounted to $7,286,339,237. The resources of the National banks aggregated $527,780,951, and the deposits $359,619,941. The assessed valuation of real estate in 1919 was $297,741,765. The total valuation was $794,459,406. The bonded indebtedness was $44,259,600. Pop. (1900) 342,782; (1910) 416,912; (1920) 506,676.

History.—As early as 1769 a number of Franciscan fathers established a mission here, and seven years later the Spaniards chose the place for a military post. In 1835 an Englishman erected the first tent on the site of the present city, in Yerba Buena, 3 miles from the mission. A village which soon grew up was united with the mission in 1846. Two years later when gold was discovered adventurers from all parts of the world entered California and by 1850 San Francisco had a population of 25,000. During the latter year a city charter was received, and in 1856 the county and city were consolidated. Owing to corrupt municipal management in 1850-1851 a vigilance committee was organized by the law-abiding citizens who dealt severely with criminals and succeeded in establishing good government. In 1897, after four ineffectual attempts, a city charter was adopted by the people which contains a civil service system, provides for the initiative and referendum, and limits taxes to $1 per $100 for municipal purposes. April 18, 1906, the city experienced a very destructive fire with loss of innumerable buildings, estimated 800 lives and $300,000,000 worth of property. The rebuilding of the city was one of the most remarkable examples of civic enterprise ever known.

©Keystone View Company

AIR VIEW OF SAN FRANCISCO, WITH THE CITY HALL IN THE FOREGROUND