27.4.08

F I R S TP R E V753NEXTLAST

Hilton Hotel, Portsmouth Square
Portsmouth Square has been called the 'cradle of San Francisco' and was the site of many historic events and buildings. In the early 1800s it was the location of the city's first settlers homes and the city center during the Gold Rush. The square was home to the first city hall, customs house, hall of records, city hotel, and the state's first newspaper, The California Star. Portsmouth Square was also the where the American flag first flew in California, making it a U.S, territory and where war was declared on Mexico. In 1851 an accused thief, John Jenkins, was hanged in Portsmouth Square by the Committee of Vigilance.

In 1849 a wooden saloon, Parker House, rented here for $120,000 a year. Next door a rough canvas tent saloon, the El Dorado, fetched a third that price. Across the square the notorious gambling saloon, Bella Union stood. The Hilton Hotel shown above sits on the site of the famous music house the Jenny Lind Theater. Today there are a number of historical monuments in Postmouth Square, they range from marking the site of the first public school house in the state to honoring Portsmouth Square's one-time resident Robert Louis Stevenson.
[ MAP F-15 ]


0 comments