CHRONICLES OF OLD SAN FRANCISCO EXPLORING THE HISTORIC CITY BY
Who knows if the freedom breathed by San Francisco must be researched in its remote past and precisely on 1775 when, Europeans in the persons of Spanish arrived in the land discovering the Yelamu, in harmony with the environment where they were peacefully living in from 4000 years? They were peaceful and disputes were sorted out exchanging gifts between the chiefs of the other tribes. The arrival of spanish changed everything for this tribe. Another chapter will analyze the character of William Leidesdorff and San Francisco but also the Gold Rush.
Interesting the story of Charlotte Mignon Crabtree and her mentor Lola Montez. This dancer died in Boston in 1924 at 77. She left $4 million, most of it "in charitable trusts to WWI disabled vets and their dependents, animals, needy actors, convicts, hospitals, and graduates of Massachusetts Agricultural College."
Mary Ellen Pleasant was another revolutionary but also controvertial woman as you will read.
A chapter will treat the birth of the Railroad, but also the story of the creators of the 37 very famous cable cars so iconic and portrayed in wagons of movies for their freedom; a stunning reality of a beautiful and sunny city.
At the same time in 1870s you will discover who, why and in what way was built the San Francisco's park. The author writes: "Visitors and residents alike have benefitted from McLaren’s vision and life’s work he planted more than 2 million trees during his lifetime—but he would brook no praise. Rather he’d say, "Work and life in a good garden were the nicest things I could think of as a boy and I’ve not changed my mind."
Mary Tape offers a reflection about the conditions of a lot of chinese children at the end of 1800s.
Various chapters will treat the big eartquake of 1906 and the aftermath.
In this guide you will also discover who was the first California's poet laureate: Ina Coolbrith.
"She was elected president of the Pacific Coast Women’s Press Association in 1911 and president of the Congress of Authors and Journalists in 1915. In 1919,the state legislature officially decreed Coolbrith the "Loved, Laurel-Crowned Poet of California" writes Chandler.
It has been a terrible place: the Alcatraz Jail. An original account of the Alcatraz kids.
San Francisco has meant also important and suffering strikes but it also means a wonderful bridge called Golden Gate: a look at Joseph Straussand and the project.
The guide couldn't forget the American Shakespeare And Company, City Lights and his founder Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
and I am waiting
for a reconstructed Mayflower
to reach America
with its picture story and tv rights
sold in advance to the natives
and I am waiting
for the lost music to sound again
in the Lost Continent
in a new rebirth of wonder
–Lawrence Ferlinghetti from “I am Waiting” from his poetry book A Coney
Island of the Mind
Final chapters will involve the 1960s and the sunny Harvey Milk. Homosexual and rebel, he lost a job because he didn't want to cut his hair. He decided later to enter in politic for trying to change some things.
"As supervisor, Milk sponsored a civil rights bill that made discrimination
based on sexual orientation illegal. It passed ten to one" writes the author.
San Francisco in the early 1980s was the city where the struck of HIV/AIDS caused more death. Numbers are absolutely hallucinating and terribly scaring: 22,602 cases were reported from 1980 to 1995; 91% gay. 20,530 deaths out of an estimated population of 58,000 gay men
It was necessary education and San Francisco didn't sleep in this sense.
You can find in San Francisco and in the net thanks to the NAMES Project, the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
Many interesting walks the latest section of this wonderful touristic guide, searching for the past, for finding the present.
I thank Museyon for the copy of this book.
Anna Maria Polidori
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