BETA
From the Ohlone to the Gold Rush
Explore Bay Area landmarks to discover the region's vibrant culture.
Chapter 1
Shaping the land and water
Chapter 2
From the Ohlone to the Gold Rush
Chapter 3
Engineering the Bay
Chapter 4
Innovations and cultural revolutions
Ch 2 · From the Ohlone to the Gold Rush
steve History of San Francisco
San Francisco, boomtown! San Francisco, boomtown! From sleepy port to a city renown!
steve The 1848 discovery of gold transformed a sleepy hamlet of 1,000 residents into a chaotic global metropolis.
Fun Fact
Buried ships: The Old Ship Saloon in San Francisco was actually built on top of a three-masted ship abandoned during the 1849 Gold Rush.
steve Spanish missionaries established Mission Dolores in 1776, marking the beginning of permanent European settlement in San Francisco.
Glossary
gold rush (noun)
A rapid movement of people to a newly discovered goldfield. The 1848 discovery at Sutter's Mill triggered a massive migration that transformed the Bay Area overnight.
A rapid movement of people to a newly discovered goldfield. The 1848 discovery at Sutter's Mill triggered a massive migration that transformed the Bay Area overnight.
Quiz
What staple clothing item was patented in San Francisco in 1873 to help Gold Rush miners?
Quiz
What is the name of the historic island in the bay that served as an immigration station, often called the 'Ellis Island of the West'?
Quiz
What was the name of the indigenous people who lived in the Bay Area for thousands of years before Spanish arrival?
Quiz
Why are there dozens of 19th-century shipwrecks buried beneath San Francisco's Financial District?