Fisherman's Wharf

The history of Fisherman's Wharf goes back to the Gold Rush era! Until the turn of the Century, the San Francisco fishing fleet was composed mostly of lateen-rigged sailboats.

They were copies of the craft which the Italian fishermen knew in their native land. Green was the prevailing color of their tiny boats, and the name of a patron saint often appeared on the hull. In the fog-shrouded waters outside the Golden Gate, singing was often used as a means of communication - you couldn't see a companion boat, but you knew it was there when you heard it.

There were also "Shrimp Junks " that mimicked boats familiar to the Chinese fishermen that maneuvered them through the waters. The picture above shows a historic image of a shrimp junk taken in the 1880s and the Grace Quan which is a replica you can view at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

Today, Fisherman's Wharf is a popular tourist attraction. Even though fisherman are now far outnumbered by tourists, the fishing industry is still an important part of the wharf. Pier 45, the heart of the fishing business, had a $14.5 million dollar refurbishment, and if you venture down to Pier 45 at sunrise, you will see the fishing business in full swing.

There are a number of sites to see when walking around the Wharf. Here is the Cannery at Del Monte Square, which was originally a Del Monte cannery, built in 1907 and the world's largest fruit and vegetable cannery by 1909.

Today, the Cannery houses a shopping and dining area, with zigzagging courtyards and a three level brick labyrinth of balconies, bridges, and walkways. Its sturdily built walls and gracefully arched passageways are preserved intact as part of the building's original look and feel.

The Wharf is also home to Ghirardelli Square, which was founded by Domenico "Domingo" Ghirardelli. Born in Rapallo, Italy in 1817, he learned about the confectionery and chocolate trade by the time he was 20. Uruguay and Peru were the first places he set up shop - but tales of the Gold Rush were irresistible. In 1848, Domingo's neighbor, James Lick, packed up $25,000 and 600 pounds of Ghirardelli chocolate, and set sail for the San Francisco Bay. A year later, Domingo followed him through the Golden Gate. After operating stores in several locations, the store that firmly fixed Ghirardelli fame was established on Jackson Street circa 1856 where it flourished for the next 40 years. From this factory, Domingo shipped chocolate products not only throughout the United States, but also to Mexico, Hawaii and British Columbia. At that time, the factory was among the largest in the western half of North America.

Domingo's business was growing and in 1889 he officially signed over ownership of his business to his sons. To accommodate it, Domingo’s sons purchased an entire block of property for their headquarters in 1893 that overlooked San Francisco Bay. The property consisted of the Woolen Mill, the Apartment Building and many other buildings on the property. Domingo and his sons began a spectacular building program that included the Chocolate Building in 1899, Cocoa Building in 1900, the Clock Tower in 1911 and the Power House in 1915. Ghirardelli Square was the result and is now, of course, a San Francisco landmark.

In the 1960’s The Golden Grain Macaroni Company bought Ghirardelli Chocolate and relocated it to a modern new facility across the bay in San Leandro. Upon hearing of the sale and fearing that the historic buildings on the property would be torn down and replaced by a modern apartment complex, two prominent San Franciscans, William Matson Roth, and his mother, Mrs. William P. Roth, purchased the entire Ghirardelli block. In addition to restoring as many of the original structures as possible, William Roth introduced a new marketing method by evolving the old chocolate factory into a lovely brick-terraced courtyard of shops and fine restaurants. In November 1964, Ghirardelli Square opened and is considered the first successful adaptive reuse project in the country. In order to ensure its preservation for future generations, Ghirardelli Square was granted National Historic Register status in 1982.

Another place to visit is the Boudin Bakery. It was established in 1849 by Isidore Boudin, son of a family of master bakers from Burgundy, France, by blending the prevalent sourdough among miners in the Gold Rush with French techniques. Steven Giraudo, an artisan baker from Italy whose first job in America was at Boudin, bought the bakery in 1941 but later sold it. After a series of ownership changes the bakery was bought by two of Giraudo's sons through an investment bank.

While they offer a variety of breads, their most recognizable is sourdough - called Original San Francisco Sourdough French Bread - which also happens to be an iconic bread for San Francisco. Sourdough was the main bread made in Northern California during the California Gold Rush, and it remains a part of the culture of San Francisco today. The bread became so common that "sourdough" became a general nickname for the gold prospectors. The nickname remains in "Sourdough Sam", the mascot of the San Francisco 49ers football team.

Their flagship location is on the Wharf, where bakers make bread with a recipe the company has nurtured since its founding. There's even a demonstration bakery where you can watch the artisan bakers employ their craft. Above, you'll see me posing in front of some loafs in the shape of Dungeness crabs...

... and here you'll see me in front of some real ones that have been cooked and are ready to eat! These crabs are different from the Blue crabs I'm used to eating back home. For one thing they are A LOT bigger. While they typically measure under 8 inches, some are as big as 10 inches in diameter. Like all crabs, the Dungeness crab is high in protein and minerals and low in fat. About one quarter of this crab's weight is meat, making it one of the meatiest crabs available. Most of the meat is in the eight legs and two claws, although the body contains plenty as well. The flesh has what is considered to be a delicate flavor that is slightly sweet. You can find lots of vendors selling them on the Wharf - and they are really tasty.

Nearby is Pier 39, a shopping center and popular tourist attraction built on a pier in San Francisco, California. At Pier 39, there are shops, restaurants, a video arcade, street performances, an interpretive center for the Marine Mammal Center, and the Aquarium of the Bay. On the K dock of Pier 39, you can see California Sea Lions swimming around and resting in the sun. California sea lions are known for their intelligence, playfulness, and noisy barking. Their color ranges from chocolate brown in males to a lighter, golden brown in females. Males may reach 1,000 lbs. (more often 850 lbs., or 390 kg) and seven feet (2.1 m) in length. Females grow to 220 lbs. (110 kg) and up to six feet (1.8 m) in length. They have a "dog-like" face, and at around five years of age, males develop a bony bump on top of their skull called a sagittal crest. The top of a male's head often gets lighter with age. These members of the otariid or walking seal family have external ear flaps and large flippers that they use to "walk" on land. The trained "seals" in zoos and aquariums are usually California sea lions.

Historically, California sea lions have always been observed on Seal Rock, North of Ocean Beach, below the Cliff House Restaurant in San Francisco. They come into the San Francisco Bay to feed, sleep at the surface of the calmer bay waters, and infrequently haul out on land or docks. However, in September 1989, sea lions began to appear consistently at Pier 39's K dock. The dock had recently been refurbished and for a period of time no boats were docked there, leaving large open spaces where sea lions could easily haul out. When the boats returned, no real effort was made to discourage the sea lions from hauling out. Also, only half the dock was filled with boats. The slips closest to the jetty opening were "guest docks" reserved for day or overnight rental. Eventually, the K Dock was closed off so boaters and the sea lions wouldn't bother each other.

From the docks of the Wharf you can see another icon - Alcatraz Island - sometimes informally referred to as simply Alcatraz or by its pop-culture name, "The Rock." The discovery of gold in California in 1848 brought thousands of ships to San Francisco Bay, creating an urgent need for a navigational lighthouse. In response, Alcatraz lighthouse #1 was erected and lit in the summer of 1853. Around the same time, the Army Corps of Engineers began fortifying the island, work which continued until 1858. The island's first garrison, numbering about 200 soldiers, arrived the following year. When the American Civil War broke out in 1861 the island mounted 85 cannon (increased to 105 by 1866) in casemates around its perimeter, though the small size of the garrison meant only a fraction of the guns could be used at one time. Alcatraz never fired its guns in anger, though during the war it was used to imprison Confederate sympathizers on the west coast.

Following the war in 1866 the army determined that the fortifications and guns were being rapidly rendered obsolete by advances in military technology. Modernization efforts, including an ambitious plan to level the entire island and construct shell-proof underground magazines and tunnels, were undertaken between 1870 and 1876 but never completed. Instead the army switched the focus of its plans for Alcatraz from coastal defense to detention, a task for which it was well suited because of its isolation. In 1867 a brick jailhouse was built, and in 1868 Alcatraz was officially designated a long term detention facility for military prisoners. On March 21 1907 Alcatraz was officially designated as the Western US Military Prison. In 1909 construction began on the huge concrete main cell block, designed by Major Reuben Turner, that remains the island's dominant feature. It was completed in 1912. In order to accommodate the new cell block the Citadel, a 100ft x 200ft reinforced three story barracks, was demolished down to the first floor, which was actually below ground level, the building having been constructed in an excavated pit (creating a dry "moat") to enhance its defensive potential. The first floor was then incorporated as a basement to the new cell block, giving rise to the popular legend of "dungeons" below the main cell block.

Due to rising operational costs because of its location, the War Department decided to close this famous prison in 1934, and it was subsequently taken over by the Department of Justice. The Great Depression and Prohibition contributed to a severe crime increase during the late 1920s and 1930s, which produced a new era of organized crime. The nation witnessed a sharp rise in horrific violence, which was brought on by the combined forces of prohibition and great need. The American people watched in fear as influential gangsters and public enemies gained heavy influence in metropolitan areas and the authorities that were responsible for their safe-keeping. Law enforcement agencies were not equipped to deal with the situation, and would frequently be beaten by better armed gangs in a shoot-out. Alcatraz was perceived as the best solution that the government could find in response to these problems. It could serve the dual purpose of placing public enemies away from the general population, and also to serve as a warning to this new and ruthless brand of criminals that were ruling the streets of the country. Many infamous criminals were sent there, including Robert Stroud (aka the Birdman of Alcatraz), George "Machine Gun" Kelly, James "Whitey" Bulger, Clarence "Choctaw Kid" Carnes, and Al Capone (aka Scarface).

By decision of US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the penitentiary was closed for good on March 21, 1963. It was closed because it was far more expensive to operate than other prisons (nearly $10 per prisoner per day, as opposed to $3 per prisoner per day at Atlanta), and the bay was being badly polluted by the sewage from the approximately 250 inmates and 60 Bureau of Prisons families on the island. The National Park Service took over the island, and today visitors can take a ferry boat to "the Rock" and tour the infamous prison.

Here's a picture of Max and I in front of an In-N-Out Burger. In 1948, the first In-N-Out Burger was founded by Harry and Esther Snyder in Baldwin Park. Harry's idea of a drive-thru hamburger stand where customers could order through a two-way speaker box was quite unique. In that era, it was common to see carhops serving those who wanted to order food from their car. Harry's idea caught on and California's first drive-thru hamburger stand was born. The Snyder's business philosophy was simple: "Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment." These principles have worked so well over the years that they are still the company's fundamental philosophy.

Adding to the cult appeal of In-N-Out is the presence of the 'Secret Menu" - an unposted medley of items based on variations of the standard cheeseburger, fries, and milkshake. A 'Double-Double' is one of the most popular non-secret items on the menu, so named for 2 burger patties and 2 slices of cheese. On the secret menu you've got the 4x4 (4 patties and four slices of cheese), and you can expand this indefinitely. Another popular secret menu option is ordering "Animal Style" - where the meat is cooked and fried with mustard and then pickles are added, extra spread and grilled onions are added. You can even do that to the french fries, like above bottom right.

Whew! That's a lot for today. I'll be back soon to write about China Town and some famous San Francisco Bridges.