Who would guess that underneath the Financial District in downtown San Francisco lays the remains of the original port complete with ships, wharves and buildings? Between 1849 and 1851, the Gold Rush waterfront exploded with commerce from around the world as the city grew from a few hundred to many thousands of people. Described as a “forest of masts,” hundreds of ships created a floating economy where a dazzling array of goods was traded. On May 4, 1851, a major fire destroyed much of the waterfront and some 22 million cubic yards of fill gradually buried the charred remains as the waterfront shifted eastward.
As the area developed and redeveloped, much of the archaeological site was destroyed. Collectors salvaged what turned up in construction projects. By the 1980s, however, city and state officials, prompted by the requirements of the Historic Preservation Act took renewed interest in preserving and studying the old waterfront. To date, at least seven sites have been professionally studied, most recently the General Harrison, a storeship that burned in the 1851 fire.
In this volume author James Delgado, a maritime archaeologist, presents a vivid picture of the city’s early maritime history, including the economy and world trade that nourished the city’s growth. Archaeology contributes material culture to the story as preservation in burned structures is uncommonly good. Bottles of preserves and liquor, leather boots and jackets, even crocks of butter have been recovered intact. Hulls of the ships provide a snapshot of maritime architecture. Gold Rush Port is a fantastic tale of maritime history on the Pacific frontier. —Mark Michel
