On 4 May 1851, San Francisco was devastated by a fire. It was soon rebuilt. San Francisco waterworks began in 1857.
After the gold boom was ending in 1953, Henry Comstock discovered silver in 1959. Unlike gold, the silver required expensive equipment to extract so a number of ‘silver barons’ were the main beneficiaries. Meanwhile businessmen dreamed of a trans-continental railroad. It was completed in 1869.
During the late 19th century, San Francisco continued to develop. The first cable car service began in Clay Street in 1873. Meanwhile in 1870, San Francisco had a population of almost 150,000. And by 1900, its population was over 300,000.
Take a look at these amazing photos from dougsf to see what San Francisco looked like in the 19th century.
After the gold boom was ending in 1953, Henry Comstock discovered silver in 1959. Unlike gold, the silver required expensive equipment to extract so a number of ‘silver barons’ were the main beneficiaries. Meanwhile businessmen dreamed of a trans-continental railroad. It was completed in 1869.
During the late 19th century, San Francisco continued to develop. The first cable car service began in Clay Street in 1873. Meanwhile in 1870, San Francisco had a population of almost 150,000. And by 1900, its population was over 300,000.
Take a look at these amazing photos from dougsf to see what San Francisco looked like in the 19th century.
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| Market Street at Third, looking east, Palace Hotel on the right |
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| Cable cars and car barn of the California Street Railroad, looking west from the corner of Larkin Street |
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| California Street form Sansome Street, looking up to Nob Hill |
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| California Street from Montgomery Street, looking west |
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| Chinatown street scenes |
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| Early horse drawn street car at South Park |
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| Flood Building, Market and Fourth Street |
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| Grant Street at Post Street |
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| Hall of Records, old City Hall |
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| Intersection of Montgomery Street and Montgomery Avenue (now Columbus Avenue) |
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| Leland Stanford and Mark Hopkins mansions at California and Powell Streets, Nob Hill |
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| Looking down Market Street towards the Ferry Building, with the Chronicle Building in the background |
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| Looking up California Street towards Nob Hill |
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| Looking up First Street towards Rincon Hill |
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| Looking up Powell Street, North from Union Square |
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| Market Street at about Turk and Market |
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| Market Street from Montgomery to the Bay |
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| Market Street looking east from the intersection of Guerrero, right, Laguna and Hermann Streets, left |
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| Market Street showing Chronicle Building, Crocker Building and the Palace Hotel |
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| Market Street with Castro Street cable car |
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| Market Street |
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| Market, Geary and Kearny Streets |
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| Misson Dolores |
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| Newspaper Row in San Francisco with the Chronicle Building on the left, the Hearst Building in the middle and the Call Building to the right |
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| Northwest corner of Montgomery and Washington Streets |
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| Odd Fellows Hall, Seventh and Market Streets |
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| Pacific Bank of San Francisco, located at the corner of Pine and Sansome Streets |
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| Panorama of the city taken from the old City Hall, looking towards Nob Hill |
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| Powell Street and Sacramento Street from Nob Hill |
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| San Francisco Bay with Goat Island (Yerba Buena Island) in the background |
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| San Francisco City Hall with the Pioneer Monument |
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| San Francisco street scenes, possibly California Street |
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| San Francisco taken on Nob Hill at Powell and Mason Street. On the left is the Trinity Church, center is the Baldwin Hotel and to the right is the First Congregational Church |
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| Second Street and Bryant |
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| The Emporium Department Store on Market Street |
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| The Fairmont Hotel, Nob Hill |
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| The House of Records at the old City Hall |
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| The Lick House at Montgomery and Sutter Streets |
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| The Masonic temple at Post and Montgomery |
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| The new Ferry Building shortly after its completion |
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| The old Customs House on Battery and Washington Streets |
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| The old Ferry Building |
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| The old Masonic Temple at Post and Montgomery |
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| The old Palace Hotel |
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| The old St. Mary's Chruch on California Street at Dupont (Grant) Street |
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| The old St. Mary's church at Dupont (Grant) and California Street |
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| The San Francisco Stock Exchange and the Real Estate Associates' Building, corner of Montgomery and Pine |
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| Trinity Church at Powell and Post Streets |
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| Trolley cars at the Ferry Building |
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| Unidentified Street in San Francisco, possibly South of Market |
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| View of San Francisco from Nob Hill |
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| Waverly Place (originally Pike Street) in Chinatown |
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| William Crocker residence on corner of California and Jones Streets |
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| World Mutual Life Building |
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| Yerba Buena Cove looking north from the intersection of First and Howard Streets |