The San Francisco area was settled in 1776 by the Spanish officer Juan Bautista de Anza. The original reason for settling there was the construction of a Presidio (fort) designed to guard the entrance to theSan Francisco Bay. The fort was a large structure designed to intimidate incoming belligerants. Housing was needed for soldiers stationed at the fort. FatherJunipero Serra was assigned to provide a portion of its housing. He was successful in finding a suitable area for a new complex and named it Misión San Francisco de Asís. The area is now calledMission Dolores.Nearly 75 years after the fort was built, the United States seized control of the area in 1846. It was not long after the U.S. takeover that prospectors came to the area. In 1848, gold was discovered in the foothills of theSierra Nevada Mountains about 100 miles to the east. The ensuing gold rush became a major part of the San Francisco economy over the next few years. People arrived from throughout the country to try their luck at making it rich.Two people of note in San Francisco history areLevi Strauss, inventor of denim blue jeans; and the sculptorBeniamino Benvenuto Bufano. San Francisco also is blessed with historic places that define its uniqueness. They include, but are not limited to:
San Francisco boasts numerous historic artistic venues and contributors:
Other venues of historic significance are theSan Francisco City Hall,George R. Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco Chinatown,Granite Lady,Fisherman's Wharf,Ghirardelli Square, and theTransamerica Pyramid.Higher education has played a significant role in San Francisco history. Institutions of high learning include, but are not limited to, theNew College of California, Academy of Art College,Golden Gate University,University of California - San Francisco,University of San Francisco,San Francisco State University, and University of California Hastings College of Law. Two tests of San Francisco’s civic resolve can be seen in the wakes of the1906 San Francisco earthquake andLoma Prieta, the 1989 earthquake. Though some said it could not be done, San Francisco's ingenuity triumphed when the imposingSan Francisco Golden Gate Bridge was built.
