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San Francisco

Major port city on the San Francisco Bay in California.

The first Europeans to document San Francisco Bay was the Spanish exploration party of Don Gaspar de Portolà on November 2, 1769. On March 28, 1776, the Spanish established the Presidio of San Francisco, named for St. Francis of Assisi. The Mission San Francisco de Asís was founded on June 29 of that year.[1]

After the Mexican War of Independence, the area became part of Mexico. As the Spanish mission system ended the land became privatized and on June 25, 1835, Englishman William Richardson established the first homestead near a boat anchorage on the Bay He and Alcalde Francisco de Haro platted a street plan for a town named Yerba Buena to attract American settlers.[3] The United States claimed California during the Mexican-American War on July 7, 1846 and renamed the town San Francisco on January 30, 1847.[1]

In 1849, after gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill 130 miles away, San Francisco began to boom. California was granted statehood on September 9, 1850 and the U. S. Army built forts on the Golden Gate and Alcatraz Island to protect the Bay. The 1857 discovery of silver in the Comstock Lode drew even more fortune seekers into San Francisco and the town's Barbary Coast grew to become a lawless haven for crime, prostitution and gambling.[1]

Business was swiftly flourishing in San Francisco. Wells Fargo established itself in 1852 and led others to establish a booming financial industry. the Port of San Francisco tied California to the world by sea, and the Pacific Railroad connected San Francisco overland to the rest of the United States and its territories by 1870, making it the most important trade center of the Pacific coast.[1]

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ABOVE: San Francisco, looking south from Nob Hill, 1875.[3]

The Wrecker: In November of 1871,[4] Bret Maverick visited San Francisco for the first time. There, he learned of the Ring and planned to win his way into its exclusive membership by playing poker with its principle partners. He sent for Brother Bart to join him, who arrived in December, also his first visit to the city. Bret won his membership into the Ring and, in his first and only participation in their partnership, purchased the wreck of the Flying Scud at auction. Bret was forced to sign notes with creditors to cover the expense and Bart chartered the Norah Creina to take him to Midway island to oversee the salvaging of the Flying Scud.[5] After paying off his creditors, Bret sailed after Bart aboard the HMS Tempest.[4] Upon their return to San Francisco, Bret moved on while Bart stayed in the city to get into more trouble.[6]

Hostage: In April of 1879,[4] while building his ruse to convince Jody Collins that he and Brother Bart are professional criminals, Bret Maverick suggested that Collins team up with Bart and him and exploit the wealth of San Francisco.[7]

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