Monkey Block San Francisco's Golden History
Retelling forgotten stories from San Francisco's golden past, 1776 - 1906, based on newspapers, books, and personal accounts, of the time. San Francisco enthusiasts, California gold rush fans, and garden variety history geeks can discover this boom and bust city, built on the discovery of gold. *I do my best to accurately reflect the facts, and sources, in my episodes.*
Monkey Block San Francisco's Golden History
Latest Episodes
S5 Ep4 Deciphering Montgomery's September 15, 1846 Proclamation Regarding Slavery
Commander John B. Montgomery’s 1846 proclamation declared that Native Californians were not to be regarded as slaves. But when you read it closely, the document reveals something more complicated. This episode discusses what t...
S5 Ep3 Part 1 March 1847 Yerba Buena
This is March 1847, Part One—the beginning of Yerba Buena’s transformation into an American town. In this episode, we examine a town meeting, the rise and disappearance of “Parson” J.G.T. Dunleavy, calls to establish a public school...
S5 Ep2 February 1847 Yerba Buena
It’s February 1847, and this is Girlina reporting to you from Yerba Buena, in Upper California. Where the population is small, the gossip is plentiful, and the mud is ankle deep. February’s headlines include local disputes, questionable reporti...
S5 Ep1 January 1847 Yerba Buena
Over the past five years, I’ve shared fragments of the sometimes-comedic stories of 1847 Yerba Buena. But 1847 deserves more than scattered stories. It was a transformative year for the Pueblo de Yerba Buena, the District of San Francisco, Mont...