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 E3 Part 1 March 1847
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 E2 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...
S4 Ep11 Five Year Anniversary, Girlina Interview - Announcement at the End
Architectural historian, Jonathon Lammers interviews me in this episode. Stay until the end to hear about a change coming to the podcast.
S4 Ep10 Part 3 Larkin Arrives in California
Larkin’s decision to move to Monterey, in Mexico’s California, was to work with his very successful half-brother, Bostonian John Rogers Cooper, who made his fortune in the sea otter trade that was transitioning to the hide and tallow trade.&nbs...