S2 Episode 4, Monkey Block Year in Review

I launched my podcast, last year, 2021, on January 30. Over the past year, I’ve shared some fun stories about early San Francisco, changed my perspective of lots of things, and met new people, all while gathering information for my podcast. I am happy to say I have a one year anniversary.

This episode is a reflection of Monkey Block’s first year, and, the journey we’ve been on, together. 

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Transcript

Prologue

Happy anniversary Monkey Block listeners! 

I launched my podcast, last year, 2021, on January 30. Over the past year, I’ve shared some fun stories about early San Francisco, changed my perspective of lots of things, and met new people, all while gathering information for my podcast. I am happy to say I have a one year anniversary.

This episode is a reflection of Monkey Block’s first year, and, the journey we’ve been on, together. I hope you’ll stick around to listen.

The Idea for a Podcast

Like a lot of people, I changed jobs last year. At the new job, HR asks everyone on their first day, “What would you be doing, if you could do anything?” My response was “I like San Francisco history, so, start a podcast on San Francisco history?” The question asked was ‘anything’. The idea to start a podcast hadn’t really crossed my mind until that moment.

But, over the next week, I thought about my response. “So, why am I not doing it? Second shelter in place is coming, I’ll be home a lot. I’d finally use my books, and share the research I’ve been doing, for the past 20 years!” I chose a podcast name San Francisco history enthusiasts would get, that doubled as a witty name. Hence, Monkey Block.

I wanted a theme song that captured the spirit of early San Francisco, and had different interpretations. “Beautiful Dreamer” works well. 

A friend gifted me a microphone, I watched a few YouTube videos. And, another podcast was born. Just what the world needed, another podcast.

The Episode Process

Each episode’s research includes books I have on hand, or, ordering more books (add to the collection), when I see a reference to a book in a primary source of information I’m using. I want to see it for myself. JSTOR is my favorite online source for academic papers and journals, and cross referencing my facts.  After the pandemic restrictions loosened, I expanded my research to the San Francisco Main Library, to their archive and history floor. Original letters, books, directories. Amazing. History comes to life when you’re holding these originals in your hand, versus looking at them, online.

Sidenote: People have been calling it ‘San Fran’ since the late 1830s. The founding settlers, long before any of us were born, have used it. It’s antiquated, but, it’s not wrong. While I don’t call it San Fran, I no longer wince when people say it, now that I’ve seen Thomas Larkin and William Heath Davis write it in their letters … I held the 1830s original letters, being sent from Yerba Buena, in the San Fran District, in my hand! 

I’ve stopped using newspapers of the time, as they’ve proven to be the least reliable source of information. People have been trying to sell newspapers, for a very long time. Exaggerated reporting was too often used to sell papers. And, then, that exaggerating reporting gets captured for posterity, as some version of what actually occurred. Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story, and ability to sell a newspaper.

Why This Period Intrigues Me 

This period has interested me, based on the similarities between the gold rush boom and the dotcom boom. I found many parallels, socially, economically, politically. In 1999, I was bartending at a five-star hotel in the financial district (aka ground zero for Yerba Buena and early San Francisco). That was an exciting time in San Francisco. If you were here for the dotcom boom, then, you know. The IPO parties were a lot of fun, back when going public was seen favorably, and sometimes, you could crash the parties without an invitation.

More than once, I served a $500 bottle of champagne to a table of young men, who just closed a deal on the next great tech company. Big ideas and dollars floated around, including big tips on the company credit card! People were striking dotcom gold. <insert men cheering>

My original plan was to start my podcast at 1849, and, provide one background episode, to lay a foundation for the rest of the podcast. That was the plan, but, when I started researching what came before the gold, I found interesting, early San Francisco history, I was never taught in school, or, came across, in my previous research. Then, again, I didn’t look, because I didn’t’ realize there a ‘there’ there. Hold on to that. I’ll give more detail around my shift in the podcast timeline, in a moment.

Found Blind Spots and Realizations

I was taught there was nothing of importance in Yerba Buena. Just a miserable, windy, little shack town, with only a few families living here. (While true, that’s out of context.) Well, there was that small mission period. Move along. Nothing to see here. Until … Americans. <Yankee Doodle>.

Hmm. It seems I have eleven episodes discussing ‘nothing’ that happened in Yerba Buena before the Americans arrived. Clearly, there’s history to tell, even before those permanent Yerba Buena families took residence. It’s amazing how ‘out of context’, and ‘victor-centric’ history remains, today. And, those newspapers of the time, did nothing to help the future accurately capture of our city’s history. They did the opposite, actually. 

Some of San Francisco’s past is certainly uncomfortable, and relaying it is equally uncomfortable. Our perspective on many things have changed over time, so it’s effort, on my part, to simultaneously see a story through the lens of the time, and our current lens.

It’s a delicate balance to objectively discuss history, supported by, sometimes silenced, or buried, facts, while allowing the listener to form their own thoughts. I make a dedicated effort on that last part. I want you to form how you feel about a story.

Some Interesting Monkey Block Moments from 2021

The biggest, was poking my head into the High Horse, before I released my first episode. That was a lucky, lucky find, and, I’m glad I met the owners and the staff.  And, the pisco punch is good. 582 Washington Street, if you’re in San Francisco. Tell ‘em Girlina sent you! <bu-bum-bum>

To continue a point I started to make earlier. It was this chance meeting, with Will, that changed the period of my research, and therefore, my podcast. So, why haven’t I changed my intro to correctly reflect the starting timeline?  Because I haven’t. That’s the reason. I’d already recorded the intro when I met Will. 

Speaking of, two months ago, I did a live history talk, in the basement of the High Horse, with the impressive wall as my co-host! 

From that live talk, in attendance, was a gentleman who knew Montgomery Street and Monkey Block, very well. He has a similar fascination with ‘the wall’, and early San Francisco history. There’s more of us out there! I met with him, two weeks ago?, we discussed history, he loaned me a fictional book “The Bohemians”, centered around Monkey Block. (I still haven’t said much about Monkey Block. If you know, you know. If you don’t? Stay tuned.)

Some other people I’ve met via this podcast. 

I’ve become one of several sources of information for a San Francisco ghost tour. Badge of honor, right there. I hope to go on her ghost tour once the weather warms up a little.

Other introductions directly related to this podcast. I’ve met Bay Area brick enthusiasts, more than one early San Francisco architecture aficionado, and … this really cool… a person who came across my podcast while researching their family history, which is directly connected to the 1820s California hide and tallow trade. How cool is that?

Now, this next story is meta. Monkey Block got blocked from a popular Facebook Group on early San Francisco history. I got on their radar when I politely pointed out the moderator’s incorrect statement about very little happening, and very few people living, in Yerba Buena before the Americans arrived. Misinformation put out over 150 years ago, remains with us, today. 

But, I did make a history friend from a group member, who advocated for me. So, something positive came out of that. Hmph!

My Podcast Stats

My topic is really niche, so, I didn’t expect many downloads outside of the few friends I told about this ‘Covid hobby thing’. I was surprised when more than just my friends started downloading my episodes.

I use the number of downloads in the first seven days, to determine growth in listenership. Since I only release an episode a month, I know people aren’t dialed in weekly to check for new episodes. I’m happy to say, with each episode, my 7-day download numbers increase. And, that’s encouraging for a little project, meant to keep me busy during a shelter in place. 

I will say, I was off to a very discouraging start, when my first four episodes only had two or three San Francisco downloads, and one of those was me! I know download numbers shouldn’t matter, if you’re doing this for the love of the topic, but it takes a month to fully research, write, edit and release, an episode. I have no background in anything related to podcasting, so I doubted myself. A lot.

Thankfully, that turned around, and I now have more San Francisco downloads than any city in the world. 

The episode people seem to enjoy the most, was the interview at the High Horse wall, which was also the most enjoyable episode to produce. I’ve never done an interview, and I wasn’t sure how this would go. Thankfully, Will was easy to interview, since he lights up when he talks about San Francisco history. It comes through in the interview, which is why I think it’s the most enjoyed episode. 

I often get asked about the wall, and for any updates. If I had more time, I would make an entire podcast on the research I’m doing on this wall, silently, in the background. Just know, I’m still working on it, and looking for the right episodes to plug in the research.

William Heath Davis Junior’s life is a Netflix series waiting to happen. He’s bound to come up in future episodes, because he’s closely connected to the city’s early history. More than one person told me they are reading “Seventy Five Years in California, by William Heath Davis” to continue learning about him and Yerba Buena. That makes me happy.

Despite not having large download numbers, the episode with the most impact, that resonates with listeners, for the human factor, and watching the underdog succeed, was the Juana Briones episode. I highlighted her strength, and ability to rise above her circumstances. This was the most difficult, of all my episodes, to research. I found lots of unrelated bits of her story, in other people’s memoirs and reporting, which was hard to corral, based on all the different names people correctly, and incorrectly, addressed her by. Once gathered, I wove the random pieces together, to create a timeline. And then, create an episode script about her life story. Also, I know this sounds trivial, but it isn’t. I had to find just the right song for her episode, to honor her.

I’m most proud of the Juana episode. The extra research, and time, was worth getting her story out there. She’s an impressive character in early San Francisco history. <insert song>

Let’s Review the Timeline

We started in 1776, with the San Francisco Mission period, and touched on the complex social and business model of the Missions, until their secularization in the 1830s. We moved into the Rancho period and covered the changes to the already existing hide and tallow trade, into the mid 1830s when we finally saw Yerba Buena become a port town. 

We dove into Yerba Buena’s original settlers, and their businesses and individual storylines. And, lastly, we covered the real star of it all … the Yerba Buena shoreline and cove. Its history and development allowed San Francisco to become what it is, today. 

William Anthony Richardson, Juana Briones, Jacob Primer Leese, Nathan Spear, William Sturgis Hinckley, Alpheus Basil Thompson, William Heath Davis,  Jacques Vioget, Alexander Leidesdorf, Mariano and Salvador Vallejo, Sanchez Family, Guerrero, Noe, Bernal, de Haro . 

Prologue

Over this last year, I’ve changed my perspectives on few things, and discovered San Francisco’s early, hidden history, which I now share with you. 

Starting a new job, and a pandemic, lead me towards starting this podcast. A chance meeting, looking for drinks to go, changed my research and podcast timeline, putting me in a rarely discussed area of San Francisco history. 

You never know where things are going to go, despite your initial ideas and plans. But, you ride the ride, just for the adventure, and, where you end up, can be unexpected, and rewarding.

A lot about this podcast has been serendipity, intuition, creating a ‘there’ that didn’t previously exist, and forging ahead, even when I didn’t know what I was doing. A polished podcast, I am not. But, a podcast rooted in passion? That, I am. 

I welcome interaction, so reach out. I am happy to share information with like-minded people. And, I enjoy hearing directly from you, dear listeners.

I graciously acknowledge my closest friends, and family, for being my initial test audience, and, talking me out of my self-doubt, about continuing with it, back when San Francisco didn’t seem interested in my San Francisco history podcast. 

And, thank you, dear listener, you’re not related to me, and you still tune in. Your continued listenership is inspiring, and the small, but growing, even international numbers, shows we are forming a community of people, who know more than most about Yerba Buena, and early San Francisco history. You can wear that badge with honor and correct people who say there was nothing in San Francisco before 1846!

San Francisco is a boom and bust city, rising from the ashes, after every mishap, always finding a way, creating, and succeeding with crazy ideas. 

San Francisco has the ability to imagine, honor its colorful characters, and their wild ideas. That’s what I love about our history. It makes a lot of sense to say, this crazy little seaport town was built by, and for, … beautiful dreamers.

My personal commitment was to release twelve episodes, and then, reassess what I wanted to do. Well, dear listener, this is episode #12. 

I hope you join Monkey Block for another year of history and storytelling. We have not ‘seen the elephant’ or become ‘Paris of the West’, yet! 

Closing

If you are enjoying this podcast, share it with your friends, and spread the word. And, if you are inspired to do so, please leave a review of my podcast. 

You can read today’s transcript, and locate the cited sources, at monkeyblocksf.buzzsprout.com. 

Please bookmark, or favorite, this podcast, to be alerted when new episodes are released. 

You can visit Monkey Block at facebook.com/MonkeyBlockSF, or twitter.com/monkeyblocksf, or email me directly at monkeyblocksf@gmail.com.

And, thank you for listening. This is Monkey Block, retelling forgotten stories from San Francisco’s golden past.