5 Things You Probably Don't Know About Fisherman's Wharf

5 Things You Probably Don't Know About Fisherman's Wharf

A visit to Fisherman s Wharf typically tops the list of things to do in San Francisco. Over 10 million people eat in its restaurants, visit its museums and shop in its stores. Yet only a smidgen of the area's rich history will ever be known to them.

1. The Runaway Forefather

Until the beginning of the 1900's, Fisherman s Wharf was known as Meiggs' Wharf. Henry Meiggs was a lumber salesman, turned real estate investor. While developing the Wharf, he nearly went bankrupt. Instead, he stole a book of the city's payment warrants and escaped to South America with $8,000. There he became a successful railroad developer. Although he always intended to, he never returned to San Francisco.

2. Pigs and Palaces

Today's Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum is home to many weird and wonderful attractions. But does it have a pig that can play cards? In 1853, Cockney White's museum did, along with monkeys and bears. Sailors who lost a quarter to the pig could then visit Abe Warner's Cobweb Palace, a saloon notable for the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and a cockatoo yelling for rum.

3. From Sewing to Sweets

Ghirardelli Square was once the home of the Pioneer Woolen Mill. During the middle of the nineteenth century, 700 employees manufactured one million dollars worth of goods, including blankets and uniforms for the Union Army. Pioneer went out of business in the 1880's when the Chinese Exclusion Act forced the loss of many of its workers.

4. A Light in the Dark

Before Al Capone and his fellow inmates came along, the most famous resident of Alcatraz Island was probably the lighthouse. Alcatraz Light was completed in 1854 but in 1856 a bell had to installed because the light could not been seen through San Francisco's fog. Although the actual structure has been replaced, it is still the oldest operating light station on the West Coast.

5. The Ultimate Acid Test

Fisherman's Wharf has long been an area characterized by its mix of cultures. In 1966, it was the home of the counterculture when Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters invaded Longshoreman's Hall for the Trips Festival. Events included theater, crafts, music by such bands as the Grateful Dead and the ingestion of a variety of chemicals. Attended by 6,000 people, it solidified San Francisco's reputation as the center of the psychedelic movement.

There are so many things to do in San Francisco. Exploring the fascinating history of Fisherman's Wharf is one of them.

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