Imperial San Francisco: Urban Power, Earthly RuinSan Francisco is a city clouded in myth. This urban biography provides an entirely new vision of the city's history, laying bare the inner dynamics of the regional civilization centered in San Francisco. Imperial San Francisco examines the far-reaching environmental impact that one city and the elite families that hold power in it have had on the Pacific Basin for over a century and a half. The book provides a literate, myth-shattering interpretation of the hidden costs that the growth of San Francisco has exacted on its surrounding regions, presenting along the way a revolutionary new theory of urban development. Written in a lively, accessible style, the narrative is filled with vivid characters, engrossing stories, and a rich variety of illustrations. As he uncovers the true costs of building an imperial city, Gray Brechin addresses the dynastic ambitions of frontier oligarchies, the environmental and social effects of the mining industry, the creation of two universities, the choice of imperial architecture to symbolize the aspirations of San Franciscans in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, manipulation of public thought by the city's media, and more. He traces the exploitation of both local and distant regions by prominent families--the Hearsts, de Youngs, Spreckelses, and others--who gained wealth and power through mining, control of ranching, water and energy, transportation, real estate, and weapons. This broad history of San Francisco is a story of greed and ambition on an epic scale. Imperial San Francisco incorporates rare period illustrations, personal correspondence, and public statements to show how a little-known power elite has used the city as a tool to increase its own wealth and power. Brechin's story advances a new way of understanding urban history as he traces the links among environment, economy, and technology that led, ultimately, to the creation of the atomic bomb and the nuclear arms race. Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction Book of 2000 |
Contents
V | 19 |
VI | 22 |
VII | 23 |
VIII | 25 |
IX | 29 |
X | 30 |
XI | 36 |
XII | 38 |
LXIX | 184 |
LXX | 185 |
LXXI | 188 |
LXXII | 191 |
LXXIII | 192 |
LXXIV | 194 |
LXXV | 197 |
LXXVI | 198 |
XIII | 44 |
XIV | 49 |
XV | 53 |
XVI | 58 |
XVII | 61 |
XVIII | 63 |
XIX | 64 |
XX | 66 |
XXI | 71 |
XXII | 72 |
XXIII | 73 |
XXIV | 75 |
XXV | 77 |
XXVI | 79 |
XXVII | 80 |
XXVIII | 84 |
XXIX | 89 |
XXX | 92 |
XXXI | 93 |
XXXII | 96 |
XXXIII | 98 |
XXXIV | 99 |
XXXV | 102 |
XXXVI | 104 |
XXXVII | 106 |
XXXVIII | 108 |
XXXIX | 113 |
XLI | 116 |
XLII | 119 |
XLIII | 121 |
XLIV | 123 |
XLV | 125 |
XLVI | 130 |
XLVII | 132 |
XLVIII | 135 |
XLIX | 138 |
L | 142 |
LI | 144 |
LII | 149 |
LIII | 151 |
LIV | 154 |
LV | 156 |
LVI | 157 |
LVII | 160 |
LVIII | 161 |
LIX | 165 |
LX | 171 |
LXI | 172 |
LXII | 173 |
LXIII | 174 |
LXIV | 175 |
LXV | 177 |
LXVI | 178 |
LXVII | 180 |
LXVIII | 182 |
LXXVII | 200 |
LXXVIII | 202 |
LXXIX | 204 |
LXXX | 205 |
LXXXI | 206 |
LXXXII | 208 |
LXXXIII | 209 |
LXXXIV | 211 |
LXXXV | 213 |
LXXXVI | 214 |
LXXXVII | 217 |
LXXXVIII | 221 |
LXXXIX | 222 |
XC | 226 |
XCI | 229 |
XCII | 230 |
XCIII | 231 |
XCIV | 235 |
XCV | 238 |
XCVI | 243 |
XCVII | 245 |
C | 249 |
CI | 252 |
CII | 256 |
CIII | 261 |
CIV | 262 |
CV | 266 |
CVI | 267 |
CVII | 269 |
CVIII | 270 |
CIX | 274 |
CX | 279 |
CXI | 280 |
CXII | 281 |
CXIII | 284 |
CXIV | 286 |
CXV | 289 |
CXVI | 291 |
CXVII | 292 |
CXVIII | 295 |
CXIX | 297 |
CXX | 300 |
CXXI | 302 |
CXXII | 304 |
CXXIII | 305 |
CXXIV | 307 |
CXXV | 309 |
CXXVI | 311 |
CXXVII | 321 |
CXXVIII | 323 |
CXXIX | 331 |
CXXX | 359 |
CXXXI | 361 |
389 | |
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Common terms and phrases
American Angeles aqueducts Atomic Bank Bay Area Berkeley bomb building capital century cisco city's civilization claimed Comstock Comstock Lode contado County Courtesy Bancroft Library Crocker Destiny empire energy Figure fortunes George Hearst gold Golden Gate growing Hetch Hetchy Hill History hydraulic mines imperial industry islands James Japan Japanese John John Hays Hammond land Lawrence leading metals Mexican Mexico Michael de Young military million miners nation Navy needed Newlands newspapers Neylan nuclear Overland Monthly Pacific Coast Park Phelan Philippines Phoebe Hearst Pioneer political president Press race railroad Ralston real estate regents River Roosevelt Sacramento San Fran San Francisco Bay San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Examiner San Mateo Schussler Scott Senator served Sharon Sierra Nevada Spreckels Street Sunset Tevis thousand tion Union Iron United University of California Water Company wealth West western Wheeler William Hammond Hall William Randolph Hearst wrote York