Writing historical novels involves months
of research. For me, only a fraction of my sleuthing ends up in my novels. The
rest is filed away in a cabinet and also floats about in my head.
Because I was writing a Civil War-era
adventure novel (Deserter, Rebel, Renegade),
I researched 1862-1864 San Francisco and some of the fascinating people who
lived and worked there.
Life in early 1860s San Francisco focused
less on the Civil War raging in the eastern part of the United States (a world
away) and more on the import and export of goods from around the globe,
building fortunes, and the unwanted immigration of Chinese and other foreigners
willing to take undesirable jobs for less money. Sound familiar?
The town was full of risk-takers, colorful
characters, oddballs, and outcasts who brought life and vitality to the city. The
following are five of my favorites.
·
Belle Cora (1827?-1862)
Celebrated madam and reputed to be the best-dressed woman in town, Belle and
her husband Charles opened a gaming house in San Francisco in 1852. Cora House
offered games of chance, food, drink and the highest priced girls in town.
Charles came to a bad end at the hands (and rope) of the Vigilance Committee.
Cora turned to philanthropy but died quite young.
·
Domenico (Domingo)
Ghiradelli
(1817-1894) Italian born businessman who was
apprenticed to a chocolate maker
in Genoa. Moving to South American he opened a confectioners business and then to
California to cater to the miners who craved sweets almost as much as gold. In
1852 he moved to San Francisco and opened the Ghiradelli Chocolate Company. Today,
The Original Ghiradelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop located in Ghiradelli
Square is a major tourist destination in the city.
·
Emperor Norton (1818-1880) Born
in England, Joshua Abraham Norton arrived in San Francisco approximately 1849. He
was a successful businessman but lost everything in a crash of the rice market.
In 1859 he appeared in town, dressed in a ragtag uniform and declared himself
Norton I, Emperor of the United States & Protector of Mexico. The Emperor
strolled about town posting various proclamations and declarations. One such
declaration stated the United States Congress should be disbanded by force. He paid
his expenses with his “official” money which he printed. It’s said over 10,000
people lined the streets as his coffin was carried to his funeral. Whether he was
eccentric, insane, or crazy as a fox is up for debate.
·
Levi Strauss (1829-1902)
German-born businessman
who along with Jacob W. Davis saw the future of
combining rivets and denim. In 1854, he opened a wholesale company in San
Francisco to import fine dry goods. He began making tents and jeans which were valued
by the miners and new arrivals starting fresh in California. At the time of his
death in 1902, his estate was worth about six million dollars. That would be
approximately $170,000,000 today.
· Ah Toy (c.1828-1928)
Chinatown madam, Ah Toy was tall and attractive and arrived in the city in
1849. Unfortunately, her husband died on the ship from Hong Kong. To put food
on her table and a roof over her head, she turned to what some call the
‘world’s oldest profession.’ Eventually, her famous bordello was on the same
street as Cora House. Intelligent, financially savvy, and knowing her way around
the court system, she was able to retire to Santa Clara, California where she
passed away at an advanced age.
The above five people are just a few of
the amazing people who called San Francisco home in the mid-1800s. Four of them
made it into Deserter, Rebel, Renegade.
* * *
NOTE: To read another Research Tidbit, see my July
Blog about the Oregon Trail titled “Disease, Death & Burial Practices.”
* * *
September
15th I’ll be attending a writers’ conference and gathering
information for the October 1st blog. See you then.
Other
places to find me:
