-
The Rise and Fall of Captain Folsom
During his short life, William Alexander Leidesdorff accumulated great wealth. Yet, what happened to his wealth after he died is a story in itself. The Aftermath of Leidesdorff’s Death In addition to his riches, Leidesdorff left many debts. Many of those were a result of his financing of businesses and other ventures like Fremont’s expeditions. According to Sue Bailey Thurman, author of Pioneers of Negro Origin in California, at the time of his death, Leidesdorff’ ‘s property was saddled with $50,000 in debts. In today’s money that is almost $2 million. The discovery of gold in 1848, the same year he died increased Leidesdorff’s property’s value immensely. Soon his estate…
-
San Francisco’s Overlooked Pioneer: William Alexander Leidesdorff
Although little known today, the name of William Alexander Leidesdorff is enshrined on streets in San Francisco and a town along the American River. He was also one of California’s pioneers of African descent and instrumental in bringing about the American annexation of California.
-
Routes to Mexican California
In the early decades of the nineteenth century, growing numbers of people came to Alta California. The routes they took and the lives they established changed the history of the region. Immigration by Sea After independence from Spain, the Mexican government relaxed trade and immigration rules. In the 1820s and 1830s, small numbers of English-speaking merchants and sailors began to come to Alta California, mostly by ship. Many of them married local Hispanic women and started families. They joined the Catholic Church and their children grew up speaking Spanish. James Alexander Forbes, who was born in Scotland, came to Santa Clara in 1829. He married María Ana Galindo, the daughter…
