Mid-Market in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
The Barbary Coast Trail
On May 12, 1848 Samuel Brannan rode through the streets of San Francisco waving a bottle of gold and yelling, “Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River!” Struck with gold fever, almost every resident headed for the foothills, beginning the greatest migration in American history, the world famous Gold Rush. In 1849 settlers and immigrants from around the world descended on the shores of Yerba Buena Cove. Within a year San Francisco had been transformed from a pastoral village into a bustling port city.
To fully appreciate San Francisco’s role as magnet of the West, it’s helpful to journey back in time when daring exploits and earthshaking events forged a city on sand dunes. The Barbary Coast Trail is a 3.8 mile walk and 20 minute cable car ride marked by a series of bronze medallions and arrows. From the Gold Rush to the Earthquake and Fire of 1906 to the present, the trail traces the city’s history and honors those individuals whose courage and creativity shaped San Francisco into a culturally rich and uniquely dynamic metropolis.
The southern end of the trail begins at the Old U.S. Mint at Fifth and Mission Streets and extends to Aquatic Park near Fisherman’s Wharf. Each end of the trail is connected by they Hyde-Powell cable car line. There is also a six-block loop on Nob Hill and a satellite site at Mission Dolores.
The Barbary Coast Trail connects twenty historic sites, including the original shoreline of Yerba Buena Cove, the birthplace of the Gold Rush, Jackson Square Historic District, the Pony Express, the oldest cathedral west of the Rockies, the first Asian neighborhood in America, the largest collection of historic ships in the U.S., and several local museums.
Down Gold Rush-era streets and Chinatown alleys, past Bonanza King mansions and Barbary Coast saloons, the trail follows the streets of old San Francisco to a city built on golden dreams, the City by the Bay...
San Francisco Historical Society
Erected by San Francisco Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1896.
Location. 37° 46.978′ N, 122° 24.417′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Mid-Market. Marker is on 5th Street near Mission Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 74 5th Street, San Francisco CA 94103, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Old United States Mint (here, next to this marker); San Francisco Centre (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Andrew S. Hallidie (about 600 feet away); Parrot Building (about 700 feet away); St. Ignatius College (about 700 feet away); Hotel Bristol (about 800 feet away); Ambassador Hotel (approx. 0.2 miles away); Dalt Hotel c. 1910 (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.
More about this marker. This marker is embedded in the sidewalk in front of the Old Mint Building.
Regarding The Barbary Coast Trail. The Barbary Coast Trail is a series of bronze medallions and arrows embedded in the sidewalk connecting the Barbary Coast Trail’s historic sites. Along a 3.8-mile path (mostly flat or gently sloping), the trail weaves its way through Downtown, Union Square, Chinatown, Portsmouth Square, Jackson Square Historic District, Old Barbary Coast, Beat San Francisco, North Beach, Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower, Fishermans Wharf, San Francisco Maritime Historical National Park, Ghirardelli Square and Nob Hill.
Also see . . . Old San Francisco Mint. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on March 14, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 21, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 992 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 21, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 6, 7, 8. submitted on March 20, 2024, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.