Marker Logo HMdb.org THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Embarcadero in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
 

Howard Street

 
 
Howard Street Marker, top left plaque image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 20, 2014
1. Howard Street Marker, top left plaque
Inscription. This marker consists of six plaques arranged in a 2 X 3 pattern, embedded in the sidewalk. The top left plaque is the title plaque and may contain some text. The top right plaque displayed an arrow which points in the direction of the named street. Other plaques contain biographical information on the person for whom the street is named, appropriate quotation(s) and relevant illustrations, cast in bronze.

In 1845, W.D.M. Howard opened a store in Yerba Buena with Henry Mellus and in 1848, bought out the Hudson Bay Trading Company one week before Marshall found gold. With well-supplied stores in Sacramento, San Jose and San Francisco, Howard developed his waterfront property and Rancho San Mateo. A gifted mimic, he improvised theatricals, serenading his friends with invitations to his midnight champagne suppers. Actively generous, Howard funded the city’s first public school, first hospital, first fire engine, and first churches. Over six feet tall, with a portly build, a direct gaze, and a deep persuasive voice, Howard organized the California National Guard presided over the Society of California Pioneers, and chaired the Vigilance Committee. His early death at the age of 37 revealed the extent of his many hidden charities.

“Howard was a bold operator who acted on a grand scale.” William William
Paid Advertisement
Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.
Click or scan to see
this page online
Heath Davis, Close Friend in Yerba Buena
 
Erected by San Francisco Art Commission for the Waterfront Transportation Projects.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & CommerceRoads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1845.
 
Location. 37° 47.527′ N, 122° 23.474′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Embarcadero. Marker is at the intersection of Embarcadero and Howard Street, on the right when traveling south on Embarcadero. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 Embarcadero, San Francisco CA 94105, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Big Strike (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fast Tides, Frisky Winds & Wet Sails (about 400 feet away); 20,000 Years Ago (about 600 feet away); Captain Shorey (about 600 feet away); Folsom Street (about 600 feet away); Audiffred Building (about 700 feet away); Getting Around (about 700 feet away); In Memory of Howard Sperry and Nick Bordoise (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.
 
Regarding Howard Street.
William Davis Merry Howard -- Peninsula Royalty: The Founding Families of Burlingame-Hillsborough entry:
Already present
Howard Street Marker, center left plaque image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 20, 2014
2. Howard Street Marker, center left plaque
Caption: William Davis Merry Howard • 1810-1889
and trading in San Francisco in 1847, W.D.M. was one of the first to learn of the discovery of gold. On June 11, 1848, he wrote to his trading partner in Boston and requested that he fill a ship bound for San Francisco immediately. With great excitement, W.D.M. described: “[I]t is about six weeks since the discovery . . . People here are perfectly crazy. This town has been almost deserted . . . they have paid as high as $30 for a ¼ of beef rather than go 20 miles to obtain it for $3 & $4 . . . Crews are leaving their vessels . . . we shall be famished this year if produce is not brought from foreign ports . . . I recommend your fitting out an expedition immediately . . .”

Link at https://burlingamefoundingfamilies.wordpress.com/howard-introduction/william-davis-merry-howard/
 
Howard Street Marker, center right plaque image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 20, 2014
3. Howard Street Marker, center right plaque
Howard Street Markerm bottom left plaque image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 20, 2014
4. Howard Street Markerm bottom left plaque
Howard Street Marker, bottom right plaque image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 20, 2014
5. Howard Street Marker, bottom right plaque
Caption: Howard’s living depended on sea trade.
Howard Street Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 20, 2014
6. Howard Street Marker
William Davis Merry Howard image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer
7. William Davis Merry Howard
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 447 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on March 26, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

Share this page.  
Share on Tumblr
m=72607

CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisements
Mar. 19, 2024