VIPS in the Port of San Francisco
Mrs. Alexina Fisher Baker, Mr. Lewis Baker
Daily Alta California, February 5, 1852
THEATRICAL ARRIVALS.--
By the steamship Pacific, which arrived last evening, we are pleased to notice the arrival of Mrs. Alexina Fisher Baker and her husband, Mr. Lewis Baker.
Mrs. Baker is well known to all our theatre goers from the Atlantic States, under her maiden name of Alexina Fisher, and those who visited the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia a few years since, and later in the Broadway Theatre, New York, will well recollect her and be ready to give her a hearty welcome upon her arrival on the shores of the Pacific. Mrs. Baker is a pleasing and powerful actress, but she is too well know by the theatre-going community to require our encomiums.
Mr. Lewis Baker we have never had the pleasure of seeing professionally, but the press of New York and Philadelphia speak of him in the highest terms as an actor of no ordinary merit.
Upon their departure from Philadelphia a complimentary benefit was given to Mrs. Baker at the Chestnut Street Theatre, which is represented as having been a deeply interesting affair. We congratulate our community upon the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Baker, whom we shall probably have the pleasure of seeing on the boards ere long.
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The Annals of San Francisco
Frank Soule, John H. Gihon, Jim Nisbet. 1855
Written by three journalists who were witnesses to and participants in the extraordinary events they describe. The Annals of San Francisco is both an essential record for historians and a fascinating narrative for general readers. Over 100 historical engravings are included. Partial Contents: Expeditions of Viscaino; Conduct of the Fathers towards the natives; Pious Fund of California; Colonel John C. Fremont; Insurrection of the Californians; Description of the Golden Gate; The Presidio of San Francisco; Removal of the Hudson's Bay Company; Resolutions concerning gambling; General Effects of the Gold Discoveries; Third Great Fire; Immigration diminished; The Chinese in California; Clipper Ships; Increase of population; and Commercial depression.
San Francisco, You're History!
Politicians, Proselytizers, Paramours, and Performers Who Helped Create California's Wildest City
J. Kingston Pierce
Seattle-based freelance writer Pierce presents a fascinating view of a variety of colorful people and events that have molded the unique environment of San Francisco. He chronicles historical highlights along with a focus on current issues. Pierce touches on the gold rush, earthquakes, and fires and introduces the lives of politicians, millionaires, criminals, and eccentrics. Pierce sparks the imagination in relating the stories of yesterday to today. .
When America First Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail
Eric Jay Dolin
Ancient China collides with America in this epic tale of opium smugglers, sea pirates, and dueling clipper ships. Brilliantly illuminating one of the least-understood areas of American history, best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin traces our relationship with China back to its roots: the nineteenth-century seas that separated a brash, rising naval power from a ancient empire. It is a fable for our time, one that surprisingly continues to shed light on our modern relationship with China. The furious trade in furs, opium, and b?che-de-mer -- a rare sea cucumber delicacy -- might have catalyzed America's emerging economy, but it also sparked an ecological and human rights catastrophe. Peopled with fascinating characters--from Robert Morris: Financier of the American Revolution to the The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong: Splendors of China's Forbidden City, who considered foreigners inferior beings -- this saga of pirates and politicians, coolies and concubines becomes a must-read for any fan of Nathaniel Philbrick's Mayflower or Mark Kurlansky's Cod. Two maps, 16 pages of color, 83 black-and-white illustrations.
Commodore Levy:
A Novel of Early America in the Age of Sail
(Modern Jewish History)
Irving Litvag
By all accounts, Uriah Phillips Levy, the first Jewish commodore in the U.S. Navy, was both a principled and pugnacious man. On his way to becoming a flag officer, he was subjected to six courts-martial and engaged in a duel, all in response to antisemitic taunts and harassment from his fellow officers. Yet he never lost his love of country or desire to serve in its navy. When the navy tried to boot him out, he took his case to the highest court and won.
This richly detailed historical novel closely follows the actual events of Levy?s life: running away from his Philadelphia home to serve as a cabin boy at age ten; his service during the War of 1812 aboard the Argus and internment at the notorious British prison at Dartmoor; ?his campaign for the abolition of flogging in the Navy; and his purchase and restoration of Monticello as a tribute to his personal hero, Thomas Jefferson. Set against a broad panorama of U.S. history,?Commodore Levy?describes the American Jewish community from 1790 to 1860, the beginnings of the U.S. Navy, and the great nautical traditions of the Age of Sail before its surrender to the age of steam.