FAQ

In 1850, John W. Geary was elected to be the first mayor of San Francisco, although before we elected mayors the city elected Alcaldes. The first Alcalde was Francisco De …
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Jasper O’Farrell was a civil engineer who named and built Market Street – the widest street in town at the time.

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The first recorded escape attempt was in April of 1936, in which prisoner Joe Bowers climbed up a chain link fence close to the shore and refused to obey correction …
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There have been 14 escape attempts from Alcatraz since the prison was built, and no official recording of any successful escapes. However, there are 5 prisoners listed as ‘missing’ or …
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The US Army built a fortress at Alcatraz to protect the Bay during the California Gold Rush in 1850, and military prisoners were held there beginning in the late 1850s. …
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Crime in the Bay Area began to rise substantially around the time of the California Gold Rush. And by the late 1850s, military prisoners were beginning to be held captive …
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