From Yerba Buena to San Francisco

Long before the Golden Gate Bridge existed, there was a small,

quiet cove known as Yerba Buena. Established in 1835 by William Richardson, it served as

a simple Spanish trading post for ships. The name, meaning Good Herb,

came from the wild mint found growing wild on the hills. Under Mexican rule,

the village was a sleepy outpost of commerce and ranching life for over a decade.

By 1846, during the Mexican-American War, US Navy forces arrived and claimed

the territory for the United States. On January 30, 1847, the local magistrate

officially changed the name from Yerba Buena to San Francisco. Just one year