Top 10 Facts about the Fisherman’s Wharf

Top 10 Facts about the Fisherman’s Wharf

Fisherman’s Wharf is a popular tourist attraction in San Francisco, California. It encompasses the area from the north part of the waterfront area from Ghirardelli Square or Van Ness Avenue to Pier 35 or Kenny Street.

Today, Fisherman’s Wharf is best known for being the location of Pier 39, great waterfront restaurants, Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco Maritime Museum, Musée Mécanique, the Cannery Shopping Center, a Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum, the Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf.

Below, we discuss the top 10 facts about the Fisherman’s Wharf;

1. Tracing the origins of Fisherman’s Wharf

Meiggs’ Wharf seen from Russian Hill – Wikipedia

Initially, Fisherman’s Wharf was an L-shaped wooden pier extending between 1,600 and 2,000 feet (490 and 610 m) from the northern San Francisco shoreline. This is some 200 feet (60 m) further out than today’s Fisherman’s Wharf.

At that time, it was known as Meiggs’ Wharf or Meiggs’ Pier. It was built by Henry Meiggs as part of his real estate development plans.

The original Meigg’s Wharf was once the main port of entry to San Francisco and an extremely industrious place. Lumber, food, and immigrants all arrived here, and railroads came right to the water’s edge to pick up building supplies for the rapidly growing city.

2. The bitter-sweet story of the pier’s founder

Henry Meiggs – Wikipedia

The ‘Father of North Beach,’ Henry Meigg, was financially ruined by this project. To cover his shortfalls, he illicitly obtained warrants against the San Francisco Street Fund. However, in the end Henry Meiggs, was chased out of town by a posse acting on behalf of his creditors.

After Meiggs’ flight in 1854 the pier was left without an owner. Over time, the North Beach area expanded and became a thriving part of San Francisco, bearing out Meiggs’ hopeful vision of the area.

Meiggs died in Peru in 1877 having paid back every cent he obtained by the warrant fraud and his other debts.

3. Rising from the ashes

1906, San Francisco earthquake ruins – Wikipedia

The pier survived until it was burned to the water on the second day of the conflagration that devastated San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake.

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake struck on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). This event is remembered as one of the worst and deadliest earthquakes in the history of the United States.

The Fisherman’s Wharf you see today was built on the rubble of buildings destroyed in the earthquake and fire.

4. Fisherman’s Wharf during the gold rush

James W. Marshall – Wikipedia

The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. The discovery of gold transformed San Francisco from a sleepy fishing village of under 1,000 to over 30,000 people in the course of a year.

Records indicate that by the end of 1849, Fisherman’s Wharf was crawling with sailors and prospective miners from all over the world. The Chinese immigrants in junks fished offshore and provided shrimp, oysters, and salmon to feed the hordes of Gold Rushers.

Italian fishermen came next, and they set up stands along the beach to sell crab, shrimp, oysters, and other seafood.

Shanty towns and a red-light district were established, and the surrounding city started to grow to support the increasing population of Gold Rushers.

5. Dubbed the “Golden Gate”

John Fremont – Wikipedia

In 1848, John Fremont dubbed this area the “Golden Gate”. Urban legend maintains that it’s called the Golden Gate because of the gold discovered here, but that isn’t true.

It’s actually named after its resemblance to a port in Constantinople, Istanbul, in the way that the sunlight falls on the water and mountainside giving it a gold shimmery glow.

6. A heritage passed down from one generation to the next

Feluccas at Fisherman’s Wharf – Wikipedia

From the days of the Gold Rush until the turn of the Century, the San Francisco fishing fleet was composed of lateen-rigged sailboats, called feluccas.

These boats belong to a third generation of fishing craft piloted by descendants of the fishermen, who have made their livelihoods on the waters of San Francisco Bay for many generations.

The sailboats were copies of the craft the Italian fishermen knew in the old country. Green was the prevailing color of the tiny boats, and the name of a patron saint appeared on the hull.

7. The world renowned delectable of all crustaceans, the Dungeness crab of San Francisco

Dungeness crab – Wikipedia

Fisherman’s Wharf, which has been the home of San Francisco’s colorful fishing fleet for nearly a century and a quarter, is world-famous for its wide variety of seafood, especially the Dungeness crab of San Francisco.

The opening of crab season in mid-November is a festive occasion. It is the day when the cauldrons along Fisherman’s Wharf are lighted, ready to receive the boxes piled high with Dungeness crab hoisted from the decks of the first boats that come chuffing back into port.

It is a time for gourmet feasting that will last through many months to follow.

8. The invention of the Dungeness crab cocktail

Dungeness crab cocktail – Flickr

Legend has it that Castagnola’s founders, Tomaso Castagnola, created the cold dish for the Panama–California Exposition in 1915.

After the success of the Dungeness crab cocktail, Tomaso opened the first crab stand on Fisherman’s Wharf in 1916, selling fresh crab to passersby. The restaurant was at 286 Jefferson Street.

Tomaso and his family owned and operated the restaurant until it was sold in 1975. It was the oldest restaurant on the Wharf. Andrew Lolli, a retired U.S. Army general, purchased the restaurant from the Castagnolas.

9. Is there a difference between Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39?

Pier 39 – Flickr

Pier 39 is a shopping center located at the edge of the Fisherman’s Wharf district and is close to North Beach, Chinatown, and the Embarcadero. It was first developed by entrepreneur Warren Simmons and opened October 4, 1978.

The pier’s location provides the picture-perfect backdrop for postcard views of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, Alcatraz and Angel Islands, and the famous city skyline.

In simple terms, Pier 39 is simply one part of the Fisherman’s Wharf. Fisherman’s Wharf is San Francisco’s number one destination, and Pier 39 is Fisherman’s Wharf’s most visited attraction.

10. The PIER’s “Sea Lebrities”

Sea Lions at Pier 39 – Flickr

There is a sea lion colony next to Pier 39 that lie on wooden docks that were originally used for docking boats. The boisterous pinnipeds started arriving in droves in January 1990, shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

At first, they numbered from 10-50, but due to a plentiful herring supply, available dock space and the marina’s protected environment, the population grew to more than 300 within a few months.

During the summer months, the sea lions migrate south to the Channel Islands for breeding season, but in recent years a small group stays year-round at PIER 39’s K-Dock. The majority of sea lions at the pier are male.