Portsmouth Square
By Jennifer Zhang
Portsmouth Square is the first public square established in the community of Yerba Buena, on the peninsula that became the city of San Francisco , California , before the gold rush of 1848. The square is a block long open space bounded by Kearny Street on the east, Washington Street on the north, Clay Street on the south and Walter Lum Place on the west. In 1846, when the Americans were taking California , Captain Montgomery from the United States , sailed his warship, the USS Portsmouth , into San Francisco Bay , fired a twenty-one gun salute and rowed on the land with his Marines to raise the American flag over Yerba Buena, which is the old name of San Francisco given by the Mexicans. A plot of land that began life as a pasture and potato patch, grew to become the original city center of San Francisco, hosting gambling halls, hotels and playhouses. The square is now part of Chinatown .
There are lots of memorable sites in this square. It is filled with statues of people and events. For example, Ernie (the tour guide), explained the lady of democracy that is next to the playground in the square. This statue was not brought out until recently because, at the time, democracy was a form of revolt and the federal officers didn't like it being there. But, now, it is up and respected. Also, the dramatic announcement of gold discovery made on May 11, 1848, when Sam Brannan displayed glittering samples to crowds, mass meeting to urge election of delegates to Monterey Constitutional Convention on June 12, 1849. There was a citizens' assembly on July 16, 1849 to organize against depredations of a lawless body called 'The Hounds ” The death of President Zachary Taylor was celebrated and the memorial services were held on August 29, 1850. The first Admission Day celebration held October 29, 1850 was when the steamship Oregon brought the news that California had become 31st state on September 9 th .
One of the things that I found most important for the Portsmouth Square was when the first school was also created. The first public school building, made in 1847 on the southwest corner of plaza was where religious services and many public meetings were held The Square used to be a plaza for the Spanish, so most of the activity and places are revolved around this square. Prisons, city halls, and schools were all first created at this place and then moved for the better.
The Chinese were not a really big part in this Square. The plaza was a Spanish name for the center of life in the middle of the city that they were about to make. When the Americans took over, Chinatown was created near the square. Since the Square was the center, all of the Spanish and the Chinese people continue to migrate toward the Square. The Americans wanted the Chinese to stay in their area, but at the end, it became more diverse because the Chinese didn't listen and the Americans loss interested in maintaining them in.