Montgomery St. showing the Montgomery Block (they all used to call it the "Monkey Block" for short), Washington & Kearny Sts., 1862. Telegraph Hill in distance. The Montgomery Block was built on made ground. They first put down logs, and then straw, and then logs, criss-cross. And when they had that where it wouldn't sink any more, then they put the foundation on top of that. And it lasted through the fires and earthquakes and everything of San Francisco. In fact, in the big fire there, Mr. Stidger, who lived in the building and who was a past president of the Society of California Pioneers, begged them not to blow it down because he said it's a good fire break, and he was right. They didn't dynamite the building and it saved all what would be Jackson Square today. :240

Courtesy of UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library

http://www.oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/tf3h4nb47j/?order=1

Title:

Montgomery St. showing the Montgomery Block (they all used to call it the "Monkey Block" for short), Washington & Kearny Sts., 1862. Telegraph Hill in distance. The Montgomery Block was built on made ground. They first put down logs, and then straw, and then logs, criss-cross. And when they had that where it wouldn't sink any more, then they put the foundation on top of that. And it lasted through the fires and earthquakes and everything of San Francisco. In fact, in the big fire there, Mr. Stidger, who lived in the building and who was a past president of the Society of California Pioneers, begged them not to blow it down because he said it's a good fire break, and he was right. They didn't dynamite the building and it saved all what would be Jackson Square today.

Contributing Institution:

UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library