You’ve seen the green and white signs in front of the “Lefty O’Doul Restaurant and Piano Bar” down on Geary Street, but who is Lefty O’Doul? Just another phony Irish name invented to sell beer? Absolutely not! The silhouette of that left-handed slugger on the sign is a clue. Lefty O’Doul was a baseball player, […]
Sparkletack was the blog and podcast of a guy obsessed with diggin' up San Francisco history. The site is on permanent hiatus.» About Richard
The Barbary Coast
Herbert Asbury's mesmerizing survey of Francisco's dark, filthy & frantic underground history, whose denizens -- freaks, bullies, hookers, dandies, opium smokers, and loose nuts of every variety -- are absolutely unforgettable.
Roughing It
Samuel Clemen's wide-eyed account of his Western transformation into Mark Twain. It's half-autobiography, half-high-grade B.S., and 100% entertainment! Here's my review of Uncle Mark's work: »
River of Shadows
The subtitle -- "Eadweard Muybridge and the Technological Wild West" -- just hints at the depth of history and analysis in this beautifully written and meticulously researched work. Fascinating and gorgeous ... read my review: »
San Francisco Memoirs
1835-1851: Eyewitness Accounts of the Birth of a City
The sleepy village of Yerba Buena becomes the boomtown of San Francisco -- in the voices of its own residents.
More San Francisco Memoirs
1852-1899: The Ripening Years
In this sequel to Malcolm Barker's "San Francisco Memoirs", the saga continues; from the Gold Rush to the Gilded age, San Franciscans tell our story in their own words.
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