Little Italy, California

Nook of California:  No less than seven ships from the 1800's are buried underneath the streets of the original waterfront in North Beach, San Francisco.  In 1978 one ship's hull was discovered during the digging for Levi Plaza;  the ship was estimated at 100 feet in length and 30 feet wide.

During the gold rush people abandoned their ships at the dock and then others used these vessels as saloons, restaurants, and even prostitution rings.  North Beach, which sat along the water until developers created a landfill to expand the city for several streets, grew in large leaps from the 1850's onwards and included a large community of Italians.  Italians established the Saint Francis Church (still extant today) as well as Buon Gusto Restaurant and the Toscano Hotel.  The steep North Beach hills clanged with what was called a funicular (defined as two cars attached to a cable).  Later, the funicular became part of the famous San Francisco cable car system.

In 1906 a large earthquake rocked San Francisco and the ensuing fires burned down most of the city.  Urban legend says that Italians in North Beach threw wine soaked burlap sacks on their buildings to save them.  Whatever the truth, heroic Italian efforts were recognized by the city's re-naming of the main North Beach thoroughfare to Columbus Avenue, in honor of the Italian explorer.

Italian culture continued to grow during the twentieth century.  By the 1930's Il Trovatore seated 750 and served 1,500 meals per day.  The Guerrini Accordion Factory turned North Beach into the place where accordion musicians went to find a good salary and an eager audience.  There was also the Musto Steam Marble Mill, Verdi's Theater, and Caesar's restaurant that is credited with inventing Caesar Salad.  During World War II, Roma Macaroni Factory made pasta round the clock for people serving in the U.S. armed forces.  Il Giardino (now Washington square and pictured above) was where paesani gathered on benches.  Beside it, the St. Peter and Paul Church was built, which today holds a once a week mass in Italian and also is where the locally born and raised Joe DiMaggio posed for pictures with his new bride, Marilyn Monroe during the 1950's.  George Favius Cavalli established the Libreria Italiana and Cavalli Bookstore, which eclipsed and gave way to City Lights Bookstore, owned by Lawrence Ferlighetti whose milieu is credited with launching the San Francisco Renaissance during the 1950's and 60's.

View the North Beach Slideshow!


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