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| Landmark #90 | San Francisco County | Visited: February 23, 2013 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A plaque in an alley! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: This is the site of the headquarters of the Vigilance Committee of 1856. On June 21, 1856, Judge David S. Terry was arrested and confined in a cell. The committee, fearing that his friends might attempt to rescue him, decided to fortify the building with gunnysacks filled with sand.
OTHER TIDBITS: Vigilance communities arose in response to the sudden influx of people to San Francisco during the Gold Rush and the inability of law enforcement resources to keep up! The first committee formed in 1851, composed of about 200 elites and merchants, who would call each other to the streets by ringing the city’s fire bell and imprison, deport, or hang the criminals they caught! The chaos of San Francisco gradually settled until 1856, when corrupt city supervisor, James Casey, shot James King, the editor of the Daily Evening Bulletin who exposed his corruption! The second Vigilance Committee, 500 strong, surrounded the county jail on May 18th, removed James Casey, tried, and hanged him! In many ways, this Vigilance Committee turned into an arm of nativism that particularly targeted Irish-Catholic Democrats! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: S side of Sacramento between Davis and Front San Francisco, CA 94111 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~387mi (623km) — 6.5hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |