BLACK IN TIME: A Moment In OUR History

William Alexander Leidesdorff

On August 6, 1847, The Star Newspaper Reported That In June Of That Year, There Were 459 Residents In San Francisco, California, Ten Of Whom Were Of African Ancestry. One Of These African Residents Was Wealthy Merchant And Politician, William Alexander Leidesdorff.

Originally From The Virgin Islands, Leidesdorff Lived For Some Time In New Orleans, Louisiana. He Left New Orleans To Protest Against Southern Racism, After His Proposed Marriage To A White Aristocrat Was Prohibited By Her Family.

By The Time Leidesdorff Arrived In San Francisco, In 1841, He Was Already A Rich Man. He Strongly Believed That The Small, Bay-Side Village Would One Day Become A World-Class Port City.

In 1846, He Opened One Of The First Hotels In San Francisco. He Also Built The First Warehouse And Wharf. In 1847 He Put The First Steamboat, The Sitka, In The San Francisco Bay, And Introduced Horse Racing To California.

His Political Career Was Equally As Impressive As His Entrepreneurial Career. In 1845 He Was Named U.S. Vice Consul To Yerba Buena, As San Fransisco Was Called Under Mexican Control.

In 1847 He Was Elected To The City Council, Becoming One Of The First Black Elected Officials In The United States. He Served As Town Treasurer In 1848 And Sat On The First School Board.

William Leidesdorff Died, Unexpectedly Of "Brain Fever," In 1848, At The Age Of 38. He Left Behind An Estate Worth Over $1 Million, Including A 35,000-Acre Ranch Along The American River.

A Small Street Along The San Francisco Waterfront Was Posthumously Named In His Honor.

"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.

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