To walk the Gold Rush Trail is to do history. Here, underfoot, is the original shoreline of the City, here the brick buildings of 1849, plazas where the Spanish paraded, relics of pioneers of the Old West, here the footprint of the Chinese and of the wave of immigrants from Europe - to Telegraph Hill, to North Beach, to the Mission. These are the streets burnished when the sky burned, these the buildings found true when the earth shook. This is a journey of discovery, as alive today as in those fantastic years when the rush for gold swept the world to San Francisco.
The Gold Rush Trail Foundation, a non-profit public-benefit corporation, offers educational experiences in the City's historic districts to residents and visitors via a clearly marked walking trail. This goal is supported by The Mechanics' Institute, The California Historical Society, and The Society of California Pioneers. Working with the San Francisco Unified School District, the Foundation has helped create state-certified history programs for the fourth and seventh grades. This mission is made possible through sponsorship by corporations with historical roots in the City. |
