Chapter 15, California

Where as previous chapters had talked about regions and the states that were in that region, there is one state that needs a whole chapter to itself...California.  There is so much information about California.  But I am especially happy that this chapter involves my blog city, San Francisco. 

satellite picture of San Francisco, http://www.badattitudes.com/

San Francisco lies on the San Andreas Fault zone.  This fault zone is responsible for the 1906 San Francisco earthquake that claimed more than 3,000 lives, and caused fires that would burn the city for four days.  Most of the destruction was downtown because that neighborhood sits on top of bedrock and landfill which is prone to liquefaction and earthquake induced landslides.     

aftermath of the 1906 earthquake, http://www.skyscrapercity.com/

When the Gold Rush of 1848 hit in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, San Francisco became a supply port for people heading up to strike it rich.  Samuel Brannan would be one of the people to strike it rich, but it wasn't on finding gold, but rather it was selling tools to people who were looking for gold.  Brannan sold them shovels, picks, pans, and other items from his stores.  He would gross $150,000 a month and he used the money to buy property in San Francisco, as well as in Hawaii.    

Samual Brannan, http://www.sfmuseum.org/

The Bay Area has a "spare the air" program to educate people about air pollution and to encourage them to change their behavior to improve air quality.  When the ground-level ozone, or smog, becomes a problem during the summer months people are asked to cut back on driving, using gas-powered lawn mowers, and from using their fireplaces.  Currently, the air quality index in the Bay Area is at a GOOD level with minimal pollutants in the air. 

When I had read the political case study at the end of the chapter I was amazed that the majority of 31 counties had voted yes to divide California into two states with the division running north of San Francisco to Yosemite National Park.  But the San Francisco Bay Area objected to the division because that would mean they would be put in the same state as Los Angeles.  That is absurd.  San Francisco, unlike Los Angeles, has a natural beauty with many appealing characteristics that give it a welcoming personality.   



1991 and 1992 proposals of a divided CA, http://www.www.phrelin.com/