If you came to Chinatown, you probably walked or drove past Portsmouth Square many times. But this "square" predates the statehood itself, and has a history far beyond "where you park for Chinatown". Google Maps of Portsmouth Square 2022 courtesy Google, USGS, Maxar, Airbus, et al The town square that will become Portsmouth square was set aside in 1833 by the Mexican community who had won their independence from Spain. At the time, the area was called "Yerba Buena" (lit: Good Herb). In 1835, it was officially designated "Grand Plaza", but it was an empty gesture, as there were no residents until William A Richardson and his family (Richardson married Maria Antonia Martinez, the daughter of the commander at the Presidio, Ygnacio Martinez, who controls the local Mexican army fort) moved to the area just west of the plaza, in late 1835, in an attempt to map and settle the area. He was soon joined by Jacob Leese (known to the Mexicans as Don Jacobo ...
An exploration of San Francisco Chinatown typically NOT covered by tours