Harrison Street

Maybe named after President Harris but considered more likely to commemorate Henry A. Harrison, who was a member of the Ayuntamiento, or Town Council, in 1849-50, and a member of the pioneer mercantile firm of DeWitt & Harrison.

The city directory of 1850 lists:

Harrison, Henry A., of Dewitt & Harrison, com. merchant, San b P and Bdway .

The second street is most probably Broadway, but what's San b p? I'm guessing Sansome, since between the current Broadway tunnel and what was then the shoreline that's the only street name at all close. Also the advertisement mentioned here from the "Alta California" in 1849 lists photographic equipment for sale at the store on Sansome street.

The store is also mentioned as being in operation in 1848 in a nearly deserted city. More mention of Dewitt here than Harrison however, but the scene of a town developing into a city is quite compelling. In 1899 Dewitt's obituary ran in the New York times and listed Harrison as a "business friend".

In this transcript of an oral history interview Harrison is mentioned only is passing as having "died or something" after the store was founded and a Mr. Kittle took over as partner. This link to a New York historical society newsletter lists the store address more exactly at 187 Sansome street which would put it at Pine street. That sounds more like where the city was at that time, I wonder if the numbering system changed along the way? And sure enough, in 1861 the numbers were redone starting everything at Market street and heading north and south from there. Now again, looking at other addresses in the guide, I think the store address can be decoded as Sansome, between Broadway and Pine.

Harrison street is another of those SOMA routes that takes a big bend southward after crossing Tenth street and peters out in Bernal heights. Not much in the way of restaurants or entertainment listed on Harrison, but I can recommend the (relatively) cheap and convenient parking lots between Bryant and Harrison at Second street, under the freeway. Noisy but dry enough to provide a bedroom for the two to four vagrants that I walk by every morning.

Bryant Street

To my point of view the first of the real SOMA streets, it's south of the freeway, at the top of Rincon hill and the beginning of the downward slide to the bay. Named for Edwin Bryant an early settler and newspaperman. He came across the plains from Independence, Missouri in 1846 as a Second Lieutenant in John Fremont’s expedition. (more about Fremont when we get to his street). Appointed the successor of Washington A. Bartlett as the second American Alcalde in February 1847.

As Alcalde he started the layout of the city grid with Montgomery street along the waterfront. Today's is quite a bit inland but still historic what with being my preferred BART station and all. The next Alcalde George Hyde had all the lots surveyed and then sold off over the next few months.

After his California adventure, Bryant returned to the "East". There he wrote and published "What I saw in California". Bryant's book describing his journey and California became the guide for the later Argonauts (gold seekers) who traveled the overland route and was updated with maps and mining information by the publishers. It makes for very interesting reading today when the landscape he described has mostly disappeared. Elk in Elk Grove? Today only in the name.

For me personally, Bryant street is where my Dad had his own business. Known as Power Mac supposedly because the lawyer that was registering the name had abbreviated Power Machinery on his notepad it was a great joy to us kids and sometimes more of a worry to Father. The address was 1999 Bryant which is way out west almost under highway 101. There is still some state money there to be claimed if you can prove you are owed it.

Dirty Harry had a scene or two on Bryant street since the county (city) jail is there. Whoops! Should have been termed the Hall of Justice. "Do you feel lucky?"

Here's a 1906 earthquake photo between Bryant and Brannan.