Spanish Sausalito
It’s time to rehash an older piece I did at the behest of a friend of mine. Of course, old pieces never die, they just multiply — thank you, Ice T, for that couplet. Now, should you find yourself on the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge, you may remember this re-post while luxuriating in your Sausalito hotel.
The town was founded by the Spanish missionaries as “Rancho del Sausalito.” It’s translation — ranch of the cool breeze. Other than enjoying the distinction of being one of the earliest settlements in the West, the city also enjoys the distinction of being partially submerged. This was simply a matter of course, not a natural disaster. The town had hopes of following San Francisco’s example in 1868 and extending the city parameters by using a complex system of landfills. Unfortunately, the landfill never got filled and several streets were subsequently, over the decades, enveloped by Richardson Bay.
This was a fate the Spanish would never have dreamed of one hundred years earlier. Though the Spanish, specifically Don Jose de Canizares, had settled the Bay Area in 1775, their emphasis was fortifying Mission Dolores and the Presidio in San Francisco. Sausalito would not enjoy marked development until the late 1800s, when its plentiful timber would make its way to the shipyards of the boom-time Bay.
The commandant of the Presidio, Don Ignacio Martnez gifted William Richardson, his son-in-law, with the land that is present-day Sausalito. During and after the Gold Rush, Sausalito managed to attract a number of artists and celebrities who appreciated the towns picturesque qualities. A few names of note are Alan Watts, the purveyor of Zen Buddhism, Shel Silverstein, the poet, Otis Redding (who composed Sitting on the Dock of the Bay whilst doing just that), and the newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst.
Flanked by Marin County to the west and north and the Bay to the east and south, Sausalito seems destined to remain a popular tourist attraction. Barring the submerged parts of the city, it is easy to see how someone could scour the Sausalito hotels, bunk down, and never decide to leave. It is a perfect counterpoint to the bustle and congestion of San Francisco and though the cost of living may be too rich for some, it is always available to vacationers and tourists eager to sit on the dock of the bay and waste the time away.
When you’re relaxing in your comfy Sausalito hotel, sipping a latte and eating a gourmet burger, remember the little people like me and send me a comment.
