Monkey Block San Francisco's Golden History

About Monkey Block San Francisco's Golden History

Retelling forgotten stories from San Francisco's golden past, 1776 - 1906, based on newspapers, books, and personal accounts, of the time. San Francisco enthusiasts, California gold rush fans, and garden variety history geeks can discover this boom and bust city, built on the discovery of gold. *I do my best to accurately reflect the facts, and sources, in my episodes.*

Publisher

Girlina

Category

history · history · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 Jan 2021

Latest episode

6 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

2 of 46 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   6 Sept 2026

   S5 Ep4 Deciphering Montgomery's September 15, 1846 Proclamation Regarding Slavery

   Host Alex Smith explores Commander John B. Montgomery's 1846 proclamation, revealing its complex attempts to address slavery and preserve forms of control in San Francisco.

2. 

   26 Jul 2026

   S5 E3 Part 1 March 1847

   This is March 1847, Part One—the beginning of Yerba Buena’s transformation into an American town. In this episode, we examine a town meeting, the rise and disappearance of “Parson” J.G.T. Dunleavy, calls to establish a public school, and challenging Californio's Mexican land-grant system. We also discuss how American settlers and Californio landowners viewed the same landscape through different legal traditions. monkeyblocksf@gmail.com (email me directly) monkeyblocksf.buzz...

3. 

   31 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   S5 E2 February 1847 Yerba Buena

   Host Girlina explores Yerba Buena's February 1847 headlines, including local disputes and the Donner Party's plight, offering listeners a glimpse into early San Francisco.

Inside a recent episode

S5 E2 February 1847 Yerba Buena

Published 31 May 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] And Bartlett returned to friendly terms with Jose de la Cruz Sanchez after this affair. I have a two-part series, Season 3, Episode 1 and Episode 2, regarding the Battle of Santa Clara, if you want more detail on this event. Moving on. Yerba Buena, February 13, 1847, issue number six. We have two mentions of the Donner Party. This story resonated in Yerba Buena because many of its new residents had recently made the same difficult journey to the farthest west. And the Donner Party story felt personal in Yerba Buena, reinforcing how easily travel to California could turn into a disaster. And also, some of the new emigrants in Yerba Buena were actively waiting for family members that were still in transit. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

34 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

12 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 35 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

38

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

82

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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