When the Mexican government asked Swiss surveyor Jean Jacques Vioget to map out a plan for the burgeoning village of Yerba Buena in 1839, he opted for the standard European model of a grid of streets and a central plaza that would overlook the cove a block away. It was the birth of modern-day San Francisco, and in the 170 years since then, the plaza has seen more action than any other spot in the city. A month after the 1846 Bear Flag revolt in Sonoma, 70 soldiers and marines from the U.S.S.... More »
