Railroad Map of the City of San Francisco, California – 1866

Cartographer: Published by A. Gensoul, Pacific Map Depot, 511 Montgomery St., San Francisco; photo-lithographed by the American Photo-Lithographic Co., New York (Osborne process)

Year: 1866

Issued one year before the first cable cars, this map lays San Francisco’s complete street grid over the shoreline that existed prior to extensive bay fill. Heavy black lines trace every chartered horse-rail and steam line, including the Pacific & Ocean, Central, Market Street, Geary Street, and California Street railroads, all keyed in the lower-left legend. Block numbers, lot lines, and public squares such as Union, Jefferson, and Alta Plaza are shown in meticulous detail, making the sheet useful for real-estate dealers and transit promoters. A fine seawall outline fronts the harbor, while slips and proposed wharves reveal plans for expanded waterfront commerce. The map captures the city at a pivotal transit moment, just as private streetcar companies were racing to connect outlying sand-lot subdivisions with the booming waterfront business district.