San Francisco and thereabout 1902
Towards Nob Hill
In the early days of the city the aristocratic part of the town was in Happy Valley* and on Rincon Hill, to the south, but when a citizen, Mr. A. S. Hallidie, successfully solved the problem of climbing the steep hills north of Market by inventing the cable car, people flocked to the heights. Then it was that California Street became the nob hill, where palaces of ample dimensions were built by the Stanfords, Hopkins, Crockers, Floods and other millionaires.
* area around the Palace Hotel.
A Powell Street car is climbing to California Street. The Leland Stanford mansion is at center, the turreted Mark Hopkins mansion next to it.