The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-10-09

Parific and Kearny streets, and the first
head of the police force, who was then
known by the title of City Marshal, was
Malachi Fallon. He was elected on the 1st
of May. 1850. at the time the new city
charter was adopted, and John w. Geary
was chosen as the first Mayor. The month
previous Colonel John C. Hayes. the ia
nous Texan ranger, had been chosen
Sheriff of the county, for at that time and
until 1856 there was county of San Fran
cisco and city of San Francisco. the limit
of the city extending only to Larkin street.
The pc lice did not occupy The premises
named for long time, for on the 4th of
May. 1851, the Graham House which was
subsequent to its occupancy by public
officials. called the City Hall, was swept
out of existence by flame. On the day of
the ire and for several days following, the
County Jail, the one which now stands on
Broadway, but which at that time was a
One-stOry structure only, was utilized as a
City Prison. The fire in the space of ten
hours had swept over eighteen entire
squares, and portions of five or six more,
destroying about eighteen hundred houses.
so 1t was difficult to find a new domicile
for the police, but the Marshal secured
temporary quarters on Ohio street. small
thoroughfare east of Montgomery, between
Pacific and Broadway. A short time after
this move the city authorities secured a
building on the northeast corner of Dupont
and Jackson streets in which 10 locate the
Police Department and the prison.
There the Marshal and his men re-
maiDed until the latter part of 1853, when
the City Fathers purchased the Jenny
Lind Theater. which had been opened on
the 4th of October, 1851. paying for the
same the SUN or $500, coo, considered at
hot nf
After the city acquired title all the To-
terror of the building was removed, and it
was fitted up at great expense 10 meet the
wants of the officials who were to occupy
ii. The basement was arranged for the
police, and since then it has been occupied
by the Police Department. At The lime
the city purchased the building il was
three stories high above the basement and
WAS surmounted by cupOla.
The great earthquake of Wednesday,
October q, 1868, snook this building to
such an extent that it was deemed advisa-
BILE 20 remove the upper story and bring it
down to its present height. This change
involved removal of the fire-alarm sys-
tenn, the heavy City Hall bell, which pre-
vious to the adoption of the electric alarm
boxes in 1866 was sounded by the bellring.
ers Of the volunteer fire department-men
who stood watches on the roof of the hall
and who as soon as they discovered q fire
sounded the alarm by striking from one to
twelve blows to indicate the district in
which the fire was discovered. Other
public departments were forced to 60 and
find new quarters. When the upper story
had been removed it was found that the
room left was not sufficient to accommo-
date the steady increase of officials, so the
city secured by purchase the building on
the southeast corner of Washington and
Kearny streets. built for the late Thorn as
j. A. Chambers, and known as the Ell
Dorado.
| This was turned over to the City and
| County Recorder and was used as the Hall
OF Records. Then in time the city pur-
chased the brick building on the northeas,
corner of Merchant and Kearny streets,
known as the Union Hotel. and kept by
Nine. Touchard. This building was as
signed to the Tax Collector, who occupied
the ground floor, and to the Superintendent
of Streets, who was located in the base
ment, while the upper floors were assigned
| 10 various officers.
What will be done with the old building
and those adjoining it, one on each side. is
| not known, but this fact remains-until
! further orders there will be maintained in
| the basement a sub-station of the Police
Department. The upper portion will
| probably be boarded up, and the rooms
above the ground floor be left to dust and
rats.