|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Ralston Hall on the College of Notre Dame campus is named after William C. Ralston.
He was born in Wellsville, Ohio, and became one of the richest men in California, having accumulated his wealth from Nevada’s Comstock.
On July 4, 1864, he founded the Bank of California at the corner of Sansome and California streets in San Francisco. It was considered one of the most beautiful buildings in all of California. The bank financed many mining operations in the Comstock Lode.
He built Ralston Hall as a summer home; however, his wife and four children lived there almost exclusively. He also built the huge California Theater on Bush Street in San Francisco. It was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake but was rebuilt. However, it never attained the same status. One unique characteristic of the “New” California Theater is that it was the first on the West Coast to be fully lit by electricity.
However, Ralston’s big dream was to build the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. The project cost over $5 million dollars, which today amounts to $140 million. Opening on October 2, 1875, the project practically drained his financial empire. The lavish hotel had early versions of elevators, or “rising rooms” as they were called.
The expense of constructing the Palace Hotel, along with other disastrous financial transactions, led to the collapse of his fortune. One day after his empire disappeared, his body was found in San Francisco Bay. Circumstances surrounding his death were vague.
The lavish showplace survived the ’06 earthquake but was destroyed by the ensuing fires. It was rebuilt and opened in 1909 and still exists today.
Places carrying his name include Ralston Avenue in Belmont, Ralston Street in Reno, Ralston Middle School in Belmont, and Ralston Hall on the College of Notre Dame campus, a small mining town in New Mexico named after him. However, it was renamed Shakespeare, Ralston Lane in Redondo Beach, CA., The city of Modesto was originally named after him. However, he declined. Yet, an 11-story apartment tower in Modesto carries his name.
Everything else is just history
The photos used in this blog are courtesy of the Local History Room, Redwood City's best-kept secret. The Local History Collection covers all aspects of Redwood City's development, from the 1850s to the present day, with particular emphases on businesses, public schools, civic organizations, city agencies, and early family histories. The Local History Room is not affiliated with the Redwood City Public Library but is inside it.
Redwood City police investigate after man asks young girl for her phone numberFebruary 13, 2026 10:22 am