San Francisco at Center of Globalization - Revision history

Ccarlsson: added links

2025-11-22T18:05:54Z

added links

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:05, 22 November 2025
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	And, here again, technology rather than commodity flows, was the state’s main contribution to global industrialization. While California’s oilfields were originally developed by the oilmen of Pennsylvania (which played a seedbed role comparable to California in mining), the state eventually created its own pool of expertise through practical encounters with complex geology, university training (at Berkeley and Stanford), and investment in research (Union Oil, SP); this it exported. Several oilfield production techniques such as core sampling, deep drilling, cement-casing, offshore drilling, and secondary recovery through injection were developed here; Eric Starke’s kerosene cleansing method of 1896 lit the lamps of China; pipeline systems were improved; California led the way in high octane gasoline; and Jesse and CP Dubbs’ Universal Oil Products Company (backed by SoCal and Shell) was a major contributor to the development of continuous flow refining and catalytic cracking in the 1920s and 40s (Taylor & Welty 1950; White 1962 1970; Enos 1962).		And, here again, technology rather than commodity flows, was the state’s main contribution to global industrialization. While California’s oilfields were originally developed by the oilmen of Pennsylvania (which played a seedbed role comparable to California in mining), the state eventually created its own pool of expertise through practical encounters with complex geology, university training (at Berkeley and Stanford), and investment in research (Union Oil, SP); this it exported. Several oilfield production techniques such as core sampling, deep drilling, cement-casing, offshore drilling, and secondary recovery through injection were developed here; Eric Starke’s kerosene cleansing method of 1896 lit the lamps of China; pipeline systems were improved; California led the way in high octane gasoline; and Jesse and CP Dubbs’ Universal Oil Products Company (backed by SoCal and Shell) was a major contributor to the development of continuous flow refining and catalytic cracking in the 1920s and 40s (Taylor & Welty 1950; White 1962 1970; Enos 1962).

	The conventional history of Silicon Valley usually begins with William Shockley and the transistor in the 1950s, but a substantial electronics industry had already set up shop in the Bay Area in the early 1900s (Sturgeon 1992). It was here (mostly south of San Francisco, on the Peninsula) where Lee DeForest invented the vacuum tube, the key to electronic devices before solid state; where the first ship-to-shore radio transmission took place and the first radio station was established; where the loudspeaker and the television were invented; and where tubes were first mass-produced. World War I Navy contracts gave the locals a boost, but they were still far behind the behemoths of the east coast in output of standard devices like radios and turbines in these years. On a related front, Marchant Calculating Co. (later joined to Smith Corona) produced a high quality adding machine in Emeryville and sold it overseas by 1920.		The conventional history of Silicon Valley usually begins with William Shockley and the transistor in the 1950s, but a [[Origins Of Silicon Valley: The Development of the Electronics Industry in the San Francisco Bay Area\|substantial electronics industry had already set up shop in the Bay Area in the early 1900s]] (Sturgeon 1992). It was here (mostly south of San Francisco, on the Peninsula) where Lee DeForest invented the [[H&K and Eimac; an Indigenous Vacuum Tube Industry Emerges\|vacuum tube]], the key to electronic devices before solid state; where the first ship-to-shore radio transmission took place and the first radio station was established; where the loudspeaker and the television were invented; and where tubes were first mass-produced. World War I Navy contracts gave the locals a boost, but they were still far behind the behemoths of the east coast in output of standard devices like radios and turbines in these years. On a related front, Marchant Calculating Co. (later joined to Smith Corona) produced a high quality adding machine in Emeryville and sold it overseas by 1920.

	While never out of the financial shadow of New York, San Francisco held onto its position as an independent pole of accumulation that Wall Street could never bring to heel. Indeed, San Francisco and New York financiers were able to work hand-in-hand in most cases, more so than the conflictive relations of competing Eastern financial centers (Perlo 1957). While San Francisco was poorly endowed with investment banks, it could produce Charles Blythe, whose Blythe and Company, acquired by First National City Bank, went on to underwrite twice as many securities for the Pacific states as all other Far West houses combined (Perlo 1957, p 229). (44) New York bankers led the drive for the Federal Reserve System in 1908, but it only confirmed San Francisco’s financial hegemony over the west by the selection of the City as the Federal Reserve district headquarters and clearinghouse (Willis 1937). (45)		While never out of the financial shadow of New York, San Francisco held onto its position as an independent pole of accumulation that Wall Street could never bring to heel. Indeed, San Francisco and New York financiers were able to work hand-in-hand in most cases, more so than the conflictive relations of competing Eastern financial centers (Perlo 1957). While San Francisco was poorly endowed with investment banks, it could produce Charles Blythe, whose Blythe and Company, acquired by First National City Bank, went on to underwrite twice as many securities for the Pacific states as all other Far West houses combined (Perlo 1957, p 229). (44) New York bankers led the drive for the Federal Reserve System in 1908, but it only confirmed San Francisco’s financial hegemony over the west by the selection of the City as the Federal Reserve district headquarters and clearinghouse (Willis 1937). (45)
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	[[category:Power and Money]] [[category:Transit]] [[category:labor]] [[category:1890s]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:Corporations]]		[[category:Power and Money]] [[category:Transit]] [[category:labor]] [[category:1890s]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:Corporations]] [[category:Downtown]]

Ccarlsson: added category corporations

2017-03-02T06:58:05Z

added category corporations

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:58, 1 March 2017
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	[[category:Power and Money]] [[category:Transit]] [[category:labor]] [[category:1890s]] [[category:1940s]]		[[category:Power and Money]] [[category:Transit]] [[category:labor]] [[category:1890s]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:Corporations]]

Ccarlsson at 00:40, 20 February 2017

2017-02-20T00:40:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:40, 19 February 2017
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	[[Image:General-Pershing-statue 20170207 101335.jpg\|340px]]		[[Image:General-Pershing-statue 20170207 101335.jpg\|340px]]

	'''General Pershing ~~permananently~~ installed in Golden Gate Park.'''		'''General Pershing permanently installed in Golden Gate Park.'''

	''Photo: Chris Carlsson''		''Photo: Chris Carlsson''

Ccarlsson at 00:38, 20 February 2017

2017-02-20T00:38:54Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:38, 19 February 2017
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	San Francisco’s burgers were also casting covetous eyes on Mexico, as they had a half century earlier. The Hearsts, the Chandlers of LA, and other California capitalists were major investors during the Porfiriato of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and billions flowed into railroads, ranches and mines. This led to mass displacements of peasants and a sharp sense of ''reconquista'' in Mexico that helped trigger the Revolution of 1910. Hearst once more turned up the volume on his media empire in a vain effort to have the United States take control of Mexico, and General Pershing was sent in to punish Pancho Villa in 1916; but full-scale war and conquest was not on the national agenda, momentarily absorbed by the European conflagration. Another imperial avenue was blocked, and many investments abandoned or nationalized before the Revolution ran its course (Brechin 1995; Acuña 1988).		San Francisco’s burgers were also casting covetous eyes on Mexico, as they had a half century earlier. The Hearsts, the Chandlers of LA, and other California capitalists were major investors during the Porfiriato of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and billions flowed into railroads, ranches and mines. This led to mass displacements of peasants and a sharp sense of ''reconquista'' in Mexico that helped trigger the Revolution of 1910. Hearst once more turned up the volume on his media empire in a vain effort to have the United States take control of Mexico, and General Pershing was sent in to punish Pancho Villa in 1916; but full-scale war and conquest was not on the national agenda, momentarily absorbed by the European conflagration. Another imperial avenue was blocked, and many investments abandoned or nationalized before the Revolution ran its course (Brechin 1995; Acuña 1988).

			[[Image:General-Pershing-statue 20170207 101335.jpg\|340px]]

			'''General Pershing permananently installed in Golden Gate Park.'''

			''Photo: Chris Carlsson''

	In fact, San Francisco’s reach was exceeding its grasp. To make matters worse, it was destroyed by the earthquake and fire of 1906. The City rebuilt furiously in hopes of recovering lost business and a tarnished image, but was bound to suffer in any case from the ‘inconstant geography of capitalism’, in which no place in the urban hierarchy is ever secure (Storper & Walker 1989). The greatest threat to San Francisco’s hegemony lay nearest to its doorstep. By 1900 San Francisco faced increasingly sharp competition from upstart cities such as Seattle, Denver and Portland, promoted by their own burghers and boosters and aided by outside investors, such as James Hill’s Northern Pacific, Frederick Weyerhauser’s lumber empire, and the Big Four meatpackers of Chicago. Foreign trade from the northwest ports (serving the Midwest) rivaled that from San Francisco by 1920. Locally, the city was fast losing industry and residents to Oakland and the East Bay, the new ‘edge city’ and bitter rival. (29)		In fact, San Francisco’s reach was exceeding its grasp. To make matters worse, it was destroyed by the earthquake and fire of 1906. The City rebuilt furiously in hopes of recovering lost business and a tarnished image, but was bound to suffer in any case from the ‘inconstant geography of capitalism’, in which no place in the urban hierarchy is ever secure (Storper & Walker 1989). The greatest threat to San Francisco’s hegemony lay nearest to its doorstep. By 1900 San Francisco faced increasingly sharp competition from upstart cities such as Seattle, Denver and Portland, promoted by their own burghers and boosters and aided by outside investors, such as James Hill’s Northern Pacific, Frederick Weyerhauser’s lumber empire, and the Big Four meatpackers of Chicago. Foreign trade from the northwest ports (serving the Midwest) rivaled that from San Francisco by 1920. Locally, the city was fast losing industry and residents to Oakland and the East Bay, the new ‘edge city’ and bitter rival. (29)

Lisaruth at 20:28, 31 January 2016

2016-01-31T20:28:24Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:28, 31 January 2016
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	''by Richard Walker, 1996''		''by Richard Walker, 1996''

	''Originally written for the journal "Urban Geography~~" in 1996~~.''		''Originally written for the journal'' Urban Geography.

	[[Image:Strategic-Center-of-World-Trade-1923 SFCOC.jpg]]		[[Image:Strategic-Center-of-World-Trade-1923 SFCOC.jpg]]

Ccarlsson at 01:07, 30 January 2016

2016-01-30T01:07:34Z

Show changes

Ccarlsson: Created page with '''' Historical Essay ''' ''by Richard Walker, 1996'' ''Originally written for the journal "Urban ...'

2016-01-29T08:08:36Z

Created page with '''' Historical Essay ''' ''by Richard Walker, 1996'' ''Originally written for the journal "Urban ...'

Show changes