Plat of Addition to the Pueblo Lands of San Francisco

Interesting map reflecting concessions of the United States government to the city of San Francisco.

The settlement and development of the San Francisco Bay area has a long and complicated history, featuring numerous conflicting claims between Native Americans, Spanish and Mexican settlers, American and European immigrants, and the governments of the United States, Russia and Great Britain. This map reflects one small piece of that convoluted history, focusing on the area north of Lake Merced, between the Pacific Ocean and Rancho San Miguel.

This region was granted by the United States government (who in turned obtained it from Mexico via the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo) to the city and county of San Francisco after a series of protracted border disputes about what officially comprised the former pueblo of Yerba Buena. The land grant consisted of approximately 240 acres and encompasses areas near today’s San Francisco Zoo, Pine Lake (labeled Laguna Puerca), and Sloat Boulevard. In order to prevent any future border disputes, the precise location of the surveyed boundaries are provided in a chart with their corresponding course and distance.