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UID:Indybay-18870083
SEQUENCE:19040239
CREATED:20241019T025800Z
DESCRIPTION:On this day, October 23, 1810, William Alexander Leidesdorff Jr. was born 
 in St. Croix, then Danish Virgin Islands. He was the oldest son of Wilhelm 
 Leidesdorff, a Danish sailor of Jewish descent, and Anna Marie Sparks, a 
 woman African Cuban descent who lived a full life together as husband and 
 wife.\n\nBy the age of 24, the William Alexander Leidesdorff Jr. had 
 migrated to New Orleans to become an American citizen, obtained Master’s 
 license as a ship captain and spent several years operating from the Port 
 of New Orleans to destinations throughout the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and 
 Eastern US Seaboard.  \n\nPort of New Orleans Negro Seamen Acts, proved the 
 final call to leave New Orleans and relocate his lucrative Maritime career. 
  He secured the ship Julia Ann from New York, visited his mother in St. 
 Croix and sailed around the Horn, to Mexican Capital of Monterey, Alta 
 California, in 1841. \n\nWilliam settled in Yerba Buena (today's San 
 Francisco) and established commercial relations throughout the vast Pacific 
 Rim, trading with other international merchants.\n  \n\nLeidesdorff became 
 the representative of the Russian American Fur Company and handled John 
 Sutter’s payments to the Russian Government after Johan Sutter purchased 
 Fort Ross. \n\nWilliam became a Mexican citizen and took judicial 
 possession of his 35,521 acre land grant he named Rancho Rio de Los 
 Americanos along the south of the American River from what is today 
 Bradshaw Road in Rancho Cordova, CA to the El Dorado County line, in 
 Folsom, CA enrolled in 2024 as the William Alexander Leidesdroff Jr., 
 Memorial Highway. (ACR 131 Cox) \n \nHonorable William Alexander 
 Leidesdorff, Jr. was appointed by Thomas Larkin as the U.S. Vice Consul to 
 Mexico, Alta California and his documented report of the Bear Flag Revolt, 
 is the official beginning of the acquisition of California during the 
 US/Mexican War.  \n\nIn November 1847, he captained his steam vessel 
 purchased from his Russian clients in Sitka, Alaska.  The 37 foot, side 
 wheel steam ship named the Sitka, famous voyage upstream through the 
 winding California Delta, up the Sacramento River is immortalized on the 
 California State Seal helping to facilitate modern agriculture and 
 passenger transportation. \n\nLeidesdorff passed away on May 18, 1848 from 
 what was called "brain fever" at the age of 36 in San Francisco just days 
 after he received official reports of vast sums of gold on Leidesdorff 
 Ranch along the American River.  \n\nLeidesdorff was one of the major 
 founders of the City of San Francisco and was recognized as the "African 
 Founding Father of California" by the California State Legislature in 2024. 
 He is buried just inside the front doors of Mission Delores Basilica, San 
 Francisco. \n\nHe never married and had no heirs. US Army Captain Joseph 
 Folsom purchased his land grant and his San Francisco property from 
 Leidesdorff’s St. Croix family. The purchase was considered quite 
 controversial as Leidesdorff’s family was never informed of its true 
 value and location in trajectory to the gold fields.  \n\nToday, the 
 Landing at Leidesdorff in the San Francisco Financial District and 
 Leidesdorff Plaza in the Folsom Historic District are the key West Coast 
 anchors of our Leidesdorff Public Policy Research Center that is poised to 
 share his great legacy with the world and help facilitate expanded 
 California Pan African Global Trade and Investment opportunities.\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2024/10/18/18870083.php
SUMMARY:2024 Leidesdorff Birthday Tour and Dinner Celebration
LOCATION:Landing at Leidesdorff Tour\nWayfare Tavern Dinner\nSan Francisco Financial 
 District
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2024/10/18/18870083.php
DTSTART:20241023T220000Z
DTEND:20241024T000000Z
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