the block from Taylor to Jones street stood the A. N. Towne, H. H.
Sherwood and George Whittell residences. Just beyond Jones street, on
the same side, stood the home of E. J. (Lucky) Baldwin of race horse
fame.

In 1861 I moved to 1211 Taylor street, between Clay and Washington, and
resided there continuously until 1878, a period of 17 years. And I knew
of Stanford, Hopkins, Crocker and Huntington, the quartet of railroad
magnates, better than they knew of me. But what shall I say of them?
They have all gone beyond the boundaries of human existence and their
mansions, together with all the other homes on the hill, were burned in
the fire of April 18-21, 1906. They were all men of master minds and are
deserving the highest praise for their enterprise, determination and
perseverance in the great work they undertook. It was not their money
that did it, it was their heads. And there is where the great
indebtedness of the State of California comes in to these men.

Going down the eastern slope on California, just below Powell on the
south side, at the corner of Prospect Place, stood a house once occupied
by Lieut. John Charles Fremont, while on the corner below stood the home
of Col. Jonathan D. Stevenson. This building was built in 1851 and had
two tiers of verandas that extended entirely around the building. The
Colonel died at the age of 94 but had not owned or lived there for many
years. It had been converted into a hotel and known as the Harvey House.

Across the street on the other corner stood the Grace Episcopal Church.
The Crocker heirs, not desiring to rebuild on their property on
California, between Taylor and Jones streets, bequeathed it to the
Episcopal Diocese on which to build a new Grace Church. It is now in
course of construction.