Samuel Brannan

Funny man he was. All of his major accomplishments were usually mixed in with his alcoholic behavior. I wish I had chosen to do my research on him instead of Ida B. Wells since he is a Californian, why not write a paper on my own people of the past, right? Don't get me wrong, Ida B. Wells is a woman who I truly admire, but there is something funny about Sam Brannan's history that would've been bizarrily fun to study. He was a great Californian entrepreneuer who couldn't hold his liquor. At one point in California history, he was the richest man in the state. It was him who had made a lot of good impact on the city of San Francisco (one of his landmarks: Brannan St.). He lost all his money when he divorced his wife who took half of everything he owned (lots of lands, buildings, etc. meaning he had to liquidize 'em to pay the dues!). What got me interested in him? It was by one of his quote when he spoke to a group of potential investors in what is now known as Calistoga, the resort town he founded. He meant to say that the town would someday be known as the Saratoga of California but the alcholic beverages got the best of him. Instead he said "Calistoga of Sarafornia." Bless his heart.