Within a generation San Francisco grew from an isolated Mexican trading
post with more hills than people into America's major Pacific Coast
city. Shaped by entrepreneurs, eccentrics, and visionaries, it became
renowned for accommodating those who dared to be different. People as
diverse as William Randolph Hearst, Lillie Coit, Carol Doda, Jerry
Garcia, and Harvey Milk have thrived in San Francisco's permissive
environment as it evolved into one of the world's most welcoming and
visually stunning cities.