As news of the California gold discovery in January of 1848 spread around the world, men rushed in to grab their share of the wealth. During the next few years, well over a thousand ships descended on the small village of Yerba Buena (now San Francisco) and anchored in the shallow cove on the eastern edge of town. Most gold seekers immediately deserted their vessels and headed straight for the gold fields, leaving the burgeoning town littered with scores of discarded hulks.
Source: Buried Ships of San Francisco
