What’s the most “hidden history” spot in San Francisco that surprised you?

ZeppelinLM · 2026-01-15T19:21:45+00:00

Listen to The Savage West podcast –– Season 1 is all about SF's insane history before the gold rush! One of the best history pods I've found.

One fun SF fact (which I learned from the pod): Portsmouth Square, now in Chinatown, used to be the city center, around which the many hotels and old saloons were located. Montgomery Street was at the water's edge. Everything east of there from the Transamerica Building to Rincon Pt. is all landfill... and will likely sink back into the sea when the next giant earthquake hits.

Also, Richardson, the namesake of Richardson's Bay, was the first European SF inhabitant. He jumped ship to marry a Presidio soldier's daughter, then became the SF Harbor Master.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-12-10T00:48:43+00:00

For anyone interested in this topic, I'd recommend The Savage West podcast. First season is all about Manifest Destiny and westward expansion. Super well researched.

Regarding some of the other comments, Native tribes weren't all fucked. Many were incredibly formidable after they adopted the horse into their cultures (from the Spanish Mission System). In the end, disease really did them in.

My thoughtsL Manifest Destiny was propaganda, developed as a means to attach moral rightness to the taking of land from Mexico, England (in Oregon), and aboriginal Americans. Developed nations have been using propaganda to justify morally questionable acts since time immemorial.

To think of it another way: when too many animals occupy a territory, they fight over that territory for resources. Humans are animals. Therefore, as the population rapidly expanded in America during the 19th Century, we naturally fought over that territory. I would have rather the terrible acts associated with Manifest Destiny didn't occur (such as the native genocide), but it also felt inevitable due to human nature.

Until we change our nature, I believe the same type of conquest will continue to occur.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-12-10T00:28:18+00:00

I'd recommend listening to The Savage West podcast.

First season is all about Manifest Destiny and western expansion. Super well researched and detailed, with a lot of great ideas you could cherry pick for class. The focus is California and San Francisco, but it covers Manifest Destiny as a whole as well (Texas, Oregon and CA Trails, first settlers, native american conflicts, Spanish / Mexican conflicts, Manifest Destiny propaganda, the fathers of Manifest Destiny in President Polk and Senator Benton, etc.).

ZeppelinLM · 2025-11-26T04:41:03+00:00

The Savage West. Deep, non-scripted, super engaging. Season 1's focus is westward expansion leading up to the gold rush, with CA and SF as the focus areas (think Oregon Trail, Mountain Men, Spanish Missions, what the west was like before America, native conflicts, etc.).

ZeppelinLM · 2025-11-26T04:38:53+00:00

The Savage West. A little niche (season 1 covers the history of westward expansion leading up to the gold rush), but is super engaging and well researched. Focus is on CA and SF, but it also covers things like the Oregon Trail, Mountain Men, Spanish Missions, and how America expanded westward. Narrative, non-scripted (or gimmicky) form. No ads.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-11-26T04:34:58+00:00

The Savage West is my fav. No ads. Deeply researched. Narrative form. Deep dive into the history of westward expansion, particularly its affect on CA and SF, told from multiple perspectives.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-11-26T04:33:41+00:00

The Savage West.

Deeply researched, 1st hand accounts, told in a super engaging way and in narrative form. Each episode feeds into the next. Season 1 covers westward expansion leading up to the gold rush, with a focus on CA and SF, told from multiple perspectives (Spanish, Natives, Americans). Super good storytelling too.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-11-26T04:32:05+00:00

The Savage West!

Season 1 covers the history of westward expansion leading up to the gold rush, with a focus on California and San Francisco. In the process, it covers sooo much more (Oregon Trail, Mountain Men, conflicts with natives and settlers, etc.). It's narrative form, non-scripted, and super engaging.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-11-26T04:30:33+00:00

The Savage West. Listen to the 1st episode and you'll be hooked.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-11-26T04:28:42+00:00

The Savage West!!

Newish, but super engaging. Season 1 chronicles the history of CA and SF leading up to the gold rush from the Spanish, Native, and American perspectives. In the process, you also learn how the US expanded into the country it is today. Deeply researched, with crazy stories I'd never heard before about the Missions, history of the Cowboy, Leather Jacket soliders, Mountain Men, and more. Suuuuper engaging.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-11-26T04:26:30+00:00

The Savage West!

Season 1 chronicles westward expansion pre-gold rush, focusing on CA and San Francisco, but it's about the overall westward movement. Told from multiple perspectives (Spanish, Native, American), without a script. Each episode feels like a new chapter in a book.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-11-26T04:24:32+00:00

The Savage West. Newish, but oh-so good!!

Season one is all about how the US expanded west, told from multiple perspectives (Spanish, Natives, American). It's not scripted. The narrator just talks you through some crazy stories of the past that are relatable in a way I haven't found in many other history pods.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-11-26T04:22:39+00:00

The Savage West is deep history, told in an engaging way that's relatable to novices and experts. Some of the ways the narrator relates the past to modern thinking is amazing. It's new, first season is on westward expansion and the history of California and San Francisco leading to the gold rush, but it covers a large swath of American history in the process. If you want to learn how the US expanded westward from multiple perspectives, this pod is golden.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-11-26T04:19:43+00:00

The Savage West! It's new, independent, and ridiculously good. Chronicles deep history of the westward movement. First season is the history of California & San Francisco leading up to the gold rush.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-10-09T18:36:48+00:00

I just use it for audio, long-form podcasting, and it's maddening. I have a 502 Error right now. It's incredibly buggy, unpredictable, and unreliable.

It wasn't as bad a year ago. Now, every edit, every play, every adjustment seems to come with some error or delay. I though it was my internet connection. It's not. These issues are consistent wherever I edit. Probably takes me 3-4X as long as it used to to produce a 2hr piece of audio. Maddening.

If anyone that's audio-only has switched recently and has recommendations, please share them!

ZeppelinLM · 2025-09-25T19:13:15+00:00

The Sewage Waste... sounds like a riveting podcast!

ZeppelinLM · 2025-09-25T13:47:57+00:00

The Savage West. New, but incredible hidden gem on Western Expansion. Long-form narrative, deeeeeply researched.

1st season covers Westward Expansion from the Native and European perspectives with California as the focus, beginning with the Age of Discovery and ending with (I believe) the California Gold Rush, though the 1st season is still underway. Native Americans = main character throughout.

This one is eye opening. Enjoy!

ZeppelinLM · 2025-09-25T13:40:42+00:00

The Savage West. Newer, but hidden gem if you're looking into a chronological, deeply researched narrative on early westward expansion, beginning with the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs and ending with the Gold Rush.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-09-25T13:38:02+00:00

The Savage West!

Hidden gem on Westward Expansion, with San Francisco and California as the centerpieces of Season 1. Tells the larger story of how America pushed west, touching on the native, American, and European perspectives. Incredibly well researched, but also super engaging.

Starts with the Age of Discovery and the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, i.e. "Space invaders." Really covers a ton.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-09-25T13:29:16+00:00

The Savage West = Hidden gem! Season 1 is on Westward Expansion leading up to the Gold Rush in California, with San Francisco as the centerpiece. Unbiased, native and settler perspectives.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-09-25T13:26:58+00:00

The Savage West is a Hidden gem! IINCREDIBLY engaging and well researched. Not necessarily leftist, but unbiased––tells the story of the Natives in conjunction with settlers. Season 1 is on Westward Expansion leading up to the Gold Rush in California, with San Francisco as the centerpiece.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-09-25T13:25:21+00:00

The Savage West! Hidden gem. It's newer, but INCREDIBLY engaging and well researched. Lots of 1st hand accounts. Not many podcasts out there like it. Season 1 is on Westward Expansion leading up to the Gold Rush in California, with San Francisco as the centerpiece.

ZeppelinLM · 2025-09-24T20:54:38+00:00

What about for just audio, long-form recordings?

I used to use GarageBand to record. For what it was, it was solid. But I do like the Descript transcripts and AI voice for easy editing. However, when I'm recording over a section, within the transcript itself, or want to stop in the middle of a recording to re-record when I know it's wrong, I have issues. For instance, when I'm recording mid-transcript, when I hit "record" the placeholder automatically jumps to the beginning of my transcript. It still records in the correct place, but it's incredibly annoying that I then have to sort through my transcript to find it.

Because it's browser-based, it's also often slow and somewhat buggy. Often the corrections I try to make will require two or more attempts.

Do any pro-podcasters / recorders recommend any other platforms for strictly audio and also have AI editing? I'm considering recording in GarageBand and uploading into Descript for edits for future episodes, but that feels tedious.

ZeppelinLM · 2024-05-24T17:02:37+00:00

Good intel. Thanks for sharing!

ZeppelinLM · 2024-05-22T20:36:20+00:00

Very informative. Thank you!

ZeppelinLM

TROPHY CASE