By Larry Clinton, Sausalito Historical Society
The 4th of July had already been a federal holiday for 15 years when the Sausalito News began publishing in 1885, and the paper diligently reported on local celebrations:
“The San Francisco Yacht Club had a very enjoyable run up to Pittsburg Landing for their Independence Day cruise,” noted the News in 1885. “The yachts started from Front Street wharf at 3 o'clock Friday afternoon with the exception of the Chispa which left about half an hour later but overhauled most of the other boats coming in at Martinez but a few minutes behind the winners. All the boats had a very good time around Pittsburg being hospitably entertained, and on Saturday morning the start was made for the city. All the boats were gaily decorated with Chinese lanterns on the night of the Fourth and seemed to vie with each other in the display of fireworks.”
The following year, the paper recounted, “Independence Day was celebrated in Sausalito by the usual display of flags and fireworks. The pyrotechnical display from vessels on the bay appeared especially beautiful as viewed from the shore. On the fine ship Morna the celebration kept up till a late hour, fireworks dancing and general merriment being the order of the occasion.”
In 1891 the News waxed rhapsodic over the holiday: “Saturday will be Independence Day when all American born citizens and most of those who have made this country the land of their adoption, will celebrate in hearty sincerity the anniversary of the act of the fathers of the nation, in throwing off the yoke of a tyrannical government. Even resident British subjects bear us no ill will for renouncing the rule of George III, and his minions. The whole world has gained by the Declaration of Independence and the subjects of Her Most Gracious Majesty have lost no rights.”
In 1889 two picnics were held at Wildwood Glen on the Fourth. “The Donegal Society of San Francisco accompanied by the celebrated First Infantry Band of Angel Island will occupy the lower platform,” announced the News, “while on the upper ground a Scotch picnic will have the good old bag pipes and pibroch [music] going for their merry lads and lassies. Ireland and Scotland will celebrate the American National Independence day at Sausalito.”
The merrymaking was interrupted in 1893, when an inferno broke out about 9:30 p.m. at Hunter’s Resort, located directly below the grounds of the El Monte Hotel (where the former City Hall building now housing Gene Hiller’s menswear stands today). Here’s the News’ description of that catastrophe:
“Sausalito on the Fourth offered a costly sacrifice on the altar dedicated to the commemoration of our National Independence. The residents of Sausalito are nothing if not patriotic, but on Tuesday evening the exuberance of their patriotism did a similar work to that attributed to Mrs. O'Leary's cow at Chicago. May it bring as good results and give us better more commodious, and more artistic buildings than those destroyed by fire.
“The fiend did his work rapidly and had he had a friendly gale there would have been nothing left on Water Street from the Tamalpais, (Portuguese) hotel to the San Francisco Yacht Club House and many of the handsome residences on the hillside and the El Monte Hotel must have succumbed to the flames. All is well, however, that ends well, and nothing is so bad but that it might have been worse. A great black gap where on the eventful night eight or nine two-, three- and four-story buildings stood occupied by prosperous business men, disfigures the street opposite the ferry landing. By the exertions of the engineers and crews of the steamers San Rafael and Tamalpais with their steam pumps and hose they not only saved the large two-story building adjoining the wharf and also the wharf, sheds and landings, but checked the fire in its progress south. The town's people with the voluntary help of transient visitors, yachtsmen and others, tore down one small building so as to secure the safety of the Hotel Sausalito and formed a cordon along the edge of the bluff and fought the fiend as fiends would fight a fiend whenever he sought to effect a lodgement on the summit of the hill. It was a battle in noise, heat and stifling smoke between the fire which strove to scale the steep incline and the brave garrison above. Pluck, endurance and intelligence won the day, and beat the enemy back. The cause of the fire or how and why it started in the Hunter's Resort saloon will probably be investigated by the insurance companies but there is so far a heavy preponderance of testimony that it did not occur through any careless or thoughtless act of any of the guests of the El Monte Hotel.” Among the sufferers there are one or two persons who have lost nearly all their possessions, but aggregating the total loss at $30,000 the insurance companies will have to make good one-half.”
In his book Moments in Time, Jack Tracy wrote: “The San Francisco Examiner blamed the El Monte Hotel fireworks display. But nobody knew for sure. Whatever the cause, it was a 4th of July not easily forgotten.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF SAUSALITO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The only sign of a business district still standing after the fire is the singed barber pole on the far left.