The Ralston Project
Reviving the story of one of San Francisco's earliest entrepreneurs
I started the Ralston Project for a number of reasons, the first, might be the strangest. I feel connected to Ralston in some way, I can’t describe it but I do, and I have found myself so fascinated by him, his life, and the fact that all of his amazing adventures, and accomplishments have somehow been lost to time. My goal is to in a way revive Ralston, because I think, like Vanderbilt, and Rockefeller, his name, story, and amazing entrepreneurial pursuits, deserve to be known. And last, but not least, I grew up in the Bay Area, fell in love with San Francisco at a young age, and like Ralston, the city changed my life. This is, in my own very small way, my chance to give back to the city that has given me so much.
Why I'm doing this
Ever since I first walked into the Palace Hotel, I felt a strange connection to William Ralston, a man who died over 100 years before I was born. I can’t explain it, but I feel the need to revive his legacy, and share the impact he made on the world, and more specifically, on San Francisco, at such an interesting time in history.
As I started talking to more friends and family in the Bay Area I realized, nobody had ever heard of Ralston. Yet, here's a man, that had the largest funeral in San Francisco history, still. A man who fell in love with Vanderbilt's niece, who tragically died before they could get married. A man who at a time, was one of the richest men in the world and would throw the most elaborate parties at his 55,000 square foot mansion in Belmont California.
Many people know the Bank of California, few know that it was William Ralston that started it. Or that he died never knowing that the Palace Hotel would ever be built, or that his bank would still live on today, while somehow the memory of him would be erased from the world.
Ralston dreamed of a San Francisco, that didn't disappear after the Gold Rush, but instead turned into a magnificent city on the bay, where the entrepreneurial spirit could thrive. His dream came true, but he will never know. At least I can make sure more people know who Ralston is, and why, for every person who appreciates San Francisco, in a way, they are appreciating William Ralston.
— first published on WilliamRalston.com
Project sites
Contact
The Ralston Project is run by Morgan Linton. Email morgan@ralstonproject.org.