The Economic Times

In 1851, over 800 abandoned ships filled San Franciscos Yerba Buena Cove; some were turned into hotels, salons, churches, while others became museum relics

Beneath San Franciscos bustling streets lies a forgotten maritime past. During the Gold Rush of 1849, thousands of fortune seekers arrived in ships that were abandoned promptly when they felt in search of gold. By 1851, more than 800 vessels crowded Yerba Buena Cove, transforming its once-muddy shores into a forest of towering masts.