Rapid Settlement Diffusion: The Development of the Semi-Peripheral Region North of San Francisco, California, 1850-1880 (original) (raw)

Historical geography, 2007

Abstract

This paper analyzes the rapid metamorphosis of a section of San Francisco’s northern hinterland from a wilderness to a prosperous village and farming realm. The study region includes the current areas of Sonoma, Men docino, and Lake counties, and comprises the transitional boundary between the urban core of San Francisco and the resource-dependent periphery of far northern California. After describing the area’s distinct physical geography that was the stage for this growth, the paper defines a development process consisting of settlement diffusion, economic specialization, and urban hier archy (settlement structure) stability. To explore this framework, overall changes in the settlement landscape between 1850 and 1880 are analyzed. These population shifts are placed within the context of the counties’ occu pational structures, using data from the censuses and county directories. The analysis shows a distinct core-periphery structure in terms of a number of im portant trades and industries and increasing specialization throughout the re gion. Other occupations were located according to local geographies and market influences. Additionally, a model derived from this analysis focusing on the spatial construction of stable city hierarchies is proposed, which can be applied to the study of the settlement geographies of other regions across the country. The research shows how quickly these northern California coun ties melded into the San Francisco economic region with a firmly established settlement structure.

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