This one-block plaza and surrounding area is one of the largest collections of department stores, upscale boutiques, gift shops, art galleries, and beauty salons in the United States, making Union Square a major tourist destination and a well-known gathering place in downtown San Francisco.
Union Square officially first became public property when Colonel John Geary deeded the land to the city in 1850 with the stipulation it be held in perpetuity for park purposes. Colonel Geary had served in the Mexican War. He became the first mayor of San Francisco under American rule. Soon all four sides of the Square were in great demand for home sites, and within the next few decades, Union Square became the center of a fashionable residential district.
During the Civil War, Union Square took on its present name because of several pro-Union rallies held there to celebrate Union victories. Often these rallies were led by Unitarian minister Thomas Starr King, whose church faced the Square. Such gatherings came to an end with the commemoration service for the late President Lincoln on April 20, 1865. Fourteen thousand people marched through the streets of San Francisco, past buildings draped in black, to Union Square.
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