When I was scouting around for a place to set the Devon Day and the Sweetwater Kid stories, I checked out several cities that would have fit their bill back in the 1870’s. I wanted something west of the Mississippi, of course, and there weren’t many large cities in that area.

Denver, Colorado was one option. The Denver Pacific railway line would have been in place, and the city was a major stopping point for travelers. I decided the lads would have spent time here, especially between “jobs,” but would have eventually settled on an even larger city as their permanent base of operations.

 

San Francisco in the 1870’s rivaled New York City. Around 150,000 people called the city home, and Kye and Chance would have been able to blend right in. Plus, San Francisco was a modern wonder, with paved streets, gaslights, an excellent public transport system, and even skyscrapers.

It wasn’t too hard to pick the lads’ home city once I started looking at old photographs. They’d have gone for the bright lights and 24-hour entertainment.

 

HERE’S a neat link to a site full of old photos of San Francisco, for those of you with characters who live where Chance and Kye live.

HERE’S an interesting article on Old San Francisco’s railroads.

 

HERE’S a great interactive map of Old San Francisco – click on the dot and you’ll find old photos of each area.