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-Major Figures in the San Francisco Pyramid Mystery
Jasper O’Farrell
An Irish born freemason Jasper O'Farrell made first comprehensive survey of San Francisco in 1847. to make a survey of San Francisco and extend the mapped limits of the city. His map covered the area bounded by Post, Leavenworth and Francisco streets, and the Bay.
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The location and present width of Market Street, parallel to the Mission road, were established by O’Farrell.
He was a graduate civil engineer, acquired wealth in land holdings, served as a state senator and was a popular resident of early San Francisco.
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Henry W. Halleck
U.S. Army Officer, Lawyer, Builder of the Montgomery Block
A lawyer, army officer and expert on fortifications, who came to California with a detachment of artillery troops early in 1847. Halleck was appointed by Military Governor Richard B. Mason as secretary of state and had a great deal to do with the successful military government under Mason and General Bennett Riley after the conquest.
Later he became a prominent lawyer, specializing in land titles and land cases. In 1853 Halleck was principally responsible for the erection of the Montgomery Block, a building which stood on the southeast corner of Montgomery and Washington streets.
He played an active part in the Civil War, both in Washington and in the field, serving from 1862 to 1864 as “General of the Army,” the highest rank in the Union Army during that period.
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George Hyde
Hyde was born 22 August 1819 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He arrived in San Francisco on August 10, 1846. He was an Alcalde in San Jose, lawyer, and real estate investor. He was married to Ellen McCoy and had six children. He died on 16 August 1890.
Admitted to the bar in Philadelphia and practiced law there. During the war with Mexico he had a feeling that California would be taken over by the United States, so, wanting to go West, he applied for a position in the Navy. He became captain’s clerk for Commodore Stockton on the U.S.S. Congress which arrived at Monterey in July 1846. About 1 year later he was appointed alcalde of San Francisco, following Bartlett and Bryant. This was at the exact time surveyor O’Farrell used Philadelphia names on two important streets–Market and Sansom(e). Hyde owned a large lot which was then considered out of the town to the south, but is part of the land on which the Mechanics’ Institute now stands
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GP Cummings
An obscure but important figure in the saga, Cummings hailed from the eastcoast (one source says he was from New York) and was hired by Halleck to design the Montgomery Block. A freemason, Cummings may in fact have been the person responsible for adding the diagonal block of Montgomery Avenue. He later designed much of the state capitol of Sacramento and important buildings in Philadelphia.
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Walter Bliss
The keeper of the secret? The Nevada born architect Walter Bliss was a major player in the redesigning of San Francisco after the great 'quake. He became a Freemason in San Francisco in 1902 and in the 1920's he intricately designed the new Masonic Temple on Van Ness. If there was a secret Masonic plan regarding San Francisco- Bliss may have been an active player.
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William Pereira
A popular figure in Hollywood William Pereira also designed the the University of California at Irvine in the early 1970's in addition to the Transamerica Pyramid. After the success of the Pyramid Building Pereira helped redesign a portion of the famed St. Francis Hotel near Union Square, originally designed by Faville & Bliss in 1904.
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