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Ross Alley is a north–south alley in San Francisco's Chinatown. Ross Alley lies between and is parallel to Stockton and Grant, running one city block between Jackson and Washington.
Ross Alley was initially built in 1849, adjacent to the house of the pioneer merchant Charles L. Ross, from whom the name is derived. The original name was Stout's Alley, however, for Dr. Arthur Breese Stout, who had purchased Ross's house, which stood near the present-day corner of Washington and Ross Alley. The oldest alley in San Francisco, Ross Alley was considered to be one of the main locations for brothels, especially during the days of the Barbary Coast. Women were brought to the slave dens and served against their will.
Ross Alley was also notorious for highbinders and gambling dens in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Several establishments in "the stronghold for gambling dens" featured iron doors, which were banned by local ordinance in 1889. In several instances, the Chinese population was victimized by people impersonating police officers, and in at least one instance, police protection of gambling led to the removal of an officer.
According to a 1901 article, "Ross ley is thought to be the spot in San Francisco where the souls of the dead can most easily come and where the evil spirits are forbidden to exercise their powers".
History
Ross Alley was initially built in 1849, adjacent to the house of the pioneer merchant Charles L. Ross, from whom the name is derived. The original name was Stout's Alley, however, for Dr. Arthur Breese Stout, who had purchased Ross's house, which stood near the present-day corner of Washington and Ross Alley. The oldest alley in San Francisco, Ross Alley was considered to be one of the main locations for brothels, especially during the days of the Barbary Coast. Women were brought to the slave dens and served against their will.
Ross Alley was also notorious for highbinders and gambling dens in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Several establishments in "the stronghold for gambling dens" featured iron doors, which were banned by local ordinance in 1889. In several instances, the Chinese population was victimized by people impersonating police officers, and in at least one instance, police protection of gambling led to the removal of an officer.
According to a 1901 article, "Ross ley is thought to be the spot in San Francisco where the souls of the dead can most easily come and where the evil spirits are forbidden to exercise their powers".
Businesses
The main entrance to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company, a popular tourist destination, is located in Ross Alley. The building used to house a sewing factory, owned by Henry Pon Lee, who vacated the premises during the late 1960s. In the early 20th century, the Siberia Club, at 25-27-29 Ross Alley, run by Yee Mee, "king of the Chinatown gamblers" and head of the Hop Sing Tong, was one of the more notable gaming establishments. A raid on September 28, 1912, netted 46 Chinese, and another raid just days later arrested another 50 gamblers, despite a September 17 injunction prohibiting police interference. In 1909, the '' San Francisco Call'' rallied voters forWilliam Henry Crocker
William Henry Crocker I (January 13, 1861 – September 25, 1937) was an American banker, the president of Crocker National Bank and a prominent member of the Republican Party.
Early life
Crocker was born on January 19, 1861 in Sacramento, Califor ...
as Mayor over P. H. McCarthy
Patrick Henry McCarthy (March 17, 1863 – July 1, 1933), generally known as P. H. McCarthy and sometimes, more jocularly, as "Pinhead", was an influential labor leader in San Francisco and the 29th Mayor of the City from 1910 to 1912. Born i ...
, who was predicted to be too tolerant of Chinatown, as "Mar Len Geet's brothel in Ross alley is a hotbed of P. H. McCarthy enthusiasm."
In media
* Ross Alley was filmed in ''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' is a 1984 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second installment in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise, and a prequel to the 1981 film ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', fea ...
'', '' Big Trouble in Little China'', and ''The Karate Kid Part II
''The Karate Kid Part II'' is a 1986 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the second installment in the ''Karate Kid'' franchise and the sequel to the 1984 film ''The Karate Kid'', ...
''.
* Jun Yu, who runs Yu's Barber Shop and plays the '' erhu'' in Ross Alley, had a role in the movie '' The Pursuit of Happyness'', which was filmed and set in the Bay Area.
References
External links
* * * * {{Coord, 37, 47, 43, N, 122, 24, 26, W, type:landmark_region:US-CA, display=title Barbary Coast, San Francisco Chinatown, San Francisco Landmarks in San Francisco Streets in San Francisco