Richardson arrived as second mate aboard the British whaling ship
Orion in
San Francisco Bay in 1822, shortly after Mexico had won its independence from Spain. An English mariner who had picked up a fluency in Spanish during his travels, he jumped ship after meeting and dancing with a local woman, Maria Antonia Martinez, at an all-night fiesta. He quickly became an influential presence in the now-Mexican territory. By 1825, Richardson had assumed
Mexican citizenship, converted to
Roman Catholicism and married Maria Antonia Martinez (1803–1887), the eldest daughter of
Ygnacio Martinez, commandant of the
Presidio of San Francisco and, in 1842, grantee of
Rancho El Pinole. His ambitions now expanding to land holdings of his own; Richardson submitted a petition to Governor
Echeandía for a
rancho on the
headlands across the
Golden Gate from the Presidio, to be called "
Rancho Saucelito". The Spanish word
saucelito is believed to refer to a small cluster of willows, a moist-soil tree, indicating the presence of a freshwater spring and/or creek (possibly
Coyote Creek). , San Francisco, commemorating Richardson's erection of Yerba Buena's first housing structure in 1835 Before filing his claim, Richardson had already capitalized on the freshwater source by establishing a watering station near the present-day town of
Sausalito. This station provided fresh water to visiting vessels, serving as a lucrative venture. The inlet between Sausalito and the
Tiburon Peninsula, known today as
Richardson Bay, marked the northern boundary of Richardson's claim. However, his legal ownership of the land was shaky due to competing claims and Mexican laws that designated headlands for military purposes rather than private ownership. Recognizing the challenges to his claim, Richardson shifted his focus and settled outside the Presidio. There, he constructed the area's first two-story wood-frame house and laid out the street plan for the settlement of Yerba Buena, including a Spanish-style
plaza now known as
Portsmouth Square. The settlement aimed to serve as a trading post and supply point for ships navigating San Francisco Bay. Richardson's seafaring experience was instrumental in his also being appointed Port Captain, responsible for overseeing maritime commerce and often personally piloting arriving ships to their anchorage. After years of lobbying and legal wrangling, Richardson was given clear title to all of Rancho Saucelito on February 11, 1838. By 1841, he had sold his holdings across the bay and taken possession of the rancho, while still serving as port captain of Yerba Buena. He had financial problems in his later years and died in
bankruptcy. ==Legacy==