"The Great Man Has Fallen," San Francisco

Robert Vance was one of the earliest daguerreotypists to work in the wild frontier town of San Francisco. The “Great Man” commemorated here was a muckraking journalist with the colorful name of James King of William, who founded the newspaper, Evening Bulletin, in San Francisco, in October 1855, to expose official corruption in the city. Angered by King of William’s revelations, a city official shot him on the street. The newspaperman lingered for a few weeks before dying. This episode generated great public support for King of William’s cause, and a civilian militia tried and hanged his assassin.