Sarcophagus of Thomas Starr King

The sarcophagus before you holds the remains of Thomas Starr King, a man often credited with keeping California in the Union during the American Civil War. When he arrived in San Francisco in 1860, the state was deeply divided, and his passionate speeches across the region are said to have swayed public opinion decisively toward the North. He was so effective that Union leaders specifically credited his eloquence with preventing the state from attempting to form an independent republic.