City of Paris Dry Goods Co.

The City of Paris Dry Goods Company began with a frantic scene in San Francisco Bay in 1850. When the brothers Felix and Emile Verdier arrived from France on their ship, the Ville de Paris, they did not even have time to dock. Gold rush miners rowed out in small boats, surrounding the vessel and buying up the entire cargo of silks, fine wines, and lace directly from the deck using bags of gold dust. This immediate success established the store as a premier destination for luxury goods in a city that was rapidly transforming.