John Gunder North

After visiting and working in shipyards in New York City, Boston, Portland and New Orleans, North decided to stay in the United States, and came by sea as a ships officer to San Francisco, California on July 28, 1850.

He visited the mines for a short time, then returned to San Francisco to partner with Captain William H. Moore in a small steamboat beginning a firm that later became part of the California Steam Navigation Company.

[3] In 1855, North built the Colorado, a 120 food long, stern-wheel steamboat, for the George A. Johnson & Company in San Francisco.

[2] One of the first ships built there was the Chrysopolis for California Steam Navigation Company, which would set the fastest time for a steamboat between Sacramento and San Francisco.

[4]: 23, 63, 128 135 In 1869, he built the 294 ton, 154 foot long, side-wheel steamer, Parthenius, that provided passenger and mail service to the major landings of Contra Costa County for many years.

Subsequently, he visited shipyards and iron works in Great Britain, Germany, Italy and other places in Europe and was at the opening of the Suez Canal in Egypt before returning to San Francisco after a three-year absence.

Chrysopolis , one of the first steamboats built at North's Shipyard, ran on San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento River from 1860 to 1875. It holds the record for the fastest passage by a steamboat between Sacramento and San Francisco.
Sidewheelers Capital and Contra Costa (a ferry), both built by North, at the Davis Street Landing in San Francisco, circa 1870.