Philanthropist Madeleine Haas Russell (niece to Levi Strauss’ nephew Jacob) built the 12-acre Atherton estate in 1911, with a Gardner Dailey guesthouse added later. It was recently listed for $59.5M. [Photo: Business Insider]

Built in 1900 by Levi Strauss’ nephew Sigmund Stern in 1900. After his wife died, the mansion was taken down in mid 1960’s and replaced with apartments. [Photo: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY]

Lick built the beautiful 24-room Lick Mansion, but lived there only briefly before abandoning its opulence to construct a less pretentious home. The Lick Mansion and grounds were preserved and today are open to the public. [Photo: Eugene Zelenko]

Opened in 1853, Ghirardelli had a chocolate factory on the first floor and resided with his family on the second floor. It’s now a San Francisco City Landmark. [Photo: Noe Hill]

Needing additional space, the company purchased the Pioneer Woolen Mill building in 1893, and manufacturing moved to that location. This is the present location of Ghirardelli Square. [Photo: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY]

In 1859, Ghirardelli built one of Oakland's first big houses with a garden that took up a square block. It had a large garden with marble fountains and statuary from Italy. It was sold at auction in 1874 when the company temporarily declared bankruptcy during a recession. [Photo: Calisphere]

The original neo-Tudor mansion was torn down in 1957, but the original brick wall still remains. The house in its place was designed by Peter Winkelstein (later partner of SMWM). [Photo: Calisphere]

After Domingo Jr. retired in 1922, he and his wife lived out their lives in a rambling, Spanish-style estate on several sloping acres in Hillsborough. The house still exists, though much of the property was subdivided and the house around it are now $2-3M+. [Photo: Calisphere]

Domingo’s daughter Angela married Norwegian-born painter Chris Jorgensen, and they moved into a new large stone house in Carmel, "La Playa," based on Chris's design. They sold it in 1909 after their niece drowned while visiting, and has been the La Playa Hotel ever since. [Photo: La Playa Hotel via SF Gate]

After Atherton's death, his wife Dominga de Goñi moved into San Francisco and had a mansion built. Supposedly their son George haunts the building. In 1923 the property was purchased by eccentric Carrie Rousseau, who lived exclusively in the house's ballroom surrounded by more than 50 cats until her death in 1974. It has since been remodeled into several apartments. [Photo: Found SF]

The home lasted until late 1950’s and was a residence club, before being taken down and replaced with Mormon Church. [Photo: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY]

Torn down in 1927, the site is now an apartment building. [Photo: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY]

Burned down in 1906 Earthquake and Fire. An apartment building, cutely named the Spreckels Mansion, sits on the site now. [Photo: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY]

Built in 1910 as a wedding present from his father John Sr., the building became the California Historical Society library in the 1950’s, before being turned back to a private residence in early 1990’s. [Photo: Noe Hill]

After Alma’s death, the mansion was divided into four units until Danielle Steele purchased the property and restored it to a single family residence. [Photo: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY]

By the late 1870s the 8th and Brannan Street facilities were running at capacity, so Spreckels chose a site in Potrero Point to open a larger sugar refinery with water access. The huge 1881 brick refinery buildings were in use until demolished in 1951. [Photo: Found SF]

In 1899, Spreckels opened a factory closer to the main sugar beet fields, which operated from 1899 until 1982. A company town grew up around the plant, and still exists south of Salinas. The town and the sugar factory were used it as a setting in John Steinbeck’s Tortilla Flat. [Photo: Monterey County]

Built in 1898, the estate served as the summer home for Adolph and Alma Spreckels. When Adolph died in 1924, Alma inherited 280 acres of Sobre Vista in the hills in the northwest Sonoma Valley. The estate became known as the "San Simeon of the North". Sobre Vista was subdivided in the 1950's, and is now one of the most expensive communities in Sonoma. The Spreckels house itself recently sold for $2,995,000. [Photo: Trulia]