Historic San Francisco Port of Embarkation

In response to the 1906 earthquake and fire, and recognizing the critical role of Fort Mason as a naval operations center, Congress appropriated funds to construct the tree piers in use today. Built on land reclaimed from a tidal cove, Fort Mason served as the San Francisco Port of Embarkation, the organizational center for the military, from 1909 to 1962.

As the Port of Embarkation, Fort Mason played a critical role in the emergence of the United States as a world power. One of its first missions was delivering supplies and personnel to the western portion of the Panama Canal construction.

During World War II, Fort Mason commanded a vast network of personnel and shipping facilities that existed throughout the Bay Area. More than 1.5 million troops and over 23.5 million tons of cargo shipped out to the Pacific from Fort Mason's piers.

In addition to the outgoing personnel and supplies, all American dead being returned to United States from the Pacific were brought through Fort Mason. Japanese and German prisoners of war were projected through its facilities.

The coming of peace saw the flow of soldiers and cargo reversed. Between September 1945 and October 1946, Fort Mason's pier welcomed nearly 800,000 homebound troops.

In 1962 the army declared the site military surplus. Fort Mason, along with the Presidio, was turned over to the National Park Service. Under the leadership of Congressman Philip Burton, Congress established the first urban national park in 1972, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, with the idea of bringing parks to the people.

Fort Mason Center opened its doors as a nonprofit in 1977 to offer an affordable supportive campus for nonprofit arts, education, and recreational organizations. The mission today has evolved but remains true to the original concept of connecting and engaging people with arts and culture and providing a vibrant, affordable gathering place and a home for thought-provoking programs, events, and organizations.

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Show me all markers in:  San Francisco, CA  |  San Francisco County  |  94123  |  California  |  United States of America

San Francisco Port of Embarkation
Fort Mason Historic District
Fort Mason Historic District
Brigantine Galilee
Congressman Phillip Burton
San Francisco Port of Embarkation
San Francisco Port of Embarkation (1932-1962)
Fort Mason Historic District
Marina Air Field
First Ship into San Francisco Bay

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