Centuries of Defense: Golden Gate's Military Story

Nicole Hayduk/NPS

 

The exhibit "Centuries of Defense: Golden Gate's Military Story" explores more than 200 years of military history that occurred within lands within Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Presidio of San Francisco was the oldest continually operating military base in the country, from its beginnings as a military outpost for the country of Spain in 1776 to its decommissioning from use by the United States Army in 1994. Many additional sites, both north and south of Golden Gate strait, lent themselves to defensive positions, some quite successful, and others technologically oudated before they were even completed.

The following pages will follow a timeline to highlight the establishment of military fortifications around the San Francisco Bay Area, show the development and construction of various battery and missile styles, present the Bay Area's efforts in times of conflict, and also reveal the transfer of former military sites into parklands.

 

Next: "Spanish (1776-1821) and Mexican Era (1822-1846)"