Place

Defending the Bay

Civil war era brick and wooden buildings surrounded by shrubs along a sandy road.
Civil war era brick and wooden buildings surrounded by shrubs along a sandy road.

The San Francisco Bay Area, long recognized as a land rich with economic opportunity, has historically attracted the attention of expanding nations, including Spain, Mexico, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States. In 1776, the Spanish settlers arrived in this area and established Spain's northernmost outpost, a presidio and a Catholic mission. The Spanish recognized that this hilltop promontory was an obvious choice for the defensive fortifications and built the Batteria San Jose here in 1797.

When the United States took control of California in 1846, one of the military's first priorities was to protect the rich bay from both the British and Russians who maintained extensive fur trapping interests up and down the Pacific coast. Recognizing the geographic and economic importance of the San Francisco Bay and the need to transport gold cargo safely, the army identified locations that were well suited to national defense. In 1850, President Millard Fillmore established this land as a military reservation, designating it Point San Jose.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Last updated: March 2, 2021