Timeline Presidio of San Francisco

the presidio ca. 1850



1846–1848: u.s. army occupied presidio. presidio began long era directing operations control , protect native americans headquarters scattered army units on west coast.
1853: work begun on fort point, became fine example of coastal defenses of time. fort point, located @ foot of golden gate in presidio, keystone of elaborate network of fortifications defend san francisco bay. these fortifications reflect 150 years of military concern defense of west coast.
1861–1865: american civil war involved presidio. colonel albert sydney johnston protected union weapons being taken southern sympathizers in san francisco. later, resigned union army , became general in confederate army. killed @ battle of shiloh. presidio organized regiments of volunteers civil war , control indians in california , oregon during absence of federal troops.
1869–1870: major general george henry thomas, american civil war hero, led division of pacific. general thomas died in 1870 , buried in troy, new york.
1872–1873: modoc indian campaign involved presidio troops , command in major battle, last large scale u.s. army operation against native americans in far west.
1890–1914: presidio soldiers became nation s first park rangers patrolling new yosemite , sequoia national parks.
1898–1906: presidio became nation s center assembling, training, , shipping out forces spanish–american war in philippine islands , subsequent philippine–american war (philippine insurrection). letterman army hospital modernized , expanded care many wounded , ill soldiers these campaigns. philippine campaign major u.s. military intervention in asia/pacific region.
1903: president theodore roosevelt visited presidio. honor guard african american buffalo soldier 10th cavalry regiment, @ presidio. regiment took role in roosevelt s famous charge of san juan hill in cuba.


a refugee camp @ presidio after san francisco earthquake



1906: san francisco earthquake of april 1906 led immediate army response directed general frederick funston, had earned medal of honor bravery in philippines. army units provided security , fought fires @ direction of city government. after fire resulted earthquake, presidio soldiers gave aid, food, , shelter refugees. temporary camps refugees set on presidio.
1912: fort winfield scott established in western part of presidio coast artillery post , headquarters of artillery district of san francisco.
1914–1916: presidio commander, general john j. pershing commanded mexican punitive expedition eliminate threat of pancho villa, mexican rebel , bandit, conducted raids across u.s. border. general pershing s family died in tragic fire while away. result of 1915 fire in general pershing s quarters, presidio fire department established first fire station staffed 24 hours per day on military post.
1915: part of panama-pacific international exposition located on presidio waterfront, expanded landfill purpose. soldiers supported exposition parades, honor guards, , artillery demonstrations. exposition celebrate opening of panama canal.
1917–1918: presidio rapidly expanded new cantonments , training areas world war i. recruiting, training, , deploying units again become presidio s role. officer training camp located here. waterfront area covered assembled buildings , railroad track presidio busy wartime traffic. during war, 30th infantry regiment, san francisco s own, motto, our country not ourselves, fought distinction in world war key fighting element of 3rd infantry division earned title rock of marne. 30th infantry regiment based @ presidio.
1918–1920: presidio center forming , training american expeditionary force siberia. little-remembered force moved siberia during russian civil war. mission of force changed often. encountered hostility part of expeditionary force, japan, while fighting bandits, , protecting allied civilians.
1920–1932: presidio became home crissy field, major pioneering military aviation field located on west coast. trailbreaking transpacific , transcontinental flights occurred here. @ crissy, future general hap arnold developed techniques new military aviation. arnold later commanded army air corps , army air forces in world war ii.
1941–1946: world war ii saw intense activity @ presidio. continued coordinating headquarters, deployment center, , training site, of existence. western defense command responsible defense of west coast. time included supervising combat in aleutian islands. presidio again crowded temporary barracks , training facilities. letterman army hospital filled casualties. @ 1 point, entire trains filled war-wounded arrived @ presidio battles of okinawa , iwo jima. japanese language school set train japanese-americans interpreters in war against japan. ironically, of these soldiers families interned in camps rest of war, while performed bravely in pacific.
1941–1945: commanding general of western defense command, general john l. dewitt, responded public hysteria directed against japanese on west coast. recommended removing japanese, including citizens, western seaboard. federal bureau of investigation , western politicians expressed alarm, although no incidents of sabotage occurred. president roosevelt signed executive order 9066 on february 19, 1942, direct removal of ethnic japanese residents internment camps.
1946: after world war ii, presidio command redesignated sixth army. responsible, again, u.s. army forces in western u.s., include training, supplies, , deployment. federal agency coordinate disaster relief military. during year, president harry truman had offered presidio site future united nations headquarters. united nations committee visited presidio purpose of examining suitability site, un general assembly voted in favor of current new york city location instead.
1950–1953: korean war tasked presidio s headquarters , support functions. letterman army hospital mobilized care casualties war.
1951: presidio hosted ceremonies signing anzus treaty, security pact of australia, new zealand, , u.s. japan-us security treaty signed @ presidio, while japanese peace treaty signed in downtown san francisco.
1961–1973: presidio filled supporting role during vietnam war. antiwar demonstrations took place @ presidio s gates.
1968: richard bunch shot, initiating presidio mutiny @ presidio stockade prison. xv corps deactivated.
1969–1974: letterman army hospital (lamc) modernized , letterman army institute of research (lair) built.
1991: presidio sent few remaining units war last time in desert storm, first gulf war. role of sixth army management of training , coordinating deployment of army national guard , u.s. army reserve units in western u.s. operation desert storm.
1994: sixth army inactivated , presidio closed active u.s. army installation per brac. presidio transferred national park service.
1996: park becomes privatized through congressional action.
2001: letterman army hospital demolished. later, letterman digital arts center constructed on site.
2005: bay school of san francisco opens in building 35.
2009–2015: doyle drive replacement project – demolition of doyle drive viaduct, replaced eight-lane boulevard, including 2 pairs of tunnels between crissy field , main post , pair of elevated viaducts, @ total project cost of approximately $1 billion. original doyle drive demolished april 27–30, 2012.



presidio of san francisco air