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magine you are an eighteen year-old boy, stepping away from dry land onto a rocking boat. The year is 1942 and you are headed for the Pacific theater of war. You hesitate mid-step, one foot on the ship plank, one foot still on solid ground. You are leaving your home and your loved ones for an uncertain future, perhaps never to return. This could be the very last time your foot touches American soil.
How do you communicate the untold history of Fort Mason to the 1.6 million people who visit the Center every year? After a summer-long visioning process that involved more than 100 artists, dancers, producers, corporate executives, community leaders, neighbors, and many representatives of the Center’s nonprofit resident organizations, the Fort Mason History Project emerged as one very significant answer to that question.
Many do not know the dramatic history of this part of San Francisco’s coastline. For the native Ohlone, Fort Mason was a fishing ground, an example of their sacred home’s natural bounty. For the Spanish, it was one of the farthest outposts of an empire that stretched beyond defensible boundaries. In the late 19th century, it was a battleground between adventurous settlers seeking land and a federal government determined to evict squatters and validate the rule of law in the west. In the 20th century, as a U.S. military base and the main point of embarkation for the Pacific Coast, Fort Mason played a key role in several wars, from the Spanish-American War to the Korean Conflict. In the 1970s, a collection of grassroots organizers transformed Fort Mason into a model of creative reuse, providing a home for diverse and influential non-profit resident organizations. They also ensured that the last parcel of original San Francisco Bay shoreline was saved for future generations.
The Fort Mason History Project delves into a wide range of individual stories that, when combined, relate a complex, multi-faceted chronicle of the transformation of an ancient Ohlone settlement into today’s multicultural center. Plans are to engage a team of historians, artists, architects, designers, and Fort Mason stakeholders to turn this idea into reality. Led by cultural historian and planner Donna Graves — noted for her work developing the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park — Fort Mason Foundation will bring to life the history of the Center. The Fort Mason Foundation looks forward to sharing its past, as well as celebrating its future, with the Bay Area community.
— Dino Piacentini
ARE YOU A US VETERAN? PLEASE TAKE OUR QUESTIONNAIRE
As part of the Fort Mason History Project we are trying to learn about the years
Fort Mason served as an embarkation point for soldiers and sailors shipping out
to and returning from the Pacific theater. Please help us by filling out our form
and allowing us to contact you in the future. You may take the questionnaire by
using our online form, or
by viewing, printing, and returning our PDF-
formatted version (PDF document, 144KB).
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