Oakland in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Training Wall
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, February 24, 2014
1. Training Wall Marker
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Inscription.
Training Wall. . This stone wall you see before you is a partial replica of the north training wall, one of two historic jetties called “training walls” because they were designed to direct the forces of the ebb tide to scour Oakland’s shipping channel and keep it open. Before training walls were built, vessels often had to wait until high tide before they could sail through the shallow waters off of Oakland. The training walls were designed by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers in 1874. Twenty years in the making, the walls helped make it possible for ocean-going ships to sail up the estuary – an important part of the development of Oakland as a Port., facts: , Building the training walls took: , . More than 310, 000 tons of stone , . Over 500,000 square feet of dry stone facing , . Approximately $615,000, Length: 9,500 Feet – north wall; 12,000 Feet – south wall , Width: 8 feet (top) – 20 feet (base) , Height: 6 feet above low water, Stone for the training walls came from shoreline quarries at Yerba Buena Island, Angle Island, San Francisco, San Bruno, and San Rafael. , Annual cargo entering of leaving Oakland harbor: 1874 – 154,000 tons; 1900 – 3,250,000 tons (2000% increase!) , Sidebar , In 2001, when the Port of Oakland deepened and widened the estuary to accommodate larger containerships, the north training wall was demolished. Stones were set aside from the original wall and used to rebuild a 150-foot-long portion of the wall at this site. The south training wall can still be seen along the Alameda shore of the estuary.
This stone wall you see before you is a partial replica of the north training wall, one of two historic jetties called “training walls” because they were designed to direct the forces of the ebb tide to scour Oakland’s shipping channel and keep it open. Before training walls were built, vessels often had to wait until high tide before they could sail through the shallow waters off of Oakland. The training walls were designed by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers in 1874. Twenty years in the making, the walls helped make it possible for ocean-going ships to sail up the estuary – an important part of the development of Oakland as a Port.
facts:
Building the training walls took:
• More than 310, 000 tons of stone
• Over 500,000 square feet of dry stone facing
• Approximately $615,000
Length: 9,500 Feet – north wall; 12,000 Feet – south wall
Width: 8 feet (top) – 20 feet (base)
Height: 6 feet above low water
Stone for the training walls came from shoreline quarries at Yerba Buena Island, Angle Island, San Francisco, San Bruno, and San Rafael.
Sidebar
In 2001, when the Port of Oakland deepened and widened the estuary to accommodate larger containerships, the north training wall was demolished. Stones were set aside from the original
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wall and used to rebuild a 150-foot-long portion of the wall at this site. The south training wall can still be seen along the Alameda shore of the estuary.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1874.
Location. 37° 48.08′ N, 122° 19.478′ W. Marker is in Oakland, California, in Alameda County. Marker is on Middle Harbor Road near 7th Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3660 Middle Harbor Road, Oakland CA 94607, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. This marker is located in Middle Harbor Shoreline Park just off an unnamed road heading south from the USS Oakland mast.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, February 24, 2014
2. Training Wall Marker
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, February 24, 2014
3. Training Wall
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on March 10, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 531 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on March 10, 2014, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.