Alameda in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
An Era of Dramatic Change
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, September 29, 2020
1. An Era of Dramatic Change Marker
Inscription.
An Era of Dramatic Change. . Historically Alameda was a peninsula, rich in natural resources. Native peoples gathered food and materials from bay salt marshes, abundant oak forests, and nearby shorelines. From the early 1800's the western tip of the peninsula now known as Alameda Point became farmland before becoming an industrial center and ferry/rail transit hub.
Alameda was not always an island. Construction of a tidal canal was proposed to improve tidal flow through the Estuary from San Leandro Bay, and to deepen the channel for large vessel traffic. Alameda became an island in 1902 when the project was completed.
In 1936, the City of Alameda sold the western portion of the island and adjacent submerged lands to construct the Naval Air Station (NAS). It was the largest naval air station in the nation at that time.
In 1997, the government decommissioned the NAS. Since then, the land and facilities have become a mixture of civilian uses including new parklands and trails such as this section of the San Francisco Bay Trail.
(picture caption:)
Lee's painting Alameda Shore provides a glimpse of this pastoral landscape in transition. For a brief two months in autumn of 1869, Alameda Point was the final terminus of the historic transcontinental railroad. The buildings to the right were workshops of Alfred A. Cohen's San Francisco and Alameda Railroad. Here, rail passengers from across the country boarded the ferry Alameda for the final leg of their journey to San Francisco.
Historically Alameda was a peninsula, rich in
natural resources. Native peoples gathered food
and materials from bay salt marshes, abundant
oak forests, and nearby shorelines. From the
early 1800's the western tip of the peninsula
now known as Alameda Point became farmland
before becoming an industrial center and
ferry/rail transit hub.
Alameda was not always an island. Construction
of a tidal canal was proposed to improve tidal
flow through the Estuary from San Leandro Bay,
and to deepen the channel for large vessel traffic.
Alameda became an island in 1902 when the
project was completed.
In 1936, the City of Alameda sold the western portion of the island
and adjacent submerged lands to construct the Naval Air Station (NAS).
It was the largest naval air station in the nation at that time.
In 1997, the government decommissioned the NAS. Since then,
the land and facilities have become a mixture of civilian uses
including new parklands and trails such as this section of the
San Francisco Bay Trail.
(picture caption:)
Lee's painting Alameda Shore provides a glimpse of this pastoral landscape in transition. For a brief
two months in autumn of 1869, Alameda Point was the final terminus of the historic transcontinental
railroad. The buildings to the right were workshops of Alfred A. Cohen's San Francisco and Alameda
Railroad. Here, rail passengers from across the country boarded the ferry Alameda for the final leg of
their journey to San Francisco.
Erected by East
Click or scan to see this page online
Bay Regional Parks District.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Environment • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1902.
Location. 37° 46.303′ N, 122° 17.894′ W. Marker is in Alameda, California, in Alameda County. It can be reached from Alameda Point Shoreline Trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Alameda CA 94501, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area and on the Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Joseph Lee (courtesy of the Fine Art Museum of San Francisco, via Wikipedia), circa 1868
3. Alameda Shore
This image is the same as on the marker - "Alameda Shore (Joseph Lee, c. 1868) depicts a ferry meeting the first run of the railroad on August 25, 1864."
Credits. This page was last revised on October 8, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 30, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 432 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on September 30, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
