Golden Gate Ferry Company facts for kids

The Golden Gate Ferry Company was a private business that used large boats called ferries to carry cars and people across the water. It operated between San Francisco, Berkeley, and Sausalito. This was before the famous Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge were built.

The company was officially created in November 1920. In 1929, it joined with another ferry service run by the Southern Pacific railroad. They formed a new, larger company called the Southern Pacific-Golden Gate Ferries, Ltd. Once the two major bridges opened, there was no longer a need for car ferries, so the service was stopped.

Sausalito Ferry Service

Steam trains waiting at the Sausalito Terminal in May 1891.

The Eureka was a huge ferry that carried cars and people between Sausalito and San Francisco from 1922 to 1941.

Before the Golden Gate Bridge existed, the North Pacific Coast Railroad ran a ferry to Sausalito. The part of the ferry terminal on the Sausalito side was owned by the Madden and Lewis Company. Today, the old ferry company's location is now home to the Sausalito Yacht Club.

A new ferry service, run by the modern Golden Gate Ferry, started in 1970 and uses the current Sausalito Ferry Terminal. This terminal is a busy spot, used by both Golden Gate Ferry and Blue & Gold Fleet boats, as well as Golden Gate Transit and Marin Transit buses.

Ferry service between Sausalito and San Francisco has a long history. It began back in 1868 with the Sausalito Land and Ferry Company. The last ferry for people on foot ran on February 28, 1941, and the car ferry service ended a month later in March.

Berkeley Ferry Service

In 1926, the Golden Gate Ferry Company started building the Berkeley Pier. It was an incredibly long pier, stretching about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) into the San Francisco Bay from the end of University Avenue.

On June 16, 1927, car ferry service officially began. The ferries traveled between the new Berkeley Pier and the Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco. This was the same San Francisco pier used by the Sausalito ferry.

The Yellow Ferryboats

When the service first started, the company had four special diesel-powered ferryboats. They were all painted a bright yellow color and ran every 15 minutes. Their names were:

• The Golden Bear
• The Golden Poppy
• The Golden State
• The Golden Dawn

After the company joined with Southern Pacific, all the boats were repainted white, which was the standard color for Southern Pacific's ships.

A Part of America's First Highway

From 1926 to 1937, the Berkeley Pier was an important part of the Lincoln Highway, the very first road to cross the entire United States. Later, it became part of U.S. Route 40. A two-lane road ran along the entire pier to the ferry dock at the end.

The ferry service from Berkeley stopped on October 16, 1937. This was just 11 months after the Bay Bridge opened for cars, providing a faster way to cross the bay.

What Happened to the Ferryboats?

After the ferry service ended, the boats were sent to new homes or retired.

• The Golden Poppy was sent to Washington state in 1938. It was renamed the MV Chetzemoka and worked there until 1973. Sadly, in 1977, it sank in a storm while being towed back to San Francisco.
• The Golden State also went to Washington and was renamed the Kehloken. It operated until 1979, when it was destroyed in a fire that started at its pier.
• The Golden Bear was damaged in 1937 off the coast of Oregon while being towed to Washington. It was later taken apart for its spare parts.
• The Golden Dawn was retired in 1937 and was likely taken apart for scrap metal.

See also

• Ferries of San Francisco Bay