Treasure Island, San Francisco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Treasure Island
Magic Isle
|
|
|---|---|
Treasure Island is "5,520 feet long by 3,410 feet wide" and has the Treasure Island Marina on the south near Yerba Buena Island (bottom)
|
|
.svg)
Treasure Island is the northernmost area of San Francisco's District 6
|
|
 Treasure Island
Location in San Francisco
|
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| City-county | San Francisco |
| Constructed | 1936–37 |
| Named for | Treasure Island (novel) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.9 sq mi (2 km2) |
| • Land | 0.9 sq mi (2 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Population
(2011 estimate)
|
|
| • Total | 2,300 |
| • Density | 2,560/sq mi (990/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
94130
|
| Area codes | 415/628 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 236528 (island) 2624152 (Building 157) 2506912 (Job Corps Ctr) |
| Wikimedia Commons | Treasure Island, California |
| Reference #: | 987 |
Treasure Island is an artificial island located in San Francisco Bay. It is also a neighborhood within the City and County of San Francisco. The island was built between 1936 and 1937 for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, a big world's fair. It was named by Clyde Milner Vandeburg, who worked on the fair's public relations team.
The fairground site on the island is a California Historical Landmark. Some buildings there are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Treasure Island is connected to Yerba Buena Island, a natural island, by a causeway. This connection allows access to Interstate 80.
Contents
Island Geography and Location
Treasure Island is about 393 acres in size. It is connected to Yerba Buena Island by a 900-foot causeway. Yerba Buena Island then connects to Interstate 80 on the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge.
The island has a marina and a path for bikes. This path connects to the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge. There are raised walkways around almost the entire island. These walkways follow five main streets.
Building Treasure Island
Before Treasure Island was built, the area had rocky underwater spots called "Yerba Buena Shoals." These shoals were dangerous for ships. The United States government decided to build an island there.
Workers used 287,000 tons of rock to create the island's outer walls. They also dug a freshwater reservoir in the rock of Yerba Buena Island. Then, they filled the inside of the island with about 23 feet of sand from the bay. After treating the sand to remove salt, they added 50,000 cubic yards of topsoil. This soil was used to plant many trees, shrubs, and flowering plants.
The Golden Gate International Exposition
On February 18, 1939, the "Magic City" fair opened on Treasure Island. It had many courts, including a central Court of Honor. There was also a large parking lot for 12,000 cars.
Important buildings included the Federal Building and the Administration Building. There were also exhibit halls for different industries. Two large hangars were built, which were later used by Pan Am for their flying boats, like the China Clipper. This area was called the Port of Trade Winds Harbor or Clipper Cove.
The Administration Building (Building 1) and two hangars (Building 2 and Building 3) still remain from the exposition. The expo's Magic Carpet Great Lawn is also still there.
Treasure Island as a Military Base
Treasure Island was first meant to be a second airport for San Francisco. However, as World War II approached, the United States Navy took over the island.
Naval Station (NAVSTA) Treasure Island started as a Navy "reception center" in 1941. On April 17, 1942, the U.S. Navy officially took control of the island. The Navy later paid the city $10 million to improve the existing airport. This included adding 93 acres of land.
NAVSTA Treasure Island had a Naval Auxiliary Air Facility. This facility supported helicopters, planes, seaplanes, and airships. It also had an electronics school for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. During World War II, more than 12,000 men each day were sent from here to assignments in the Pacific. Thousands more were processed to leave the military after the war.
From before the 1950s through the 1990s, the U.S. Navy's Naval Technical Training Center (NTTC) operated on Treasure Island. They taught many maintenance skills. This included training Electronic Technicians (ET) in radiation and detection equipment. They also trained Shipfitter and Damage Control Technicians.
The naval station was closed in 1997. Some military buildings remain. For example, Building 600 is now the SFFD's training facility. Building 180 is now a winery.
SAC Radar Station
Treasure Island also had a Strategic Air Command (SAC) radar facility. This facility was called the San Francisco Bomb Plot. It was used to evaluate practice bombing missions. These missions helped Cold War bomber crews stay skilled.
The Treasure Island unit was later moved from the island by 1954.
Filming Location
Since the late 1980s, Treasure Island's old aircraft hangars have been used as sound stages for movies and TV shows. For example, parts of The Matrix were filmed there.
Many other movies and TV shows have used Treasure Island as a setting:
- Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
- Flubber (1997)
- The Parent Trap (1998)
- Nash Bridges (1996–2001 TV show)
- MythBusters (TV show)
Island Cleanup and Future Plans
In 2007, cleanup crews worked for weeks to clean the island's coast. This was after the Cosco Busan oil spill. In 2009, the Navy agreed to sell the island to the city for $105 million. This sale was part of a big redevelopment plan.
The federal government still uses 40 acres of the island for the United States Department of Labor Job Corps. The Job Corps helps young people with job training.
The Administration Building (Building 1) and the Hall of Transportation (Building 2) were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
In 2011, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a new development plan for the island. This plan will create up to 8,000 new homes over the next 20–30 years. It also includes new shops, offices, and hotels. About 300 acres will become new parks.
The island's gas station pumps were removed because the island has a high risk of soil liquefaction and tsunami damage during an earthquake. All the island's utilities, like gas, electricity, and water, are managed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
By 2010, Navy contractors had removed 16,000 cubic yards of contaminated dirt from the site. Some of this dirt had high levels of radiation. The island was once a training center for nuclear warfare.
Education on Treasure Island
Treasure Island is part of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). The elementary schools that serve parts of the island include John Yehall Chin and Sherman.
The SFUSD used to have a Treasure Island K-8 School. In 2004, the district decided to close the middle school part. Later that year, they voted to close the entire school starting in 2005.
Images for kids
-
Looking north towards the Marin Headlands from the western shore.
-
Looking south towards Yerba Buena Island and the Bay Bridge from the western shore.
-
Treasure Island Marina on the island's south shore
-
The bridge's new eastern span is best viewed from near the marina
-
The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, Yerba Buena Island, Treasure Island, and San Francisco, in an afternoon aerial view looking into the sun
See also
In Spanish: Isla Treasure para niños
