Page 106 - Historical Study of Yerba Buena Island, Treasure Island and Their Buildings

pumping millions of gallons of fresh water onto the surface of the island followed by the
extraction of the saltwater, now diluted, from the land. Finally, at least a 6 foot layer·of good
topsoil, imported from the San Joaquin Valley, was used to su~ace the entire manmade island.
Total cost for the creation of the island, exclusive of buildings, was $3,808,900.00.

From the onset of the project, the island remained unnamed. It did not take long, however, for
someone to realize that the dirt used to fill the island was dirt washed down from the gold
bearing mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Consequently the decision was made to use this theme
as the basis for naming the island. "Gold Island" was proposed, but it did not quite sound right.
Finally, someone suggested "Treasure Island", and the name became permanent. (Ref. G).

Original plans for Treasure Island included the construction of the island, holding a two year
long Exposition, and then converting it into an international airport. The airport was to have the
capability of supporting both sea going planes, such as the China Clipper, and large, land based
planes. Most of the island would be runways, except for the south end which was to be reserved
for the various support and maintenance buildings. See Figure 33. (Ref. KK).

The first three structures to be built on Treasure island were the two enormous hangars and the
"U-shaped" Terminal and Administration Building. These buildings were constructed as
permanent structures because of the intent to use them as airport facilities after the Exposition
closed. The Terminal and Administration Building, with its unusual and beautiful marble clad
curving hall, high ceilings, floors, and staircases, was an awesome portrayal of Art Deco design.
Construction of these buildings began prior to the completion of the island. This was possible
only because the south end of the island was formed first, over existing shoals, that allowed work
to start as the rest of the island was being filled-in as it progressed northward into deeper water.
The Terminal Building was later to be numbered Building l and the Hangers, Buildings 2 and 3.
Building 1 and part of Building 2 were used by Pan American (PanAm) Airline's China Clipper
Service, during a time period ranging from before the formal opening of the Exposition, in 1939,
until 1945. PanAm retired the entire China Clipper fleet from service in 1945. The fleet had
become obsolete because of the innovative airplane technology developed during World War II.
(Ref. I). As a side note, testifying to the interest in the architecture of the Terminal Building,
Hollywood movie makers, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, selected it for the location to
film a segment of the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". The building was depicted as
a World War II Berlin dirigible terminal. During the filming the Navy would not allow
Spielberg and Lucas to actually drape the Nazi Banner and insignia props on the building. So,
they simply filmed the segment without them and later added the Nazi paraphernalia to the
segment by the use of "in-lab" special effects.

As soon as the construction of the island was finished, the great Exposition buildings were put up
at a total cost of about $50,000,000. In all, 4,000 fully grown trees and shrubs, 800,000 annuals,
400,000 perennials, and 250,000 tulips were shipped to the island by barge and planted. The
centerpiece of the Exposition was a 400 foot tall sculpture titled the "Tower of the Sun". The
sculpture was a slim, octagonal needle with the statue of a phoenix bird at the top which
represented the City of San Francisco's rise from the ashes of the 1906 earthquake and fire. The
Tower also contained a set of bells, which were relocated to the Grace Cathedral in San
Francisco after the Exposition closed. See Figure 34. (Ref. R). Erected at the north end of
Treasure Island's main Avenue was the other focal point of the Exposition, the great statue of
"Pacifica". The statue was an 80 foot high statue of a woman wearing Polynesian clothing. See

2-2 Historical Study ofYerba Buena Island, September l, 1995
Treasure Island, and their Buildings