Page 36 - Historical Study of Yerba Buena Island, Treasure Island and Their Buildings

An interesting side note to this period in Yerba Buena Island's history was the attempt by Leland
Stanford and the Central Pacific Railroad to make Y erba Buena Island the western terminus of
the railroad. They planned to obtain posession of the island fr<?m the US government, level the
land, fill in the shoals, and build a causeway over the Bay waters to the Contra Costa. The City
of San Francisco bitterly opposed the plan. They were concerned that this plan was an
intentional ploy to insure San Francisco would lose out on transcontinental rail trade. From
comments made at the time by Leland Stanford, they were absolutely right. The fight was
carried on in the state capital, where the railroads won; and in Washington, DC, where the City
of San Francisco finally prevented the transfer of Yerba Buena to the railroads (Ref. JJ). The
victory soon became a hollow one for the City, because the Central Pacific Railroad constructed
their western terminus in Oakland, still ignoring San Francisco. This event was significant
because it marked the first serious discussion relative to the building of a bridge across the San
Francisco Bay and the filling in of the Yerba Buena shoals. Marine engineers debated the effects
that different types of bridge supports would have on the bay waters, especially silting. These
debates and the resulting research was later used to help determine the manner in which the San
Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge was constructed. One of the first proposals to build an artificial
island to the northeast ofYerba Buena Island had been put forth about eight years earlier. In the
1861 Directory of San Francisco, a description of this artificial island suggested the possibility of
filling in the Y erba Buena shoals with earth from Yerba Buena Island. (Ref. C). This later
became the location of the Treasure Island of today.

After 1879, when the Army Artillery detachment moved back to the Presidio, the island had been
denuded of its trees and had become, in the words of the San Francisco Call of August 11, 1889
" ... an offense and an eyesore to those fated to journey daily from San Francisco to Oakland ... ".
This resulted in at least two proposals to: (1) replant the island with trees, and (2) make it into a
resort. One interested party even went so far as to propose the idea of a special ferry service
which could be operated from the Market Street wharf in San Francisco with a round trip fare of
10 cents.

The resort proposals never came to fruition, but Joaquin Miller, the early Californian poet,
mounted a campaign to plant trees at three different locations, Yerba Buena Island, the Presidio,
and Fort Mason (Black Point); however, the primary focus was Yerba Buena Island. At the
island, the planting was laid out in a Greek cross with the center at the high point of the island to,
as one newspaper put it " ... remember ... the fact that we all have some cross to bear ... ". (Ref. V,
Arbor Day). The interest in replanting and beautification of the area resulted in California's first
Arbor Day, March 5, 1887. Several dignitaries were on hand to participate in the ceremonies
including Joaquin Miller, ex-Governor Perkins, General Howard, Adolph Sutro, and General
Vallejo who was to give the main address. The elderly General Vallejo was unable to climb the
hill in time to present his speech, so another man read General Vallejo's remarks. However, the
General did reach the hilltop in time . to plant a tree. Although the trees planted by these
dignitaries did not survive because of exposure to weather atop the island's ridge and eventually
a fire, some of the trees planted at the lower elevations are believed to be among those
beautifying the island today. Additional plantings during 1900, 1902, 1908, 1917, 1939, 1944,
and 1945 have contributed to the luxuriant vegetation and beauty the island now bears.

September I, I 995 Historical Study ofYerba Buena Island, l-13
Treasure Island, and their Buildings