Oakland (122.322W 37.801N) was founded in 1852 on the east coast of San Francisco Bay. By 1917 it was an important industrial center, with a Chevrolet automobile plant. Much of the growth was attributed to persons fleeing San Francisco after the great quake of 1906. In 1927, rapid development of the Port of Oakland commenced with the opening of the Municipal Airport.
With the outbreak of war, the city offered any
facilities
that might prove useful to the war effort. The offer was accepted
and
extensive Army and Navy facilities were established. This
required the filling
of large areas of tidal marshland, using soil from the nearby
hills. (The pit
from which most of the soil was taken is still visible from miles away
today.)
The city also produced 35% of all cargo
ships launched from the West
Coast, at
the Richmond shipyard, and 60%
of all canned foodstuffs in 1943.
Richmond Shipyard
was run by Todd-California Shipbuilding Corporation for the Maritime Commission and
had seven ways by late 1941.
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2009-2010 by Kent G.
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