Reporting Experience – A Final Post

Reporting about the Presidio has enabled me to learn a lot about a unique part of San Francisco, a part of the city I might not have otherwise become familiar with. The Presidio has a rich and fascinating history and its development continues to be newsworthy.

The major challenged I faced as a journalist was gaining the confidence to approach people and question them, a challenge that was not made any easier by the suburban environment of the residential areas in the Presidio. However, by the end of the semester I met people through networking and asking questions became second nature.

One of the things that I have most enjoyed about the reporting process has been learning about the Presidio’s military history. There are so many interesting stories and it is a history that is still very visible in the buildings and layout of the park.

I have also greatly enjoyed having a reason to spend a lot of time in the Presidio. It is an incredibly beautiful location with amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay and the city. It is a wonderful feeling to feel as if you are in the country enjoying trails and nature and yet be only minutes away from a bustling city.

Last night, Dec 4, I finished my last interview around 7:30 p.m. It was a very cold night; I made my way to the transit center and waited for the 29 Muni to take me home. The 29 had been faithful in picking me up across the street from my house in the Sunset District and dropping in the Presidio all semester. It was a 20-minute wait and finally, growing numb from the cold, I approached two Muni drivers as they were taking a break, the transit center being the final destination of the inbound 29.

“Do you know how much longer it will be,” I asked.

One of the Muni drivers checked his watch. “ I am scheduled to leave in another three minutes,” he said.

“You know tonight is the last night the 29 will come out here due to the changes in the route, right?” asked the other driver.

I did know and at that moment it felt like an oddly appropriate way to be ending the semester’s project.

With a Tree Lighting Ceremony The Presidio Begins the Holiday Season

A 50-year-old tradition continued on Friday Dec 4 as the many people who had gathered for the event lit a 60 foot tall Norfolk Island pine. The mood was festive; the sounds of children’s laughter and caroling filled the air.

Lisa Hillstorm, a programs and education specialist for the Presidio Trust, organized the event. She said, “the army used to do this across from the fire station, however that tree came down in a storm so it was moved. The park service kept it going.”

People who attended the event were largely families with small children. They gathered under the unlit tree and were entertained by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Carolers until the ceremony began.

Once the ceremony began Hillstorm instructed everyone to form a circle around the tree holding hands. She then began a wave similar to the one seen in sporting events that traveled around the circle symbolizing a wave of energy. Once the wave had traveled around the circle the tree was lit and the children sprinted under the tree and the crowd broke into song.

Once the tree lighting ceremony came to an end the YMCA held a reception in their gym. There refreshments such as popcorn and cider were given out.

Prejudice and Patriotism Exhibit Tells a Fascinating Story

Japanese American soldiers fought and worked as language interpreters despite extreme prejudice during War World II. An exhibit inside the Officers’ Club on the Presidio’s main post tells the story of Japanese Americans in the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) and of secret military language school that trained originally located in the Presidio.

The secret language school was opened in the Presidio in the spring of 1941. Building 640, an abandoned airplane hanger was used as both a classroom and as living quarters for the men. Many second-generation Japanese American soldiers or Nisei attended the school.

When war broke out in the pacific with the bombing of Pearl Harbor things changed. When Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 and Japanese Americans were relocated from the West Coast the school had to be moved. It was relocated in Minnesota.

The linguists of the MIS participated in every major battle and campaign in the pacific, the read captured documents and diaries, intercepted and interpreted radio transmissions and interrogated Japanese prisoners of war on a human level.

After the end of the war the MIS soldiers served as an important bridge between Japanese and American relations. They participated in land reform, war crimes trials and educational and legal development. They contributed to Japans transition from a war-ravaged country to a major economic power and one of America’s important post war allies.

Despite prejudice the Nisei who served with the MIS did so patriotically despite the fact that their loyalty was always suspect and even though they often fought against relatives and former classmates. During battles Japanese Americans were often given Caucasian bodyguards to protect them from friendly fire from American troops.

Kathleen Cooke, a visitor to the exhibit, said, “ I was surprised I had never heard of this contribution or language school before. They showed so much courage and loyalty. It is a fabulous story and should be taught in all schools.”

The exhibit features a video documentary, various historic photographs, well-organized displays with historical relics and a portrait and interview series done by Tom Graves. Tom Graves’ instillation is called “After the Wars: Lessons from America’s Nisei Heroes.”

The National Japanese Historical Society, the Presidio Trust and the National Park Service are developing a MIS historic learning center in building 640. The center will have interactive educational exhibits and a recreated 1941 classroom theatre experience.

The exhibit Prejudice and Patriotism will be on display until Jan 31.

Map of Residential Neighborhoods in the Presidio

View Housing in The Presidio in a larger map

Photo Essay - A Sample of Historic Buildings in the Presidio

Building 50. the Officers’ Club. The Officers’ Club is the oldest building in the Presidio and is the largest surviving Spanish Colonial military building in California. The building was built

between 1776 and 1824. Today the buildings is rented as event space and is the current home of the National Park Service’s visitor center.

Building 102 was once a men’s barracks. It was built in 1895. After the transition from military post to national park the building was used for a time as the National Park Service’s visitor center. They moved out and into the officers club in order to do retrofitting on building 102. However, the cost of the retrofitting became too expensive. Plans for the building are now on hold.

Building 36 was constructed in 1886. The army built two of these Italianate style barracks. One of the buildings was removed in 1912 to make room for new buildings. Building 36 is currently serving as the Presidio Graduate School.

Building 59 was constructed in 1885 in the Queen Anne style, which was imported from England during the mid nineteenth century. It was constructed as officer’s quarters for an officer with a family. The house is currently a residential home.

Building 45, Chapel of Our Lady, was originally constructed in 1864 but was redone in 1952 and 1970. The building is still a religious structure.

Building 1016 was constructed in 1899 as the administration building for the general hospital. It is currently leased out to nonresidential organizations.

Building 1007 was built in 1901 as women’s barracks. It is currently used as government offices.

Building 225 was constructed in 1910 as a storehouse. It was built in the Utilitarian style. This style often employed inexpensive materials and limited applied details. The function of the building usually dictated the style. The building is still used for storage.

Pilot’s Row home. The houses in the Pilot’s Row neighborhood, located directly across from Golden Gate Bridge, were built in 1921. The 13 houses were constructed in the Colonial revival style to accommodate pilots who were based at Crissy Field. They are currently residential homes.

Building 1204 was built in 1910. It is a good example of a Presidio building in the Mission Revival style. It was originally built as enlisted men’s barracks.

Building 1450 was constructed in 1942 as part of the War World II building campaign in the Presidio. It was originally a radio transmitter and warhead supply shop built to serve the coastal defense batteries.

Frank Dean Talks about Historic Preservation

On Nov 18 at the Old Presidio Golf Club Frank Dean, a superintendent of the National Golden Gate Recreation Area spoke to a small audience on the role of the National Park Service in historic preservation and in education in history at national parks and the challenges it faces.

While the talk focused on the treatment of historical properties by the National Park Service on a largerscale the audience seemed more interested the Presidio Trust’s plans for development as well as the National Park Service’s role in the Presidio.

The Presidio Historical Association hosted the talk, which began with an introduction by the association’s president, Gary Widman. Widman made an announcement that the Presidio Trust is still planning on building a hotel in the main post area as well as tearing down the bowling center and building something new in its location.

Dean, who 30 years ago gave tours of the Presidio as an interpretive park ranger, has found himself coming full circle to again work in the same location.

Dean said that working with the Presidio Trust has been a unique process. Noting that they have a different mission then the National Park Service and that they have to cover their costs. The park service was given Area A, which includes Crissy Field and they were given interpretation, park rangers explaining the history of the park, they also have formal programs in place. However Dean says that he “would like to spice it up a bit.”

He said that the Presidio Trust wants to see an agreement in broad terms about what will happen at a site, but the National Park Service whose opinion holds some weight needs more information, “ we can’t approve anything without knowing more.”

As far as main post planning goes Dean said, “keep it constructive, keep it positive.”

Lucia Bogatay, a member of the audience, asked if the Presidio Trust were to give the Presidio back to the park service, would they want it back?

Dean replied by saying that, “it looks good, I don’t always agree with them [the Presidio Trust] but they have done good things.” He continued by saying that the trust has legal flexibilities that the National Park service does not have.

To questions about creating a modern visitor center in the Presidio Dean responded by saying that they need to get back to the main post. A visitor center was located in building 102 on the main post but they moved out for retrofitting, which became too expensive. The visitor center for the Presidio is temporarily located in the Officer’s Club.

Dean also spoke about there being 12 national registered properties, 739 historical structures and 61 archeological sites within the National Golden Gate Recreation Area, which includes the Presidio.

The Walt Disney Family Museum

The newly opened Walt Disney Family Museum, located in a wonderfully restored building in the Presidio, is an experience for all ages. While it focuses mainly on the life of Walt Disney and seems designed for older visitors there are still plenty of interactive exhibits to keep the attention of children.

The museum takes you step by step through the life of Walt Disney. It features a War World 1 era ambulance similar to the one Disney drove during his time volunteering for the Red Cross, the earliest known drawings of Mickey Mouse, family photographs of the Disneys, various cameras used by Disney including a multiplane camera, a full wall with stills from the animation “Steamboat Willie,” and a Disneyland model.

The building is located in one of the old barracks in the Main Post area of the Presidio. In a row of six barracks the museum is the only one in use and the only one that has been fully restored and modernized. The buildings were built sometime between 1895 and 1909. From the outside the building looks basically untouched, however on the inside few of the elements are original. The museum proves that restoration of the historical buildings is possible but at a high price, the project budget was $52 million.

The museum also houses a theatre. From Nov 1-20 they will be screening “Sleeping Beauty” three times daily. On the Nov 14^th the San Francisco International Animation Festival will be screening the Alice Comedies. The Alice Comedies are short films featuring a live action girl placed in a cartoon that were created by Disney from 1923 to 1927.

The museum contains 10 galleries on 2 floors. Each gallery recounts a different phase of Walt Disney’s life and career. Plan to spend at least a full afternoon or morning exploring the exhibits. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Monday.

For more information see the museum's website.