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Feb 27, 2015 · Alcatraz Military Timeline. 1775. Spanish explorer Lt. Juan Manuel de Ayala maps San Francisco Bay and names an island "de los alcatraces". 1848. California becomes U.S. property at the end of the Mexican-American War. Gold is discovered along the American River and the Gold Rush begins. 1850.
- Fortress Alcatraz
With modern weaponry making Alcatraz more and more...
- History & Culture
Learn about the military history (1850-1934), the federal...
- Fortress Alcatraz
In 1853, under the direction of Zealous B. Tower, the United States Army Corps of Engineers began fortifying the island, work which continued until 1858, when the initial version of Fort Alcatraz was complete. The island's first garrison, numbering about 200 soldiers, arrived at the end of that year.
- 22 acres (8.9 ha)
- San Francisco, California
- 1934; 89 years ago
People also ask
When did Alcatraz Island become a military reservation?
When was Fort Alcatraz built?
When did Fort Alcatraz become a prison?
Is Alcatraz a military prison?
- Fort Alcatraz. Following the Mexican-American War, President Milliard Fillmore recognized the island’s strategic military value and ordered Alcatraz Island to be set aside as a military reservation.
- Military Prison. Alcatraz Island’s geographic location in the middle of San Francisco Bay made it uniquely suited to serve as a prison. The bay’s strong sea currents and frigid waters would prove deadly for escapees.
- Federal Penitentiary. Alcatraz inmates entering the mess hall, 1954 - Courtesy NPS Archives. In 1933, the U.S. War Department determined that the Alcatraz military prison was no longer needed for defense purposes and transferred the facility to the Federal Bureau of Prisons the following year.
- GSA’s Role and Native American Occupation. Robert Robertson, Executive Director of the Vice President’s National Council on Indian Opportunity, and Thomas Hannon, Regional Administrator of the General Services Administration, meet with the island’s occupants in January 1970.
In 1853, under the direction of Zealous B. Tower, the United States Army Corps of Engineers began fortifying the island, continuing until 1859, at cost of $87,698 [4] [5] The start of construction was a citadel, in this case meaning a lightly fortified barracks, at the top of sandstone rock outcrops.
In 1850 Alcatraz was declared a military reservation by President Millard Fillmore, and by 1859 troops were permanently garrisoned at the post on Alcatraces for the defense of the Bay Area. To learn more about the military history of Alcatraz, from 1850 to 1934. please visit the Post on Alcatraces and Fortress Alcatraz .
