American Defenders of Land, Sea & Sky
America as World Power The Spanish-American War (1898-1900)
We outfitted ships for foreign campaigns.
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American Defenders of Land, Sea & Sky America as World Power The Spanish-American War (1898-1900) |
We outfitted ships for foreign campaigns. |
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Mare Island Naval Shipyard In 1848, President Millard Filmore decided to build a permanent drydock on the west coast so Navy personnel could maintain and clean their great ships. Commander David Farragut was put in charge of constructing the Navy Yard on a 956-acre tract of land called "Mare Island." Work on the nation's first drydock began in 1872. When the cement, gravel, and stone "cradle" was finally completed in 1891, it was 525.9 feet long. That's almost two football fields! Mare Island Naval Shipyard was America's most important naval installation during and after the Civil War—and also became an important builder of warships. In 1898, at the start of the Spanish-American War, sailors on Mare Island were busier than ever getting the Navy's fleet ready for battle in the Philippines. After after years of continuing use, the shipyard was officially closed by the Navy in 1996. |
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