Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-07-08

- EVENLY odd years ago, when
T. the Indians along the banks OF
San Pablo bay had the habit OF
49, helping themselves to horses OF
their Spanish neighbors, Senior
Castro, the owner of one of the
large California rancherias, chose a
bleak-looking island on the eastern
arm of the bay as a haven for his
steeds. AS most of the livestock we're
brood mares, Castro naturally called
the island Isle de la Yegua, or, trans
lated into plain English, Mare island.
The christening Of the ranch by the
old Castilian marks the beginning of
Mare islands history. With it's two
and fourth square miles of undulat-
ing fields, Castro's island remained
more or less in obscurity until 1849.
In that famous year of the rush for
the yellow metal, Isle de la Yegua
was bought by Captain J. F'risbie of
the United States army. Frisbie in
turn sold the island to the firm of
Aspinwall, and eventually it became
the property of the United States gov
eminent
Farraaut First Commandant.
The facts concerning the selection
of Mare island as a navy yard are in
teresting. A naval station was needed
on the Pacific coast, and since the
Mexican war the government had been
on the lookout for good location; a
location that would In every particular
answer the most exacting wishes of
naval experts, convenient to the sea,
but not easily accessible to the enemy.
Sausalito was suggested as a favor
able site for the proposed navy yard,
but this proposition was Offset by Cap
tain Blunt, U. S. N, who in 1850 vigor-
ously recommended Mare island After
much quibhling on the part of the Off
Gals, Commodore Sloat of Bear Flag"
fame, persuaded the government to
buy the island at cost of $5O,0OO
1t was not until 1854, however. that
Mare island was officially made a
navy yard, with Captain Farragut as
its first commandant. 1t is interest
Ing to note that the residence of the
hero of the New Orleans blockade still
remains and, like several other domi-
Giles of the naval station, Is in a fair
state of preservation. Covering a Pc
Rod of sixty years, from Farragut's
time down to the present command
ant, Captain F. M. Bennett, there have
been SO commandments in charge of
the navy yard
Soon after Farragut's assignment
Mare island became a scene of activ-
ity, shops were built trees planted
and more than 100000 expended to
convert the former ranch into a naval
station. AT this particular period Of
the islands history, much credit is
due Senator Gwin, chairman of the
committee Of naval affairs, who
worked indefatigably to make the
thirty-second congress understand the
Importance of appropriations for the
navy yard of the Pacific. There were
many sages at Washington who failed
to understand the weight of Gwin's
harangues, and as a consequence.
these men had to be inveigled into
opening the doors of the treasury.
But notwithstanding certain lean
years" the newly acquired navy yard
waxed strong, and by degrees devel-
oped into the important station that
1t is today.
From the time of its first command
ant, Mare island has been what we
might call a progressive navy yard.
OF course, like all such places that
depend on annual or semi-annuaI ap-
preparations, the island has had its
periods of apparent retrogression and
dullness, but naval history can point
to more than one great achievement
wrought by the workers at Mare is
land.
AS shipbuilding plant it is infer
Tor to none, and in tact, superior to
many of the other navy yards. The
Mohican, the first vessel to leave the
ways, proved herself one of the best
of the old time frigate class The
Monadnock, long building for lack of
appropriations, was first-class iron
clad and gave good account Of her
self in the battle of Manila bay. But
Mare islands glory in ship building
rests on the work accomplished in the
construction of the repair ship Prone
theus and the collier Jupiter. OF their
type. these vessels had proved them