USS San Francisco ( C - 5 ) The first USS " San Francisco " ( C - 5 / CM - 2 ) was a steel protected cruiser in the United States Navy . She was later named Tahoe and then Yosemite , becoming the third U . S . Navy ship to bear the name " Yosemite " . " San Francisco " was launched on 26 October 1889 at the Union Iron Works , San Francisco , California ; sponsored by Miss Edith W . Benham ; and commissioned on 15 November 1890 , Captain William T . Sampson in command . Pre - Spanish - American War . Assigned to the South Pacific Squadron , " San Francisco " moved south and became the squadron ' s flagship on 31 March 1891 . Five months later , as an eight - month - old civil war drew to a close in Chile , she landed a force of sailors and Marines to protect the United States Consulate . September brought an end to the war , and " San Francisco " resumed her cruising off the South American coast . With the new year , 1892 , she sailed north and west and arrived at Honolulu on 27 February as political differences deepened between monarchists and republicans . " San Francisco " departed Hawaii in August 1892 , en route to Norfolk , Virginia , where she arrived in February 1893 . " San Francisco " became the flagship of the North Atlantic Squadron on 31 May and cruised off the New England coast into the fall . In November , she sailed south , visited ports in the Caribbean ; and , in late December , reached Rio de Janeiro and assumed flagship duties for the South Atlantic Squadron . She called at ports in Brazil , the Netherlands West Indies , Colombia , Costa Rica , and Nicaragua during the next six months , then returned to the United States , anchoring at New York on 29 July 1894 . Spanish - American War . 1895 brought further overseas duty ; and , in January , she crossed the Atlantic to cruise in the eastern Mediterranean Sea as political tension within the Ottoman Empire caused diplomatic uneasiness . Later shifted to other areas , she remained in European waters until 1896 . In March of that year , she returned to the United States ; cruised off the east coast until the outbreak of war against Spain in April 1898 ; then took up patrol duties along the Florida coast and off Cuba . In July , Spain requested terms ; and , in August , " San Francisco " returned to Hampton Roads . She was placed out of commission at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 25 October . Pre - World War I . Recommissioned on 2 January 1902 , " San Francisco " was again assigned to the European Squadron . In September , she returned to the United States and commenced operations southward into the Caribbean . Another cruise to the Mediterranean , thence on to Asiatic ports , followed ; and , in the fall of 1904 , the protected cruiser again entered the Norfolk Navy Yard , where she was decommissioned on 31 December . In June 1908 , " San Francisco " was ordered refitted as a mine vessel ; and in 1910 , she was rearmed with eight / 40 cal guns . On 21 August 1911 , she was recommissioned but retained in reserve ; and , after participation in the Fleet Review at New York , she was placed in full commission on 29 November . Designated a mine planter on 19 December 1912 , she remained based at Norfolk and operated in the western Atlantic and the Caribbean into 1916 , when she was again ordered inactivated . She was placed in reserve at Portsmouth , New Hampshire , on 6 June 1916 , but resumed full commissioned status again on 18 October . World War I . With the April 1917 entry of the United States into World War I , " San Francisco " began laying antisubmarine nets in the Hampton Roads area . In June , she shifted to New York , whence she conducted experimental deep water minelaying operations ; and , during August , she underwent overhaul at the Portsmouth Navy Yard . In mid - September , she moved back down the coast to New London , Connecticut where she provided net laying services until ordered to Norfolk for training duty later in the fall . From December 1917 - March 1918 , she underwent an extensive overhaul ; and , in April , she became flagship of Mine Squadron 1 . In early May , the squadron assembled at Newport , Rhode Island . On the 12th , the ships sailed for the United Kingdom . On the 26th , units of the Royal Navy escorted the ships into Inverness . " San Francisco " joined the Allied effort of creating the North Sea Mine Barrage across the North Sea to restrict German submarine traffic into the Atlantic by : Inter - war period . " San Francisco " conducted minelaying operations until the Armistice on 11 November . Minesweepers then moved in , and " San Francisco " prepared to return home . She departed Inverness on 2 December and arrived in Hampton Roads on 3 January 1919 . Overhaul followed , after which she cruised in the western Atlantic and Caribbean through 1921 . Designated CM - 2 on 17 July 1920 , she was ordered inactivated in 1921 ; and on 6 October , she arrived at Philadelphia where she was decommissioned on 24 December 1921 . Remaining in reserve through the decade , CM - 2 was renamed Tahoe , and then Yosemite , effective 1 January 1931 , to allow the name " San Francisco " to be given to , then under construction . As " Yosemite " , she remained at Philadelphia for another eight years . Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 8 June 1937 , but she was retained at the Navy Yard until sold for scrapping to the Union Shipbuilding Company , Baltimore , Maryland on 20 April 1939 .