- Golden Gate International Exposition
Golden Gate International Exposition (1939 and 1940) was held at
San Francisco, California to celebrate two newly-built bridges. TheSan Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge was dedicated in 1936 and theGolden Gate Bridge was dedicated in 1937. The exposition was opened initially fromFebruary 18 ,1939 throughOctober 29 ,1939 . It opened again fromMay 25 ,1940 throughSeptember 29 ,1940 .The Exposition was held on Treasure Island, a completely flat, artificial island attached to
Yerba Buena Island , near where the Oakland span and the San Francisco span of the Bay Bridge join. Built by the federal government, Treasure Island was to be an airport for Pan American Airline's Pacific Rim service of flying boats, of which theChina Clipper is an example. Due to wartime needs, it was soon turned into a naval base, which was occupied by the US Navy from 1941 to 1997. ["Treasure Island", American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. March 1, 2004. accessedOctober 19 ,2006 .]"Unity of the Pacific nations is America's concern and responsibility. San Francisco stands at the doorway to the sea that roars upon the shores of all these nations; and so to the Golden Gate International Exposition I gladly entrust a solemn duty. May this, America's world's fair on the Pacific in 1939, truly serve all nations."
- President
Franklin D. Roosevelt The San Francisco Downtown Association created the
49-Mile Scenic Drive to promote the exposition andThe City . The drive started atSan Francisco City Hall and ended on Treasure Island after winding around the picturesque "City by the Bay ."The
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway established a specialpassenger train , dubbed the "Valley Flyer ", specifically to shuttle passengers between Bakersfield and Oakland during the exposition. The Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad,Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad , and theWestern Pacific Railroad launched a jointly operated train called the Exposition Flyer between Chicago and Oakland. The Exposition Flyer was named for the Golden Gate International Exposition.References
ee also
*
Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 SF World's Fair)External links
* [http://www.postcard.org/ggie01.htm Golden Gate International Exposition]
* [http://www.treasureislandmuseum.org/treasures/ Anne Schnoebelen's "Treasure Island Treasures"]
* [http://www.archive.org/details/Californ1939 Color movie footage of 1939 SF World's Fair]
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