RR Crossing on Nuclear Carrying Rail
Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California
explaining the significance of this official photograph for the U.S. Navy.
Base Property and Historical Use
“The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINS) was the first United States naval station established on the Pacific Coast. It is located in Solano County, California, and approximately 25 miles northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River (Mare Island Strait) separates the peninsula shipyard from the City of Vallejo. The Navy purchased the original 956 acres of MINS in 1853 and commenced shipbuilding operations on September 16, 1854. As shipbuilding technologies advanced from wooden sail vessels to steel construction and nuclear propulsion, MINS underwent vast transformations during its years of operation. In the early 1920s, the Navy initiated construction and maintenance of submarines at MINS. During World War II, MINS reached peak capacity for shipbuilding, repair, overhaul, and maintenance. Following the War, MINS was considered to be one of the primary stations for construction and maintenance of the Navy’s Pacific fleet of submarines. Its land mass was over 5,200 acres, and it was responsible for the construction of over 500 naval vessels and overhaul of thousands of other naval vessels. In addition to shipyard operations, ordnance manufacturing and storage was another key mission at MINS for nearly the same time period–including those used prior to the Civil War.”
Closure date, planned reuses, parcels transferred
“MINS was identified for closure during the Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) process of 1993. Naval operations ceased and the facility was decommissioned on April 1, 1996. The planned reuse for the base consists of primarily industrial and commercial uses and also residential housing.”
Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California
Source: Abandoned Rails Facebook
Related Links:
Abandoned Rails | Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California | Facebook
William R. Stowell Graduated Third Honors from Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine (1962)
William R. Stowell Graduated from the University of Maine Orono with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering (1968)
Radiological survey of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Alameda Naval Air Station, and Hunters Point Shipyard (1989)
EPA Superfund Site Information for Mare Island Naval Shipyard (State Lead Cleanup)
Mare Island | Department of Toxic Substances Control | California EPA
Former Mare Island Naval Shipyard Base Summary | California | NAVFAC
Navy Announces Proposed Plan | Draft Remedial Action Plan (2024)
Navy Announces Proposed Plan | Draft Remedial Action Plan (2025)
Jennifer and Lee 