Princeton by the Sea

Tracking Station…..

(Photo courtesy Jerry Koontz)

(photo courtesy Jerry Koontz)

(1978 Pillar Point breakwater.Photo courtesy UCSC map room)

From Half Moon Bay Review, Oct. 1966

“Congressman J. Arthur Younger today announced that the apparent low bidder on the extension of the Pillar Point Breakwater was the Kiewit Co. of Richmond, California, on the firm’s bid of $1, 798.150

“….Younger said that Col. Robert H. Allen, chief district engineer of the Army Engineer Corps, would review the bids and the award will be announced shortly. Work can start almost immediately with construction period set at two years.

“The extension will be a 1050 foot stone block (rubbleround) breakwater structure running southeasterly across the present entrance to the breakwater creating a channel 250 feet wide through which ships can enter easily. The surge during high seas will be greatly reduced, if not eliminated entirely. A total of 240,000 tons of rocks will be utilized for the job.

“Prior to design of the extension, two year tests were made by the Army Engineers at Vicksburg, Miss, where a model of the breakwater was constructed and tidal action emulated exactly as the ocean acts in the area.

“The original breakwater, for which Younger secured $3 million in federal funds, was completed four years ago and is in use by both commercial and recreational boats, but the protection will now be among the best on the Pacific Coast, according to plans.

“The breakwater is credited with spurring the growth of the coastside, said a spokesman at Younger’s office.”

Some kind of a survey had already been made supporting the idea that a railway could be built from San Mateo to the shores of Half Moon Bay. Assuming this iron road was constructed (which it wasn’t) experts said the railroad would be one of the first things the enemy would take control of.

If they commandeered the railroad, and somehow cut-off communications with the rest of the Peninsula, the enemy (hypothetically) could have the wealth of the Santa Clara Valley at their feet–they could even establish headquarters at San Jose “and live off the fat of the land.”

When a Southern Pacific Railroad official was asked to estimate how many men the train could move in 24 hours from San Francisco to San Mateo, he said using two trains with 12 cars each and 72 men in each car— 1680 men could be moved in one hour; 320 in 24 hours.

All of this led observers to believe that if an enemy landed at Half Moon Bay, unobserved, he could disembark an army, cross the country to the railroad line, and seize it before any counter force was gathered to oppose him.

There were those who wanted to see fortifications built at Pillar Point because they believed the combination of a calm sea and smooth beach would make it easy for a large enemy force to land quickly.

“There is no beach,” said one unidentified source, “on the coast better fitted for such a purpose than that of Half Moon Bay.”

Using steam launches and electric lights, the source added, a landing in could be accomplished at night. “By keeping the gangways going on each side, 1000 men could be discharged in an hour from one vessel alone.”

Other estimates concluded that three hours would be needed to disembark a calvary regiment, that is, men on horses–as the horses would have to be hoisted over the side. Field artillery, stowed in sections, could be handled rapidly as ordinary freight and set up on the beach in short order.

Once the enemy reached shore, the rest would be easy.

…to be continued…

You’ll enjoy this 1981, 60-minute documentary called “The Mystery of Half Moon Bay.”

http://www.archive.org/details/half_moon_bay

All efforts to protect San Francisco from invasion by a foreign enemy was useless, it was believed in 1891, unless something was done at Pillar Point, some kind of fortifications.

The federal government’s partially completed survey of the coastline between Point Lobos and Half Moon Bay showed a number of black rocks several hundred yards from Pillar Point, the most identifiable called “Sail Rock.” Also identified was a reef that stretched to the southwest, perhaps a mile in length, and known as the “inner reef,” which broke the swell and made it safe to anchor.

Remnants of an old decaying wharf were still visible–believed to have been once used as the northern headquarters of Portuguese whalers, who had a second whaling station at Pigeon Point, south of Pescadero. The wharf near Pillar Point required workers to wade out to it, to deliver goods to steamers and to pick up materials.

….to be continued…

In 1891–as today–Pillar Point cast its dramatic shadow over the northern part of the crescent shaped bay. This was a very old cliff, a familiar landmark standing guard, towering some 180 feet above the Pacific Ocean–where coastal steamers anchored during the summer months, the safest time of year.

But some began to fear that Pillar Point was just the place where an enemy fleet might anchor and come ashore, then march all the way to San Francisco, capturing the city with little or no resistance.

These worriers suggested that “proper fortifications” be established atop Pillar Point to prevent such a catastrophe.

The locals in Half Moon Bay said they had heard this before but in the 1890s the argument “for” had gained fresh support.

Pillar Point was described as San Francisco’s “back door,” a point that invited attack.

…to be continued…