Author Archives: junemorrall

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 … Continue reading →

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 … Continue reading →

“Instead of being as formerly the outpost of the earth, San Francisco is at the present time practically almost as near London as Halifax, and within 20 days from the declaration of war an army of 30,000 British troops could … Continue reading →