1916 Map of Mare Island

About this map

Mare Island Navy Yard anchors the industrial and maritime character of this early twentieth-century coastal landscape, where the waters of the Napa River and Carquinez Strait converge at the northern reaches of San Pablo Bay. The survey documents a complex network of tidal sloughs and marshy islands, including Knight Island and Tubbs Island, before modern reclamation projects fully transformed the shoreline. Inland, the arrival of the Northwestern Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads supported agricultural outposts like Shellville Colony and Wingo, while industrial activity is evident at the Quarries near Fairville and the shoreline facilities at Oleum and Hercules. From the Fly School in the north to the Refugio Lodge on the southern shore, this map details the intersection of California's growing rail economy with its natural estuary environment.