THE SHIPS: A VOYAGE THROUGH TIME THE The vessels of the Maritime Museum's historic fleet represent a pivotal period in and variety of Pacific maritime trade. These vessels are preserved because, as a West Coast maritime history. They reflect radical transitions—from sail to steam, group, they tell the story of the most historically significant period of commercial and from wood to steel. And they illustrate important transformations in the scope maritime activity on the West Coast. MARITIME MUSEUM The Balclutha, built to Sailing lumber monopolized West Tugs are often the carry California grain schooners like the C.A. Coast lumber Alma unsung heros of around the world, is Thayer supplied the routes—then the C.A. maritime history. The the final form of the timber that built San Thayer sailed to Hercules, a seagoing, mighty square-rigger. Francisco and Los Alaskan salmon steel-hull steam tug, The sailing cargo ship Angeles. Steamers salteries and codfish towed sailing ships made its last stand eventually banks. The scow schooner Hercules through the Golden here in the Pacific. Alma was an 1891 Gate, limping lumber "delivery truck." schooners to Puget C.A. Thayer Scows distributed Vessels like the Sound, and heavily- manufactured goods Wapama, a single- laden barges to Balclutha and coal between Bay ended steam schooner, Hawaii. ports, and brought the wrested the lucrative fruits of Big Valley West Coast lumber The Eppleton Hall, a farms to market. routes from schooners British paddle tug like the C.A. Thayer. built in 1914, is The Wapama later reminiscent of the tugs carried passengers to used on San Francisco Los Angeles and Bay during the Gold Alaska. Rush era. The sidewheel passengers and Wapama ferryboat Eureka railcars, to passengers Eureka hauled freight trains to and automobiles San Francisco in 1890, —illustrates the and later carried Pacific Coast's passengers and changing automobiles. Eureka's transportation Eppleton Hall cargo evolution—from patterns. PRESERVING OUR MARITIME HERITAGE: LIVES AND CAREERS AT SEA he Maritime Museum ""1 he streamline moderne MUSEUM "" he Balclutha, the C.A. Thayer, he diary of a shipowner's son, kept preserves the spirit and BUILDING at Aquatic Park echoes and the Eureka art preserved and while bound to Gold Rush San technology of the men and the life and scenes of San Francisco's open to the public at HYDE T T T Francisco, relates the joys and toil of a maritime past. Intricate models, ships' STREET PIER. Re-creations of sailor T women who sailed lumber tradewind passage aboard the ship Apollo. figureheads, maritime art and ceremonies, lectures and tours relate the life Beautiful, rare volumes echo the words of the schooners from thematic exhibits tell the and work of 19th century seafaring men. seafaring men captured live, on a library of oral story of strong men and And Museum boatbuilders keep traditional Washington State to history tapes. And cloth, hand-inked vessel sturdy ships on the skills alive by conserving Los Angeles, who plans recount the life's work of turn-of-the- Western Frontier. original small craft and century marine architects and draftsmen in knocked together constructing replicas exact, timeless lines. in Hyde Street Pier's sturdy scows on the working Small Boat Shop. shores of San n a navigator's trained hands, the cool precision of the chronometers and Francisco Bay — and J sextants—now resting in velvet-lined who fished and traded boxes—made the difference between life and up and down the death on the high seas. And those blunt, ^he J. PORTER SHAW LIBRARY—which houses books, utilitarian belaying pins, yardarm bands and Pacific Coast. periodicals and oral histories—and the HISTORIC anchors once held fast as men struggled to DOCUMENTS DEPARTMENT—which manages vintage T wrest a livelihood from the ocean. photographs, logbooks, manuscripts and vessel plans—together HYDE STREET PIER: form the Museum's extensive research facility. Researchers Open Daily can access the Museum's collections at Building E, $2 Adults, Kids and Seniors Free Lower Fort Mason. MUSEUM EXHIBIT BUILDING: Open Daily No admission charge LIBRARY/DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOS: Call for public hours INFORMATION: (415)556-3002 MAIL: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Building 204, Fort Mason San Francisco, CA 94123 .