Main Page

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P-1
P-2
Q
R
S
T-1
T-2
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Image from: http://outreach.ucdavis.edu/graphics/mare.gif

Mare Island by Shanthi

Do you want to know how Mare Island got its name?

Well, it got its name when General Vallejo's best mare fell into the rough waters of the bay by what is now known as the city of Vallejo and was washed away. General Vallejo searched for the mare for two months. After two months he found the mare, when he did he named the island Isla de la yegua or Island of the Mare.

The US Government used Mare Island to make top-secret submarines. David Glasgow Farragut was named first commander of Mare Island. He remained commander for four years until 1858. Mare Island's naval yard has never been dormant even before World War 1. Now the military has left Mare Island and other groups are using it.

What is interesting about Mare Island is that it does not look like an island, it has sloughs on a one side. The slough, sort of a muddy river, is not easy for boats to go through. The slough goes through a marsh so you could not get to Mare Island by foot or car very easily. People had to use boats and watch the tides. Now you can take a bridge from Vallejo over to Mare Island.

Learn more about Mare Island by visiting this web page: www.visitvallejo.com/AboutVelljeo/av.mihistory.htm

Works cited:

"The Historic ABC's Of Solano County", written by Jackie Albright and Jackie Lillis Illustrated by Tina Akuda. Published by the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, 1997

unknown author, The Vallejo Convention Center & Visitors Bureau Mare Island History web site: : www.visitvallejo.com/AboutVelljeo/av.mihistory.htm We used this page on April 16, 2002.

Mare Island Map image:
From the collection on "UC Davis Involvement on Mare Island" http://outreach.ucdavis.edu/programs/mareis.htm