US Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District History (2006) by Dan Sebby
In 1911, "Terminal No. 1" was constructed as the municipal wharf for the City of Richmond. The City of Richmond sought the Parr-Richmond Terminal Company to operate the Port of Richmond, including Terminal No. 1. The development of the Port of Richmond was an integral part of the industrialization of the City.
The War Department initially acquired 2.85 acres of the Site which included a large warehouse, transit shed, and waterfront facilities from the Parr-Richmond Terminal Company on 24 March 1942. Adjacent tracts of land were acquired through leases negotiated with Mohawk Petroleum Corporation (15 July 1943), the Pennant Oil Company (14 July 1944), and the Enterprise Engine and Foundry Company (27 November 1944). A fourth tract was acquired on 3 April 1944 through a lease that resulted from federal condemnation proceedings against the Coast Petroleum Company.
On 15 March 1945, an additional 1.10 acres of land were permitted from the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company (Appendix A). This tract was located atop a hill approximately 700 feet to the north of the main site and was used as a water reservoir.
The pre-DoD infrastructure at the Site included several fuel storage tanks and bulk petroleum distribution systems for the loading and unloading of crude oil and refined products between ships, pipelines, and railcars. There were also three railroad lines that went directly into the Site-one dockside and two between the transit shed and the main warehouse. Other than the addition of the water reservoir and fencing, no evidence of improvements made by the DoD was found during research.
The Site was operated as part of the San Francisco Port of Embarkation and used by the Army Transport Service to load gasoline and explosives from railcars transported from the Richmond Tank Depot and the Benicia Arsenal. Documentation stated that the Benicia Arsenal was to have access to the Site in order to increase the arsenal's dock space, if needed. No documentation was found during research indicating actual storage of munitions or gasoline on-Site.
By the end of World War II, the DoD began the process of terminating its leases. The entire Site, less the tract used for the water reservoir, was released back to the property owners between 12 October 1945 and 31 January 1946. The permit for the remaining tract of land with the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company was terminated on 15 December 1948.
After Army occupancy, the Site continued to be a commercial cargo and fuel terminal. The Site was used by Petromark, Inc. through 1998. The remaining aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) and other equipment were then removed. The area is not currently used: plans for redevelopment are in place.
On 1 December 1992, the Atchison, Topeka,
and Santa Fe Railway Company grant deeded the Site of the water
reservoir to the East Bay Regional Park District. Aerial photographs
indicate that the reservoir no longer exists.
US Army Corps of Engineers Real Estate Map
