Historic California Posts, Camps,
Stations and Airfields
Fort Miley: Batteries LaRhett
Livingston and Anton Springer
(San Francisco Air Force Reserve
Recovery Center)
History of
Battery Livington-Springer
by Gordon Chappell, Regional Historian,
Pacific West Region, National Park Service
On September 23, 1899, an engineer lieutenant
cleared and graded a road into the Point Lobos Military Reservation,
began clearing the ground, and soon had laid out a battery for
two 12-inch guns on Buffington-Crozier 'disappearing' carriages.
He also supervised erection of construction buildings and shops.
Work began on November 27, 1899 on a battery
for 16 12-inch mortars. Both batteries were nearing completion
and the reservation was renamed Fort Miley in 1900 after Lieutenant
Colonel John D. Miley, U.S. Volunteers, who had died in Manila,
Philippine Islands, in 1899.
Meanwhile, the mortar battery was completed
in 1902 and transferred to the Coast Artillery Corps on September
26, 1902. Its sixteen mortars all were Model 1890 but reports
differ on whether all were from Watervliet Arsenal or some were
from Watertown Arsenal. The carriages were all Model 1896 Mark
I, half made by Watertown Arsenal, half made by the Rarig Engineering
Company. On December 27, 1904, the battery was named "Battery
LaRhett Livingston" for a 3rd Artillery colonel and Civil
War veteran who had died in March 1903. In 1906, crowded conditions
in the four mortar pits induced the army to remove the two forward
guns in each pit emplacements 2 and 4), and to fill over and concrete
those pits. This provided much more room for serving the remaining
two guns in each pit.
Also in 1906, the battery was split administratively
into two batteries of two pits each, although physically it was
a single structure. Pits A and B to the north remained Battery
Livingston, while Pits C and D, to the south, were redesignated
Pits A and B of Battery Anton Springer, named after a lst Infantry
captain killed in action near Lipa in the Philippine Islands in
1901.
Many mortar batteries around the United
States had 2 mortars removed from each pit in 1917-1918. Many
of these mortars were remounted in railroad car carriages for
use overseas. In 1943, the remaining mortars were removed and
the two batteries were abandoned. Today it serves as a maintenance
and storage facility for the National Park Service and the US
Park Police.
Model 1890 Mortar
on M1896 Carriage
Battery Livingston-Springer
by Justin Ruhge
Work began on November 27, 1899 on a battery
for sixteen 12-inch mortars. Its sixteen mortars were Model 1890
from the Watervliet Arsenal. The carriages were all Models 1896
Mark I, half made by Watertown Arsenal and half by the Rarig
Engineering Company. The battery was completed in 1902 and transferred
to the Coast Artillery Corps on September 26, 1902. On December
27, 1904, the Battery was named Battery LaRhett Livingston for
a 3rd Artillery Colonel and Civil War veteran who had died in
March 1903.
In 1906, the Army found that the crowded
conditions in each pit made it very difficult to service the
mortars in a fast and efficient manner. To alleviate this problem,
the Army removed the two forward guns in each pit. At this time
the battery was also split into two batteries of two pits each
although physically it was still a single structure. Pits A and
B to the north remained Battery Livingston, while Pits C and
D, to the south, were redesignated Pits A and B of Battery Anton
Springer, named after a 1st Infantry Captain killed in action
near Lipa in the Philippine Islands in 1901.
Battery LaRhett Livingston
under construction. Circa 1899. Presidio Army Museum Collection,
Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Report of Completed
Works - Seacoast Fortifications
On 18 May 1955, 12.37 fee acres were transferred
from Fort Miley to the Air Force. Total acreage acquired for
the site was 12.37. The site was formerly a 12-inch Coast Artillery
mortar installation known as Batteries LaRhett Livingston and
Anton Springer.
The site was also known as:
SF AF Res Rec Center
San Francisco Air Reserve Center
San Francisco Air Force Reserve Recovery
Center Military Reservation
On 27 October 1968, the Department of
Air Force transferred 12.37 fee acres to the Department of Interior,
National Park Service (Golden Gate National Recreation Area)
Newscopy:
The Air Force today proudly unveiled
an underground command post in the hills near Land's End, built
almost single-handedly by a reserve officer on his own time.
Maj. Alan Saunders, of the 2479th Air Force Reserve Sector, worked
nights and weekends converting an old Coast Artillery bunker
to a modern communications center. He scooped out many years'
accumulation of mud and filth in the underground tunnel system.
Then he begged all the surplus equipment he could find and installed
it 16 feet below the ground in the bunker near Fort Miley and
behind the Palace of the Legion of Honor. And it all cost less
than $500. Now the chill cement corridors are lined with desks,
phones, radios, teletypes and all the paraphernalia of a modern
communications setup
It's primary purpose, Saunders explained,
would be to move flights of planes around during war. Planes
based near prime military targets could be ordered out of there,
if word came a missile were on the way, and dispersed among other
airports, including civilian ones. Heart of the communication
system is three vans of portable radio equipment, which serves
just as well in this stationary assignment. Two rooms are given
over to bunks for center personnel and their dependents. There
is a two-week supply of food and water and a three-week supply
of gasoline for the portable generators.
