office sealed since the `30s

[Story]

Old machine-gun nests found, ready for WWII assault that never came

By CARL NOLTE
San Francisco Chronicle
19-MAY-06

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, produced devastation in Hawaii _ and panic on the West Coast.

Anything seemed possible. The attack had come out of the Sunday-morning sky without warning. What if Pearl Harbor was only the first target? What if the Japanese navy was off California ready to strike?

What if the Japanese battleships got past the big guns that were the key coastal defenses around San Francisco and the Golden Gate? What then?

The U.S. Army had an answer. On the night of Dec. 7, the Army assigned every available soldier at the Presidio of San Francisco to get to work digging slit trenches and field fortifications to stop a Japanese invasion.

Trenches were dug on the bluffs above the Golden Gate. Machine guns were sited to cover Baker Beach on the western edge of the city. If the Japanese came, we were ready.

Nearly 65 years went by, and the world changed. The Army is gone from the Golden Gate. The Presidio is part of a national park now. The other day, National Park Service crews clearing weeds and making surveys for a hiking trail above Baker Beach found some of the old wartime trenches and machine-gun nests, still there, still ready for the invasion that never came.

More at

http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=OLDTRENCHES-05-19-06

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

I looove looking at old derelict hospitals and schools, so fascinating, but they remind me of Silent Hill games, so they creep me out a lot too!

I would kill to go and do a tour of the old abandoned stations on the London Underground...most were closed in the late 1930s or before, and a lot were used as air raid shelters during the war. But I think most of the interesting stuff would be long gone, posters and things. None of them are like time capsules any more unfortunately.

 

[John in Covina]

Subway NYC

I believe in NYC there are some old Subway routes that were closed also. That would sure beat Al Capones Vaults any day!

 

[MrBern]

nyc- The High Line

Actually , there is an abandoned elevated track on NYC's west side that will be turned into a park/publicspace/tourist attraction...
Most people dont even realize its there
http://www.thehighline.org/

 

[Raffles]

There is a place near where I used to work that was sealed off in the 1700's to stop the plaugue spreading. Bit outside the usual time period but worth a look as it's open to the public now.

http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/home.htm

 

[Miss Neecerie]

There is a place near where I used to work that was sealed off in the 1700's to stop the plaugue spreading. Bit outside the usual time period but worth a look as it's open to the public now.

http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/home.htm

Ahh yes...I have seen a special about that on the telly......really sad story.

 

[Pilgrim]

For those of you who visit Seattle, there is a well-known tour of Seattle Underground that tours below the current streets, showing you the old streets and storefronts that have been covered up by modern development.

http://www.undergroundtour.com/

 

[MrBern]

Historic Highway Restoration

http://www.localnewsdaily.com/news/story.php?story_id=115631203563748500
Last week daylight beamed through the Oneonta Tunnel for the first time since 1948.
The tunnel, just east of Multnomah Falls, was built in 1913 as part of the Columbia River Highway. Plugged with rubble in 1948 when it became too narrow for modern-day traffic, the tunnel and the bridge leading up to it – called “the bridge to nowhere” – are being reclaimed as part of the restoration of the Historic Columbia River Highway

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

This doesn't necessarily have to do with finding lost architecture and interior design, but I had once read an article about varous folks stumbling upon tommy guns in the walls of their apartments, one's that were hidden probably since the 20's and 30's. Here's an article, not the same one, but to quote the first person on the list, "He should have kept his mouth shut and kept the damn gun."

The one I had read, however was about finding one in an old apartment, so if you're living in Chicago or Indiana, even Utah, break down them walls!

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=38537

 

[jamespowers]

Here's an article, not the same one, but to quote the first person on the list, "He should have kept his mouth shut and kept the damn gun."

Sounds like the right idea to me.

Regards,

J

 

[raiderrescuer]

For those of you who visit Seattle, there is a well-known tour of Seattle Underground that tours below the current streets, showing you the old streets and storefronts that have been covered up by modern development.

http://www.undergroundtour.com/

There an old Kolchak:Nightstalker episode (The Night Strangler) that was filmed there.

I took the tour, I've heard rumor that there is even more areas.

Then of course PDX (Portland Oregon) has it's Shanghai Tunnels...

http://cgsmthood.com/shanghai/

http://members.tripod.com/cgs-mthood/shanghai_tunnels_FAQ.htm

 

[Dinerman]

this may be a bit off- but at my high school, they "found" a hallway that had been in disuse since the '70's. They had closed it off when they remodeled, and put a locked door in front of it. right before school let out for the summer, the lock on the door busted, and it was THE thing to see. for about a day. then they put a giant padlock on the door and swiveled the security camera in that hall to point at the door. Inside the hallway was a pile of old construction debris and very old broken desks.

 

[Clara Rose]

Detroit

http://www.forgottendetroit.com

At one point I had been invited to go explore some of the old buildings in Detroit. However, the group was going informally and without permission and I decided getting arrested my first semester of graduate school was probably not wise.

If you ever visit Detroit, take time to drive around the city. The cityscape is amazing...

 

[Mike in Seattle]

For those of you who visit Seattle, there is a well-known tour of Seattle Underground that tours below the current streets, showing you the old streets and storefronts that have been covered up by modern development.
QUOTE]

Actually, it wasn't that "modern" - the streets were raised and downtown regraded starting in the early 1900's to make downtown more level. Seeing pictures of the work done, and before & after shots, it's pretty amazing for the time. In other parts of town, existing buildings were propped up on stilts while new first floors were built underneath where the hills were cutaway.

 

[panamag8or]

My Grandfather owned an office supply store that was located in an old downtown Sears building. The first floor was the showroom, and there was a loft area between the 1st and second floors where the offices, bathrooms and breakroom were. The second floor was the time capsule. There were deco signs hanging from the ceiling for the credit department and the catalog department, and a great old counter. In what was Sears' storage area, there were old displays for metal awnings and other fun stuff. If I knew now....well, you know how that goes.

He owned that building from the time Sears moved to the mall in 1966 until 1996, when he sold it to another office furniture place. There was a big article in the paper about how he would never sell to anyone that would turn it into a bar.

 

[Mr. Sable]

I am ADDICTED to websites about urban ruins.

Funny you should mention that. I'm mentioned (super briefly in the timeline in the back) in the book "Access All Areas[", and I have one of the oldest websites dedicated to the hobby of Urban Exploration: Corrosion (though I haven't updated it in ages).

 

[jamespowers]

Man those three cars in that field make me want to go out there with a trailer and take off with them---especially the white one on the far left.

Regards,

J

 

[J. M. Stovall]

this may be a bit off- but at my high school, they "found" a hallway that had been in disuse since the '70's. They had closed it off when they remodeled, and put a locked door in front of it. right before school let out for the summer, the lock on the door busted, and it was THE thing to see. for about a day. then they put a giant padlock on the door and swiveled the security camera in that hall to point at the door. Inside the hallway was a pile of old construction debris and very old broken desks.

Wow...the 70's, you didn't see my trig homework in there did you?

 

[jamespowers]

Wow...the 70's, you didn't see my trig homework in there did you?

No, but they found out where D.B. Cooper had been hiding for a while.

Regards,

J

 

[Dinerman]

did it have a D+ on it?