Fort Barry Balloon Hangar and Motor Vehicle Sheds: Abbreviated Historic Structures Report
Fort Barry Balloon Hangar and Motor Vehicle Sheds: Abbreviated Historic Structures Report. Historic Structure Report. San Francisco, CA
The U.S. Army began experimenting with using lighter-than-air craft during the Civil War when, in 1861 the Union Army contracted with civilian balloon company for relaying signals, spotting artillery fire and watching enemy troop movements. An official Air Division was organized in 1864 as a replacement for the civilian Balloon Corps, and the division was made part of the Signal Corps or Signal Service, names that were used interchangeably from 1864 to 1891. Tethered to the ground and inflated with hydrogen, the balloons were considered to be less than successful in their embryonic role. In 1908, The U.S. Army’s Board of Ordnance and Fortifications authorized $25,000 for the purchase of a dirigible, and a new Aeronautical Division was created. In August that year, the single hydrogenfilled airship constituted what would eventually become the US Air Force. Shortly thereafter, the Division was headquartered at Fort Omaha, Nebraska, the home of the Signal Corps School.
- Type
- Published Report
- Units
- GOGA , HIST
- Keywords
- air force, California, ehistory, Golden Gate, hangar, History, Man-made structure, Military, San Francisco, Structure
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Human Use | Cultural Landscapes | Cultural Landscapes