Hello everybody and welcome to Episode 14 of What’s in that Hole?, a fun series I’m writing for my blog.
In the last episode, we were at my home in Tucson spying on bees. Today, we’re further afield, checking out something I saw on my recent trip to San Francisco.
The holes
There are actually a few holes here, so I’ll include pics of a couple of them so you can get an idea. Here’s the first:
First hole.
And here’s the second, which is only a few steps down a trail from the first:
Second hole.
There are a few more holes in the area, but those pictures should be enough to give you the general idea.
Now, all the holes seem like some sort of doorway. Unfortunately, however, I wasn’t allowed to go inside. However, I can give you some photos that include more of the holes’ surroundings (which means clues!).
If nothing else, this photo shows you the location of our holes (that’s the Golden Gate Bridge in the background). It also shows that our hole is the entrance to a mound of earth. Intriguing.
A wider view of the first hole with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
The second hole is also surrounded by a mound:
The mound surrounding the second hole.
What’s in the holes?
So what’s in those holes?
Well, nothing anymore. They’re actually historic holes. But it’s still worth talking about what their original purpose was cause I find it interesting. Time for a history lesson then!
This sign gives it away:
The sign gives it away – these are historic batteries!
Aha! The holes are entrances to historic batteries! But…what does that mean, exactly?
The history
Today’s holes make up a battery, which itself is just one of a series of batteries at the Presidio of San Francisco. Today, the Presidio is a national park that offers great views of the Pacific Ocean, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the San Francisco Bay. Historically, though, it’s purpose was quite different; it was an important military post for the U.S. starting in 1846, and before that for Mexico.
If you’re not familiar with military batteries you might be a bit confused. This has nothing to do with devices used to store energy or the crime called battery (wow, I never realized how many different things “battery” means). Rather, Google tells me that a battery is a “fortified emplacement for heavy guns.”
Our holes themselves are part of the Presidio’s Battery East. Battery East is special for 2 reasons: spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bride (see the last photo below) and the fact that it’s constructed with brick, unlike most of the Presidio’s other batteries, which are concrete. Our holes are the entrances to magazines, where the munitions would have been stored.
And, just like that, you’re done with your history lesson for the day! Give yourself a pat on the back.
For fun, here are a couple more photos of Battery East. First, a tunnel:
A tunnel…
And next, the view after passing through the tunnel! Stunning.
The view after passing through the battery tunnel!
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