VALLEJO — Six Flags Discovery Kingdom may be its best known landmark, but the largest city in Solano County also has been home to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard and twice served as the state capital.
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard, established in 1854, was long the center of the city’s economy and spurred much of its growth – and with development plans including a 600,000-square-foot movie studio in the works – may soon be again.
The shipyard closed officially on April 1, 1996.
Less than a decade earlier, about 10,000 people worked there and it was the second largest Navy yard in the United States.
Mare Island was included in 1993 on the Base Realignment and Closure Commission’s list. Then-President Bill Clinton approved the recommendation and Congress accepted it.
Vallejo is home to Six Flags, with its roller coasters and animal shows, and the Solano County fairgrounds.
Century-old Victorian houses and educational institutions, including Touro University California and the California Maritime Academy, are also in the city.
Vallejo is also a commuting point, with the Vallejo ferry providing daily service to San Francisco from a terminal on the city’s waterfront.
The town was founded in 1851 and named after Gen. Mariano Vallejo. It served as the state capital twice in the 1850s, but leaky, substandard accommodations inspired legislators to move elsewhere, eventually to Sacramento.
The excellent Mare Island Strait led the Navy in 1852 to buy land for Mare Island Naval Shipyard. The first commander was David Glasgow Farragut, who later gained fame during the Civil War for capturing Mobile, Alabama, and for operations along the lower Mississippi River.
The shipyard was a mainstay of the Pacific Fleet’s presence through World War II and the Cold War. Vallejo has since redeveloped Mare Island as an industrial area work in progress as well as home to institutions such as Touro University and residential subdivisions.
Loss of revenue from the closed shipyard and slow redevelopment forced Vallejo to declare bankruptcy in 2008, becoming the largest city in the state to do so. The city emerged from bankruptcy in 2011.
Artisan businesses and an infusion of film and tech companies promise to once again make Mare Island a vibrant economic engine for Vallejo.
Vallejo also has plans to redevelop its downtown and waterfront. Plans call for more higher-density housing within walking distance of the ferry and stops for the city and regional bus systems, as well as more commercial development.
Vallejo is among the county’s most diverse cities. Its population is 32.8% white, 24.9% Asian, 22.6% Hispanic, 22.1% Black, 0.7% American Indian and 7.5% two or more races.
Vallejo at a glance
- City Hall: 555 Santa Clara St., 648-4527
- Website: www.ci.vallejo.ca.us
- City manager: Greg Nyhoff. Reach at 648-4576, [email protected]
- Mayor: Bob Sampayan. Elected in 2011, term expires in 2021. Reach at [email protected]
- Vice Mayor: Hermie Sunga. Elected in 2017, term expires in 2021. Reach at [email protected]
- Councilman: Hakeem Brown. Appointed in 2018, term expires in 2023. Reach at [email protected]
- Councilwoman: Pippin Dew. Elected in 2013, term expires in 2023. Reach at [email protected]
- Councilman: Robert H. McConnell. Elected in 2011, term expires in 2021. Reach at [email protected]
- Councilwoman: Katy Miessner. Elected in 2013, term expires in 2023. Reach at [email protected]
- Councilwoman: Rozzana Verder-Aliga. Elected in 2013, term expires in 2021. Reach at [email protected]
