Marin history: Commuting on a steamboat ferry
The SS Eureka was built in 1890 in Tiburon for the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad. This ferry was originally named Ukiah to commemorate the railroad’s recent rail extension. The ferry carried commuters between San Francisco and Tiburon during the day and hauled railroad freight cars at night. The design of the Eureka was unique — the front and back of the steamboat were identical. This new design may have been one of the most revolutionary of the time and made the vessel more versatile.
During World War I, the Ukiah carried munition-filled rail cars for the war effort. After WWI, the vessel needed extensive repairs, which took two years. In 1923, the ferry was rechristened Eureka, and converted to an automobile ferry making the Sausalito run. From 1923 to 1941, it was on the San Francisco to Sausalito commuter run mainly due to its size. These crowded trips averaged 2,200 passengers yet had some comfortable amenities for the passengers including a magazine stand and a restaurant that served full meals. This was considered the peak of steamboat commuting on the San Francisco Bay.
When the Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937, the entire system of commuting changed. The steamboat ferry runs were cut back due to fewer passengers. In 1941, the Eureka had its celebratory last Marin County run. Bill Knorp, co-author of “Ferries of San Francisco Bay,” took his first trip to Sausalito on the Eureka. Knorp reflected how different it was on the ferries in the ’20s and ’30s: “All men wore hats, and most women did, too. Suits, ties, dresses, gloves, high heels. Things were very different then.”
People who took the ferries daily formed groups, including the bridge crowd, poker players, knitters and the readers. Women gathered on the upper deck, and the men spent time in the dining salon. In addition, barbershop quartets performed and special occasions were celebrated — the Big Game, Christmas, birthdays, weddings and retirements.
The Marin Independent Journal had a number of headlines when the Eureka was making its last voyage: “Farewell to the ferries,” “Tears and smiles will mark last trip of the Eureka” and “Eureka’s last trip a ‘wild’ one.” The “Farewell to the Ferries” bay cruise was sponsored by Marvelous Marin, Inc. It was a wild and stormy day, but that didn’t seem to diminish the mood. Music by the Muir Lodge and Knights of Pythias orchestra played all afternoon, including “Ferryboat Serenade” and “Auld Lang Syne.” For the less jovial passengers, crying towels were distributed. The last group left the ferry in shambles, hunting for souvenirs, and life preservers were thrown all over.
At the same time, there were full-page ads in the Marin Independent Journal with the headline, “At your service, Marin County!” The ad boasted, “On March 1, Marin County gets new, faster, more convenient transportation to and from San Francisco — modern Greyhound commutation buses operating over the Golden Gate Bridge.” Yet, the end of the ferry and railway transportation was truly an end of a special and important era, leaving behind nostalgic feelings.
The Eureka kept working as a Southern Pacific Railroad connection between the Oakland terminal and San Francisco. In 1957, its crank pin snapped in mid-crossing, and it was removed from service. The Eureka joined the fleet of historic ships now on display at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in 1958. The Eureka is the only surviving wooden-hulled ferryboat.
History Watch is written by Lane Dooling, marketing and social media coordinator at the Marin History Museum, marinhistory.org. Images included in History Watch are available for purchase by calling 415-382-1182 or by email at info@marinhistory.org