Although this episode of California’s Gold, originally aired back in early 2002, is titled “Sub-Net,” there is so much more history to be found in this small corner of Marin County than just one brief chapter in the 1940s. Unfortunately, there is far too much to cover in just one half-hour segment, but the portions that Huell chooses to focus on are fascinating remnants of California history that I never learned about in school, including the role that this piece of real estate played in the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Its huge, metal and stretches across the Golden Gate, but it’s not the bridge. It is the former site of the Tiburon Sub-Net Depot, where they built and deployed nets across the San Francisco Bay to keep out enemy submarines.

Long before the Tiburon Sub-Net Depot was there, this small piece of land had many incarnations, among them are: home to Native Americans, an original Spanish Ranchero, the largest Cod fish drying plant on the west coast, a coaling station for the Navy, and it was where the cables for the bridge were spun.

Come on along with us as we get an up-close look at this little but important piece of California’s Gold.

(Click on the linked image below to see the video.)