USS POTOMAC (yacht), Oakland, California
historic place
In Oakland, California, at Jack London Square, you can find the USS Potomac. This vessel, built in 1934 as the Coast Guard Cutter Electra, became Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidential yacht in 1936. Known as the 'Floating White House,' it served President Roosevelt until his death in 1945. Roosevelt preferred the all-steel Potomac, using it for informal meetings, fishing trips, and even a 'Fireside Chat' radio broadcast. After Roosevelt's presidency, the Potomac passed through several owners, including Elvis Presley, and eventually sank in San Francisco Bay in 1981. The Port of Oakland purchased the vessel for $15,000 that year. A $5 million restoration effort, supported by the Port and volunteers, brought the yacht back. The USS Potomac opened to the public in Oakland in 1995. Today, as a National Historic Landmark, it preserves a tangible link to a significant period in American history.