Pictured: The camel barn is part of the old Benicia Arsenal. In 1855 then Secretary of War Jefferson Davis implemented the camel corps, an idea that had been suggested as early as 1836. Partially due to the outbreak of the Civil War, the program was abandoned in 1863 and the camels were brought to the Benicia Arsenal to be housed and auctioned off.
William Townsend Stanford (1867-1964) was named Vallejo's first Chief of Police on April 4th, 1900. He was a Mare Island Naval Shipyard mechanic with no prior law enforcement experience. He continued to serve as Chief of Police until his retirement in 1936. Photo courtesy of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.