The Depot had its origin in 1940 when the Navy bought of wetlands from the city of Oakland for $1.00. The Navy reclaimed the land and populated it with large warehouses. It opened on December 15, 1941, and quickly began a decades-long expansion. In the late 1940s it was renamed Naval Supply Center, Oakland; later it was renamed Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, Oakland. During the Cold War, it was one of the Navy's most important supply facilities.