![]() ![]() ![]() Frémont bought the island for $5,000 in the name of the United States government from Francis Temple. Later in 1846, acting in his capacity as Military Governor of California, John C. Julian Workman is the baptismal name of William Workman, co-owner of Rancho La Puente and a personal friend of Pio Pico. The earliest recorded private owner of the island of Alcatraz is Julian Workman, to whom it was given by Mexican governor Pio Pico in June 1846, with the understanding that Workman would build a lighthouse on it. The Spanish built several small buildings on the island and other minor structures. A gun fired over the feathered legions caused them to fly up in a great cloud and with a noise like a hurricane." The California brown pelican ( Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) is not known to nest on the island today. covered with a countless number of these birds. running past Alcatraze's (Pelicans) Island. In August 1827, for instance, French Captain Auguste Bernard Duhaut-Cilly wrote ". Over the years, the Spanish version "Alcatraz" became popular and is now widely used. Beechey, an English naval officer and explorer. The name was later applied to the rock now known as Alcatraz Island by Captain Frederick W. Yerba Buena Island was labeled on Ayala's 1775 chart of San Francisco Bay as "Isla de Alcatraces". There are no gannets native to the Pacific coast, making the older Spanish usage more likely. He named today's Yerba Buena Island as "La Isla de los Alcatraces", which translates as "The Island of the Gannets" but is commonly believed to translate as "The Island of the Pelicans" (the modern Spanish word for 'pelican' is pelícano), from the archaic Spanish alcatraz ("pelican"). The first European to document the islands of San Francisco Bay was Spanish naval officer and explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala during Spanish rule of California he charted San Francisco Bay in 1775. ![]() Alcatraz Island and lighthouse at sunset The water tower and powerhouse (at right), which generated electricity for the island A model of Military Point Alcatraz, 1866–1868, now on display at Alcatraz Island Model of the prison in present day, on display at Alcatraz Island History Alcatraz Island, 1896 Alcatraz in the dawn mist, from the east. Landmarks on the island include the Main Cellhouse, Dining Hall, Lighthouse, the ruins of the Warden's House and Social Hall, Parade Grounds, Building 64, Water Tower, New Industries Building, Model Industries Building, and the Recreation Yard. The total area of the island is reported to be 22 acres (8.9 ha). According to a 1971 documentary on the history of Alcatraz, the island measures 1,675 feet (511 m) by 590 feet (180 m) and is 135 feet (41 m) at highest point during mean tide. Hornblower Cruises, operating under the name Alcatraz Cruises, is the official ferry provider to and from the island.Īlcatraz Island is the site of the abandoned federal prison, the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States, early military fortifications, and natural features such as rock pools and a seabird colony (mostly western gulls, cormorants, and egrets). Visitors can reach the island by ferry ride from Pier 33, located between the San Francisco Ferry Building and Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco. Today, the island's facilities are managed by the National Park Service as part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. In 1972, Alcatraz was transferred to the Department of Interior to become part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The prison closed in 1963, and the island is now a major tourist attraction.īeginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of Native Americans, initially primarily from San Francisco, who were later joined by AIM and other urban Indians from other parts of the country, who were part of a wave of Native American activists organizing public protests across the US through the 1970s. The strong currents around the island and cold water temperatures made escape nearly impossible, and the prison became one of the most notorious in American history. In 1934, the island was converted into a federal prison, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military prison. The Social Hall, destroyed by fire during the Native American occupation.Īlcatraz Island ( / ˈ æ l k ə ˌ t r æ z/) is a small island 1.25 miles (2.01 km) offshore from San Francisco, California, United States.
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