Lighthouse Keepers

During the Gold Rush, rock outcrops in San Francisco Bay created dangerous obstacles for ships entering the harbor, leading the government to build a lighthouse on Alcatraz and employ keepers to warn and guide mariners. In 1854, lighthouse keeper Michael Cassin lit Alcatraz’s whale oil lamp for the first time, beginning lighthouse service on the West Coast. As many as three families lived in close quarters to keep the beacon operating continuously and became part of the island community, though long hours and low pay caused high turnover in the early years. Keepers continued to come and go until the beacon was automated in 1963, and no one has lived in the lighthouse since then. Except for a brief period during the American Indian Occupation, the Alcatraz Lighthouse has operated continuously for 150 years despite demolition, fire, and reconstruction. Its foghorns and blinking light became familiar features of San Francisco Bay, and although keepers helped prevent many groundings, several ships still sank nearby in fog or on surrounding underwater rocks.

San Francisco, California · United States