Few prisons have attracted as much attention as Alcatraz. “The Rock” has been a touchstone of our culture since its establishment, and that establishment was further back than any of us realized. We stayed outside of San Francisco, in Tradewinds RV park, specifically to visit this location. During our tour of Alcatraz Island National Park, we were surprised and impressed by the deep history.
The History of Alcatraz Island
For many years, Alcatraz Island was just a bit of rock in San Francisco Bay. Its sparse soil only made it a refuge for some migratory birds, and there was no evidence of habitation by indigenous peoples.
Starting in 1853, Alcatraz Island was built up by the US government and designated as Fort Alcatraz until 1907. During this time, it defended San Francisco harbor during the Civil War with the help of its cannons. However, due to the rapidly changing technologies in artillery, the fort started to pivot from a defensive fort to a military prison.
Alcatraz Island’s history as a military penitentiary started during the Civil War. The island held Confederate sympathizers in makeshift prison cells. After the Civil War, these cells held several individuals from various indigenous groups who participated in the various armed conflicts and uprisings as the United States annexed more of their ancestral lands. Alcatraz was officially called a military prison in 1915 and converted into a federal penitentiary in 1934. This is the version most depicted in movies and TV shows.
Post-Prison Occupation
However, Alcatraz was decommissioned as a prison in 1963 due to the cost of running and maintaining it. That, however, wasn’t the end of Alcaraz’s notoriety. The island was occupied once again from November 1969 to June 1971 by Native American peoples. They hailed from many tribes who collectively called themselves “Indians of All Tribes.” They claimed the island as part of several old treaties that specified federal lands, no longer in use, would revert to the native tribes. The occupation ended after several buildings on the island were destroyed or damaged by fire. The origin of the fires is contested. The fires could have been set by the occupiers or by agents sent to discredit the cause. Public sentiment was already turning against the occupiers. The fires were enough to get the government to send agents to remove the remaining people.
Modern Use
After the occupation, the island was purchased by the National Park Service and operated as a history museum and nature preserve.
One of the surprising elements on the island was the diversity of plant life! There were several ornamental gardens peppered around the island. These gardens were originally started by the wives and families of soldiers stationed on the island in the 1850s. The gardens were then updated and maintained by the families of prison staff living on the island and finally, by the inmates themselves throughout the 1930s. More recently, these gardens have been slowly rebuilt and rehabilitated by volunteer botanists.
A Nature Preserve Thanks to Human Change?
Originally, the island only hosted small populations of migratory birds and sparse shrubs. However, thanks to the tons of topsoil barged in for the gardens, the plant life diversity was dramatically increased. Additionally, stone blasted from the island during the construction of Fort Alcatraz led to the creation of many tide pools. This increased plant life and accessibility of marine life was a double-edged boon to the migratory bird populations. Furthermore, the abandoned and demolished buildings made ideal nesting sites for the cavity-nesting pigeon guillemots.
In recent years, national parks have been working hard to increase the presence of native voices, and Alcatraz Island is no exception. In addition to not only maintaining the graffiti added by the Indians of All Tribes, they’ve even invited family members of the occupiers back to the island to refresh the graffiti.
Alcatraz Island: Preserving History
The “new industries” building was originally full of workshops where inmates would make everything from furniture and shoes for the government to nets and boats for the war effort during WWII. At the time of our visit, this building was converted to an extensive exhibit on the Indians of All Tribes’ occupation of the island. Now it hosts many images and stories that are not available anywhere else.
Whether you’re a lover of movies, history, or nature, Alcatraz Island National Park has something for everyone.