San Francisco is known as one of America’s loveliest tourist destinations. The bustling city offers lovely natural scenery, stunning Bay Views and a variety of interesting sites. During one of our family field trips we visited one of the most historic and often overlooked parts of San Francisco, Angel Island. Located in the San Francisco Bay, Angel Island is actually the Bay’s biggest island and it has an impressive history to match.

Long before European settlers came to the San Francisco area, the island was used by the Coastal Miwok Indians for fishing and hunting. Later, it was used as a private cattle ranch and an army post for the U.S. Army during the Civil War. The richest part of Angel Island’s history began in 1910, when the island was transformed into an immigrant processing station. During the early 20th century, the west coast saw many Asian immigrants, particularly Chinese, who wanted to come to the country to pursue the “American dream.” Angel Island was their first stop. It was there that it was determined if they’d be allowed to stay or forced to return home. The island was used as an immigration station for 30 years and until 1940 had a somewhat sinister reputation for cruel treatment of Chinese immigrants and the frequent deportations that occurred. In 1940, a fire broke out on the island and the administration building burned down. After the fire, the government chose not to rebuild the station and shut it down.

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