Angel Island
Tiburon, Marin County, California
Marker Inscription
Angel Island In 1775, the packet San Carlos, first known Spanish ship to enter San Francisco Bay, anchored in this cove while her commander, Lieut. Juan Manuel de Ayala, directed the first survey of the bay. Ayala named this island Isla de los Angeles. The island has been a Mexican rancho, a U.S. military post, bay defense site, and both a quarantine and immigration station. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 529
Erected by California State Department of Parks and Recreation
The Story
In 1775 the Spanish packet San Carlos became the first known European ship to enter San Francisco Bay, anchoring in this cove while Lieutenant Juan Manuel de Ayala directed the bay's first survey and named the island Isla de los Angeles. Over the following centuries Angel Island served as a Mexican rancho, a U.S. military post, a bay-defense site, and both a quarantine and immigration station. Its layered history mirrors California's passage from Spanish frontier to American gateway.
Why it matters
As the "Ellis Island of the West," Angel Island became a threshold for generations of Pacific immigrants, bookending a story that began with European exploration of the bay.
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Related people
- · Juan Manuel de Ayala
Themes & tags
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