North Waterfront in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Families
Alcatraz Landing
| — | Keepers & the Kept | — |
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado
1. Families Marker
The federal government provided waterfront housing for Alcatraz staff and their spouses. Gardens and fences marked the boundary of family life on the island, and children enjoyed a normal upbringing at a safe distance from prisoners.
A Unique Lifestyle
More than seventy families inhabited Alcatraz at one time. Families eagerly awaited summer watermelon feasts, winter holiday parties, and spring dances. However, they also had to adapt to sirens, barbed wire, and an occasional felon being transported aboard the prison boat.
Parents actually felt safer in this island community than on the mainland due to constant and comforting surveillance of their children and home environment.
Prison Boats
Boredom was an acknowledged problem on the island. The prison boats Warden Johnston and McDowell were essential in connecting Alcatraz families with San Francisco. The boats made a dozen round-trips per day.
Wives rode across the bay to visit with their mainland friends and go shopping in the city. Children ferried to and from school five days a week unless the water became too rough and then – no school!
”People on the island were getting a big break. You got your apartment furnished with the utilities paid for twenty-five dollars a month. There’s no way you could beat that.”
- Officer Bill Rogers, Alcatraz Resident, c. 1955
Topics.
this page online
Location. 37° 48.411′ N, 122° 24.291′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in North Waterfront. It can be reached from The Embarcadero south of Bay Street, on the right when traveling north. The resin marker is mounted in a flower box on Alcatraz Landing. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Pier 33, San Francisco CA 94133, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, on the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexico’s Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Gardeners (here, next to this marker); Lighthouse Keepers (within shouting distance of this marker); National Park Service
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, June 15, 2023
2. Families Marker
Also see . . .
1. The Children That Grew Up on Alcatraz Had a More Fun Childhood Than You Might Imagine.
"Over 100 children were living on the island, and many of them grew up together from the time they were infants. There were even babies born there, with their birth certificate saying “Alcatraz Island” as their place of birth."(Submitted on July 17, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)
2. Alcatraz - Quick Facts.
"The primary living areas for families were Building #64, three apartment buildings, one large duplex, and four large wooden houses for senior officers. Families enjoyed their own bowling alley, small convenience store, and soda fountain shop for the younger island residents."(Submitted on July 17, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 17, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 202 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 17, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.
