The Brothers (San Francisco Bay) Explained

The Brothers
Pushpin Map:San Francisco Bay Area#USA California#USA
Pushpin Relief:1
Coordinates:37.9633°N -122.4331°W
Country:United States
Country Admin Divisions Title:State
Country Admin Divisions:California
Country Admin Divisions Title 1:County
Country Admin Divisions 1:Contra Costa County, California

The Brothers are a pair of small islands, East Brother and West Brother, located in the San Rafael Bay embayment of San Pablo Bay, these roughly 1000feet west of Point San Pablo in Contra Costa County, California.

History

The 19th century Mexican Diseño del Rancho de San Pablo, (diseño: a plat map typically used to indicate rancho land grant boundaries in Alta California), names East Brother Island as Isla de Pajaros or "Bird Island." They are shown, labeled "The Brothers", on an 1850 survey map of the San Francisco Bay area made by Cadwalader Ringgold.

The Brothers, along with The Sisters (two exposed rocks 2miles north of the Marin Islands, just off Point San Pedro) on the opposite side of San Pablo Strait, were originally reserved for military purposes by order of President Andrew Johnson in 1867. After many a court battle, the plans were scrapped.

East Brother Island is home to the East Brother Island Light, a light house and a Victorian house, that is a present-day bed and breakfast.

See also

References

[1] [2]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: East Brother Lighthouse. 8 July 2012.
  2. Web site: General Chart embracing Surveys of the Farallones Entrance to the Bay of San Francisco, Bays of San Francisco and San Pablo, Straits of Carquines and Suisun Bay, and the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, to the Cities of Sacramento and San Joaquin, California . Ringgold . Cadwalader . Stuart . Fred D. . Everett . Chas. . Harrison . David Rumsey Map Collection . San Francisco Common Council . 1850 . 25 February 2021 .