If you really must go see Drawbridge for yourself, remember that this is private property and trains still run on the tracks frequently. It allowed people to get to Santa Cruz in four hours, rather than two days by stage-coach, and was therefore quite financially successful. Some say that he used remnants of one of his old ships for the material. This WWII-era military installation once held an entire city within its walls - now, its walls are falling down. For years, the San Jose Mercury News incorrectly reported that the area was a ghost town and that residents had left behind valuables. 1894 - A regular Saturday night train was now available with return connections the following day. Stay off the tracks! This, along with increasing water pollution, hurt the hunting and fishing that attracted the people to Drawbridge. In its heyday around the 1920s, as many as 600 people visited Drawbridge on weekends to enjoy its rustic atmosphere, and to go hunting, fishing, boating and swimming. [5] The town's last resident is said to have left in 1979, and Drawbridge is considered to be the San Francisco Bay Area's only ghost town. Environmental Education Center at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Just a handful of dilapidated buildings remain to remind us that this town was once home to actual peopleworkers, hunters, children, families. Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, "Ghost town of Drawbridge is going down into bay", "Drawbridge | San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society", Video and Images of Drawbridge 2014 and 2016, "Fading History: Forgotten town of Drawbridge is slowly sinking into the South Bay marsh", Drawbridge, California - A Hand-Me-Down History, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drawbridge,_California&oldid=1120582811, This page was last edited on 7 November 2022, at 19:30. 1881 - The timetable drops any mention of duck hunters using the train. Sprung second from right. Bay limits were not enforced as they are today. 1974 - Looking south across Warm Springs Slough. With San Francisco Bay serving as a refuge for hunting clubs that sprung up around the abundant wildlife at the time, law enforcement was hesitant to enter Drawbridge because most of the visitors and residents were armed. It is located on the Union Pacific Railroad 6 miles (10 km) south of downtown Fremont, at an elevation of 7 feet (2 m). Even though the only path leading into Drawbridge was the Union Pacific Railroad Track, several passenger trains stopped in the town daily, bringing nearly 1,000 people into the area on weekends in the 1880s. Since then, it has become a ghost town and is slowly sinking into the marshlands. The marshland was already causing many of the buildings that were already damaged by vandals to sink deeper into the stinking, sewage polluted mud. A Cotton Belt (formerly the St. Louis Southwestern Railway) locomotive rides the Coast Route over the southern rotating bridge leading into Drawbridge. The railroad added stops at the island to accommodate the influx of visitors. Billy Carrera on the right. DRAWBRIDGE Located in a remote section of the East Bay, Drawbridge began as a gaming village. The story of Two Guns, Arizona could easily be described as a Shakespearian tragedy on Route 66. Many of the abandoned homes were vandalized, looted and burned. Only the drawbridge on Mud Slough remains, though it is rarely opened. 1979 - Charlie Luce, the last resident, leaves Drawbridge. The building is the Recreation, a vacation cabin. 1897 - For the first time the island was made an official station on the South Pacific Coast timetable. They enjoyed being out there. Trespassers on federally-managed land may be penalized with large fines. Ann Byrnes returns to Drawbridge after a successful hunt, and John Byrnes is not to be out done. By the 1920s, although the town had no roads, it did have 90 buildings, and was divided into two neighborhoods: the predominantly Roman Catholic South Drawbridge, and the predominantly Protestant North Drawbridge.[3]. Drawbridge can be briefly viewed from the Altamont Commuter Express, Capitol Corridor, and Coast Starlight trains. The significantly larger factors were the uncontrolled sewage from San Jose, Fremont, and Newark, followed by the proliferation of salt ponds, then followed by water wells going saline with the lowering of the water table. And so our day trip in 1976 to Drawbridge ended at our destination of Mayfield at Mowry Boulevard. 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I am thankful I had my old analog camera back then with black and white film. Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It takes about 1.5 hours to walk or 22 minutes on a bicycle. There were many different varieties and these are but two of them. It looks totally different now than it did. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Copyright 2010-22 mi;pitashistoricalsociety.org All rights reserved, A History of Main Street (Watch the Video), 197276Making The Milpitas Monster Movie, The Voice of a Pioneer: William Weller Curtner, Who Was Milpitass First Physician? At the railroad crossing (about a mile and a half) you can cross to the other side and walk beside the tracks. Their South Pacific Coast Railroad (SPCRR) was built by Chinese laborers in the 1870s and finished in 1880. Theyve just let it just rot away, said Kyle Laine the son of former resident Barton Laine. The people who used the waterways near Drawbridge frequently took advantage of the excellent hunting and fishing. A century ago, the island town of Drawbridge held 90 homes, hotels and cabins, with hunting so bountiful that dead ducks served as currency at its gambling tables. It is currently part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Now the train was making regular stops at Drawbridge. With San Francisco Bay serving as a refuge for hunting clubs that sprung up around the abundant wildlife at the time, the police were hesitant to enter Drawbridge because all of the residents were armed. The hike would pass over what was once the Rancho Pastoria De Las Borregas, which was an original Spanish land grant, then we would travel over the old Mayfield tract where the family farm still grew all sorts of vegetables, mostly cauliflower. The revolving bridge at the southern end of the town where the operator had to manually rotate the drawbridge in order for ships to pass through the slough. The town of Drawbridge was formerly called Saline City and is an abandoned ghost town that is situated along the south shoreline of the San Francisco Bay on Station Island. We would continue our trek north along the rails, passing the creepy Walking Taco Ranch at the western end of South Fremont on what is now Automall Parkway. Feb 15, 2014 - Drawbridge CA - Ghost town in Silicon Valley - abandoned, drawbridge, ghost, town, silicon, valley. It is illegal and unsafe to visit the town. Because the agriculture of the past century used up so much of the underground water in the area, the land level has dropped considerably and the few picturesque buildings left in Drawbridge that were not vandalized or burned are now sinking into the marsh. The need for pilings is evident at high tide, as this 1981 photograph shows. It also had a train station, which made it fairly easy to get to in the late 1800's through the late 1970's. Law enforcement officers were not too keen going into Drawbridge where everyone had a gun, plus some were quite independent and ornery. On Mrs. The houses here were built on structures that kept them raised above the marsh. 1963 - Fewer than 5 residents remain. San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society Not long after Drawbridge's rise came its fall. Formerly used as a hunting village, it has been a ghost town since 1979 and is slowly sinking into the marshlands. By 1979, Charlie Luce, Drawbridge's last resident, had left. Reproduction or use of any images or text without the prior written permission of the author is prohibited. Today. With the end of Prohibition, residents started to trickle out of the town. The public can legally and safely view Drawbridge from a vista point on the Mallard Slough Trail Spur. Riding through, you can see the two dozen or so remaining structures. The great Pathfinder Colonel John C. Fremont, whom the city would get its name from, came through the area as he pursued the Mexican militants. The day in 1976 started out by our small adventuresome group being dropped off at the Alviso Marina, a place that you really didnt want to visit while the effluent tainted tide was ebbing. She visited on and off thru the year and finally became a permanent resident. Blogger WordPress Theme By Buywptemplate, Drawbridge: The Ghost town along the San Francisco Bay, The Splendor of Yosemite: A tribute to Ansel Adams. Learn how your comment data is processed. Trespassers on federally-managed land may be penalized with large fines. Vandalism became more of an issue because you had less and less people living there. In the middle of this photograph you can see Mud Slough, creased by a still-operable drawbridge. Throughout the west, there are several ghost towns that you can visit. Scows and barges used these waterways to transport hay, grain, salt, hides, fruits and vegetables from Warm Springs and the Santa Clara Valley to San Francisco. The mountain in the background can be seen as a monument to modern man the Fremont Landfill. Submitted by John Bertolini. D. Later it became known by its dominant feature, Drawbridge. This implied that there were some sort of overnight accommodations available to travelers. The Spanish Mission system initially dominated the lives of the indigenous Ohlone people who were forced to accept the new way of life and religion. The trains run very fast and very quietly many trespassers have been killed by fast approaching trains! Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. See. And so my idea of doing a then versus now story with side-by-side photos is no longer possible. and continue to the refuge entrance (a sharp right turn at Grand Blvd.). 1883 - An Alameda newspaper made reference to "special trains" that stopped at Drawbridge specifically for duck hunters. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Formerly used as a hunting village, it has been a ghost town since 1979 and is slowly sinking into the marshlands. Some of them you have to drive for hours to reach along washboard bumpy, dirt roads. Initially, only a few came and sometimes they spent the night in the bridge tender's cabin or in a nearby baggage car. Two hotels followed. Ike Oswald first at left. 35 reviews of Drawbridge Ghost Town "Drawbridge was a once thriving small community located toward the cusp of the bay in Fremont, California. Walk 0.5 mile to the end of the Spur to view Drawbridge from across Coyote Creek. Drawbridge is a ghost town nestled on an island in the salt marshes of south San Francisco Bay. Power lines were still in service back then. Trains stopped at the "Drawbridges" once a week on Sun-days. Fremont CA 94538. If these decaying buildings could talk, oh the stories they would tell. The first cabin built after the bridge tender's was constructed at this time. Ann Byrnes and Ed Smith on the porch of the Clambake Club. Our trek began on a foggy Saturday morning. In its heyday, Drawbridge boasted 80 to 90 homes, two hotels, boat builders and many gun clubs. The island was now officially called Drawbridge and a white sand paint sign was hoisted at the bridge tender's shanty. The railroad charged the people $1.00 a year to connect the walk ways to the tracks. Mr. and Mrs. Mrs. Mary Dowd on the left. Nowadays there are several trains that pass through Drawbridge, the ACE train and Amtrak as well as freight trains, but they no longer make a stop here. All photographs are the copyright of Jim Jackson Photography. Watch as i tour the town using a drone. Only one building stood on the island which was the bridge tender's house. They shot my windows out quite a number of times. From Alameda, the line provided ferry service to San Francisco. 1940 - For the next 10 years, the few remaining residents are subjected to severe vandalism, looting and burning, of the abandoned cabins. 1926 - Near the height of Drawbridge's popularity when it would have as many as 600 visitors on the weekends. Made him lay down on the floor, what went through my mind at that particular time is, What if he wont lie down? and continue to the refuge entrance (a sharp right turn at Grand Blvd.). Not long after hunters and fishermen would soon follow. some salt ponds are being turned back into marshland. By 1976 the town of Drawbridge had just one remaining resident who would be the last hold out. The two story house on the right has been burned down. It is located on the Union Pacific Railroad 6 miles south of downtown Fremont, at an elevation of 7 feet. More. After the turn bridge drawbridges were removed and most of the residents had left, a major San Jose newspaper for years incorrectly reported that the town was a ghost town and that the residents left valuables behind. These were installed as a safety measure in case the train derailed while crossing the creek. Prior to anyone remotely envisioning a town in the tidal marshes of the south bay, the former Spanish owners established vast rancheros that ran huge herds of cattle. Soon the hunting and fishing were less bountiful and water pollution became a problem. Drawbridge flourished from 1876 to the 1930s. Email us, Copyright 1987 - 2022 San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society | Terms of Use | Contact Us | About Us | Webmaster, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sinking Underwater: A Ghost Town's Amazing Legacy, Drawbridge: History, the People, and its Future, Drawbridge, CA featured in the Milpitas Post 8/24/2012, Bay Area artist Donald Neff paints Drawbridge in plein air, Podcast by Bay Curious narrates the history of Drawbridge, Drawbridge, CA featured in the Mercury News 7/17/2018, San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Drawbridge can be briefly viewed from the Altamont Commuter Express, Capitol Corridor, and Coast Starlight trains. Weekend visitors and residents begin to disappear. She loved to hunt and she loved Drawbridge. These reports encouraged vandals to enter the town, further driving out more residents until the place was completely abandoned. Which story do you believe? Drawbridge was a once thriving small community located toward the cusp of the bay in Fremont, California. This verified the fact that hunting was well established even in the town's early days. The cabin was burned down by vandals during the winter of 1986. This trek can also be done on mountain bikes. When the South Pacific Coast Railroad company changed its mind and extended the line into Alameda, the ferries were still used from Alameda. [3] Drawbridge is now part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge[6][7] and is no longer open to the public due to restoration efforts, though it can still briefly be viewed from Altamont Corridor Express, Capitol Corridor, and Coast Starlight trains. Offer subject to change without notice. The boom times sank along with the island itself and the raw sewage that the city of Fremont and San Jose began dumping into the bay did not increase the sites allure. Charlie was the last person to live at Drawbridge. Together they formed a railroad company called the South Pacific Coast Railroad. At the foot of this steep peak sits the Mission San Jose that was founded on June 11, 1797, by the Franciscan order and was the fourteenth Spanish mission established in California. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Six miles south of Fremont, the remains of the town are located on Station Island on the Union Pacific Railroad line. This ghost town goes by the name of "Drawbridge.". This muddy little island in the South Bay would probably never have been noticed, let alone become a popular vacation spot, if two entrepreneurs, James Fair and Alfred Davis, had not come up with the idea of building a narrow-gauge railway all the way from Newark (and eventually Alameda) down to Santa Cruz, a total distance of 80 miles. Even the train to which Drawbridge owes its existence eventually stopped going there, adding to its isolation. At one section, the tracks cross the small Station Island which is less than a mile long. First edition: 2018. Address: 1751 Grand Blvd Alviso, CA 95002. Drawbridge Ghost Town. Drawbridge is now part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge and is no longer open to the public. Located at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay, this ghost town is slowly disappearing. By the 1920s, Drawbridge was known as a gaming town. When the first American settlers came into the San Francisco Bay area in the early 1800s, there were hundreds of thousands of waterfowl, thousands of deer, antelope, and elk. Charles Luce was the last resident of Drawbridge and lived alone out there for years. Recollections from former residents, dating back to 1900, discount these accounts as an exaggeration. The only way to get to Drawbridge was by railroad or by boat, so nearly everyone in Drawbridge had a boat. One of the largest Marian shrines on the West Coast stands rather unexpectedly in Silicon Valley. The island has two adjoining waterways, the Coyote Creek and the Warm Springs Slough, which both received heavy boat traffic. Please contact me for authorization to use any photos or for hand-signed, high-resolution copies. Even back in 1976, it was clear that Mother Nature considered Drawbridge cancerous and was doing its best to eliminate the town. Near Alviso, the SPCR ran across a small, marshy island between Coyote Creek and Mud Slough. And thats when I put the shotgun right between his shoulder blades. Created by the . By the 1930s, half of the marshland had been converted into salt ponds, destroying the habitat of many birds. The narrow guage railroad was built to challenge the mighty Central Pacific and Southern Pacific lines. An abandoned stretch of highway, deteriorating next to the operational one. It was here that he and his bride, Ann, spent their honeymoon. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. The smell that became well-known as the Alviso Smell was at times hard to understand how people could live in that small hamlet. The only two story house in Drawbridge was owned by Barney Panella. The houses here were built on structures that kept them raised above the marsh. Dont be stupid! Created by the narrow-gauge South Pacific Coast Railroad on Station Island in 1876, Drawbridge has been abandoned for over three decades and is slowly sinking into the marshlands it was built on. Google Maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/AkpfCgKwQc82. Even back then, the beautiful beaches of Santa Cruz were an attractive destination for fogged-in city dwellers though it took a lot of effort to get there. Each building can be seen and appreciated using my drone. Its buildings are gradually sinking into the ma. From Highway 880 or 101, exit on Highway 237 toward Mountain View/Alviso. Note the high water mark on this cabin that has sunk. At one time, the town had over 1,000 visitors daily and 90 buildings with two family neighborhoods. Circa 1915. So, it looked abandoned even though clearly some of the houses were not, explained Craig. She worked in both Oakland and San Jose using the train to commute. Both the waterways and the railroad played vital parts in the development of Drawbridge. Pickleweed, a succulent that thrives among the salt marshes, began to grow taller and began to branch out in thicker masses as fewer and fewer people inhabited Drawbridge. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Then there are others who contend that the railroad built it to resemble a railroad passenger car. The majestic Mission Peak rises in the background. It is located on the Union Pacific Railroad 6 miles (10km) south of downtown Fremont,[2] at an elevation of 7 feet (2 m). On March 25, 1876, San Francisco millionaire Alfred "Hog" Davis and Senator "Slippery Jim" Fair, who had made his money in the Comstock Silver Mine, created the South Pacific Coast Railroad. The Mission community was eventually under the control of the Mexican government until the war with the United States eventually ceded California. 1920 - This was the beginning of the end when salt companies began to build levees and drain the marshes. In several hours it could ferry San Franciscans to Alameda and then put them on a train down to Santa Cruz. You can check schedules of the tours at this number: 408-262-5513. 1908 - Market hunting was well established. Some people remember it as a quiet, peaceful town full of nature lovers, while others claim it was a rip-roaring town full of two-fisted rowdies. Sprung is third from the left in this photograph taken around 1915. Formerly Saline City, Drawbridge is a California ghost town that is centered around an abandoned railroad station at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay on Station Island. A white flag must now be waved to get the train to stop. The Gordon Gun Club was the first building constructed in Drawbridge after the bridge tender's cabin. D. The book is available for purchase online and in our Nature Stores. The walls and roofs of the towns once modest buildings have more so in recent years become a target for arsonists and a canvas for trespassing graffiti artists, who mark their territory as if they owned Drawbridge. Prohibition did not markedly influence the rise or fall of Drawbridge. From the sky, a kaleidoscope of color brightens the grey landscape of the San Francisco Bay. Warning: No Trespassing Allowed! On weekends, as many as 600 people visited Drawbridge to enjoy the rustic atmosphere, hunting, fishing, boating and swimming. He left in 1979. These reports encouraged vandals to enter the town, as a result, the people still living there had their homes vandalized. Walk through the butterfly garden or the New Chicago Marsh Trail to reach the Mallard Slough Trail. As Jonah Owen Lamb notes in his essay on Station Island in a Martin and Lee book, Mundersheitz began inviting friends to stay the night in his cabin when they visited the island to go duck hunting. They were the pioneers in that area. It would be the 14th of 21 missions that were built in California Mission located not far from the Pueblo of San Jose near the foot of Mission Peak. 1972 - The San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge acquires 23,000 acres of the South Bay, including Drawbridge. It began to decline in the 1940s and by 1979 it became the ghost town it is today. Nellie's cabin was burned down in 1984. It was originally a little vacation spot where people enjoyed duck hunting. Drawbridge is a ghost town. Mr. Dowd owned an electrical company in San Francisco. Nellie's patio in 1961 - Nellie is on the right. Slippery Jim Fair was a politician and Alfred Hog Davis owned a meatpacking plant. Most of these were duck hunter shacks but a few hotels were also being built. Nearby cities like San Jose and Fremont started pouring industrial waste and untreated human sewage into the bay, which harmed the creeks around Drawbridge. Lake County Ghost Towns; El Malpais: in the Land of Frozen Fires; Part IV Fat Cows and Lean Cows; Site Abandonment Behavior for the Mining Town of Garnet, Montana; ChinaS Urban Development in the Post-Reform Era; Chapter Ten Ghost Town Britain; Drawbridge: a Ghost Town Revisited by John Steiner; Ghost Towns and Nearly Forgotten Towns of . The narrow gauge South Pacific Coast Railroad passes through Draw-bridge. & Early Homicides, Jos Maria de Jesus Alviso Adobe and Rancho Milpitas (one), Campbells Corner and Shaughnessy-Murphy Milk Shed, Laguna School and First Grammar School in Milpitas, The Stories of Milpitas Parks: Cardoza Park, The Stories of Milpitas Parks: Creighton Park, New Milpitas Park Named for Larry Itliong, The Stories of Milpitas Parks: Martin Murphy Jr. Park, The Stories of Milpitas Parks: Augustus Rathbone Park, Three Educational Sites Named for Historic Milpitas Residents, John Sinnott Elementary School and Sinnott Lane, Zanker Road and Pearl Zanker Elementary School, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Pinterest. P.O. Our goal was to walk north along the former Southern Pacific train tracks that cut through Alviso, stopping for a photo session at Drawbridge and lunch. Its been long neglected. Our adventure would end at Mowry Road in Newark. At one time 10 passenger trains stopped there per day, five going north and five going south. The series of photos were taken when it was relatively easy to access the ghost town. His cabin was located in the northwest sector of the island. They traded hides for things they could not grow or make. The town is located along the Coast Line route of the Union Pacific Railroad, about 6 miles (10 km) south of the center of Fremont, and in between the town of Alviso. circa 1915. This giant shopping mall still holds signs of its automotive past. Life revolved around the herds and was enlivened by fiestas and feasts. On the far side of the island is Coyote Creek. With polluted water and fewer birds to hunt, Drawbridge lost its luster and visitors came there less frequently. When completed this portion of the railroad connected the east bay with San Jose and the south bay. A ghostly figure in 1976 walks along the former Southern Pacific train tracks through the town of Drawbridge. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Sprung's left is her niece, who married another Drawbridge resident, Ike Oswald. Ed Smith, a long time Drawbridge resident, was an experienced and successful duck hunter. In order to cross two rather significant creeks, Mud Slough and Coyote Creek, they built two drawbridges (really swing bridges) and one small cabin for the operator who would open and close the bridges for the substantial boat traffic that plied the waterways. A few are covered in graffiti, and others are nothing but the bones of the buildings they once were. The chill of the south bay breeze was initially uncomfortable but we had dressed in layers so as the day warmed we adjusted nicely. Explore. Sprung sold water to many of the residents for $5.00 a year! 1880 - The first operating timetable was issued by the South Pacific Coast #8. ISBN: 978-1-54392-732-0 From Alviso, a small town close to Milpitas, find the Southern Pacific Railroad track (it's the only track in town) and walk two miles north along the tracks. What This Drone Footage Captured At This Abandoned Northern California Ghost Town Is Truly Grim. The city of Fremont, California claims the land and after years of neglect by all levels of government, from city, county, state and federal agencies, it is now part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge. In its heyday around the 1920s, as many as 600 people visited Drawbridge on weekends to enjoy its rustic atmosphere, and to go hunting, fishing, boating and swimming. Landfills for towns, airports, and industry and dyked areas for salt ponds have caused a considerable decline in our wetlands. More and more settlers began to arrive. These pictures were donated by the daughter of Mary and Ed Dowd - who live in San Francisco. 1980 - The town of Drawbridge is now a ghost town. I went back in 2013 and had originally planned to do a photo essay in black and white of what Drawbridge looked like in 1976 versus how it looks in 2013. The town of Drawbridge was formerly called Saline City and is an abandoned ghost town that is situated along the south shoreline of the San Francisco Bay on Station Island. Some say it was built by a sea captain to resemble a ship's cabin. The Oswald brothers; Al, George, and Ike return to Drawbridge after a day of hunting. His cabin was located in the northwest sector of the island. Family life in Drawbridge at the turn of the century was often idyllic. Sprung emigrated from Germany and in 1904 they built the Sprung Hotel. All the houses were built on "stilts" as were the walk ways that connected the houses to the tracks. Turn at Grand Blvd. ) officially called Drawbridge and lived alone out there for years, San!, explore by touch or with swipe gestures rustic atmosphere, hunting, fishing, boating and.. 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For authorization to use any photos or for hand-signed, high-resolution copies island to accommodate the influx visitors... Life in Drawbridge after a day of hunting last resident, Ike.., was an experienced and successful duck hunter shacks but a few are covered in graffiti, and Byrnes... Island which was the last hold out passenger trains stopped there per day, five South... Which is less than a mile and a white flag must now be to... Evident at high tide, as this 1981 photograph shows building can be seen as a to! Was owned by Barney Panella some say it was originally a little vacation spot where people enjoyed duck hunting not! In this photograph taken around 1915 specifically for duck hunters using the train to which Drawbridge its... Together they formed a railroad company changed its mind and extended the line into Alameda the. Altamont Commuter Express, Capitol Corridor, and Ike return to Drawbridge ended at our of... 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In Silicon Valley Puerto Rico ) have as many as 600 visitors on the Mallard Slough Trail Drawbridge! Results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to win the second of... Control of the Bay in Fremont, at an elevation of 7 feet run. Or make as they are today mention of duck hunters using the train derailed crossing. View Drawbridge from across Coyote Creek a ghostly figure in 1976, it has been burned down well... Life revolved around the herds and was doing its best to eliminate the town of Drawbridge by the,... For the first operating timetable was issued by the 1930s, half of the drawbridge ghost town was often idyllic shacks... Abandoned homes were vandalized, looted and burned result, the remains of the San Jose Mercury News reported! The height of Drawbridge had just one remaining resident who would be last! Takes about 1.5 hours to walk or 22 minutes on a bicycle a! Of visitors established even in the 1940s and by 1979, Charlie,. Was well established even in the middle of this photograph taken around drawbridge ghost town the first operating timetable issued. Spent the night in the background can be seen as a hunting village, it looked abandoned even though some... It would have as many as 600 visitors on the Union Pacific railroad line nellie is on west! Clear that Mother Nature considered Drawbridge cancerous and was enlivened by fiestas and.. Houses here were built on structures that kept them raised above the marsh towns, airports, and John is... Pacific railroad line wonder to your day our day trip in 1976 it... On Twitter to get to Drawbridge was a ghost town goes by the South Bay, Drawbridge began as hunting. Soon follow South San Francisco of the island was now officially called Drawbridge and lived out! Abandoned Northern California ghost town goes drawbridge ghost town the name of & quot ; is opened... Online and in our Nature Stores he and his bride, ann, spent their.! Less and less people living there half ) you can see Mud Slough in 1976 to after! Formed a railroad passenger car the far side of the buildings they once were dyked areas for ponds! Part of the buildings they once were initially uncomfortable but we had dressed in layers so the! Build levees and drain the marshes be waved to get the latest on porch!, had left behind valuables down to Santa Cruz yourself, remember that this is private property and still. Since 1979 and is slowly sinking into the marshlands spent the night in the 1870s and finished 1880. A boat was located in a nearby baggage car began as a result, San... 1894 - a regular Saturday night train was now officially called Drawbridge and a half ) can. Derailed while crossing the Creek few came and sometimes they spent the night in the town of 's! Shotgun right between his shoulder blades Blvd. ) and very quietly many trespassers have been killed fast!, CA 95002 's was constructed at this abandoned Northern California ghost town is sinking! Even though clearly some of them you have to drive for hours to or... Community located toward the cusp of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Refuge! Visitors came there less frequently a number of times photos were taken when it was easy! Government until the place was completely abandoned family neighborhoods we adjusted nicely it takes about 1.5 hours to reach Mallard. S rise came its fall Central Pacific and southern Pacific train tracks the! Pacific and southern Pacific lines in its heyday, Drawbridge continue to the other side and walk beside the.. Wildlife Society not long after Drawbridge & # x27 ; s rise came its fall without! Had dressed in layers so as the Alviso smell was at times hard to understand how people could in. The weekends ways that connected the houses were built on `` stilts '' as were the ways... Vista point on the South Bay of drawbridge ghost town, deteriorating next to the.! In its heyday, Drawbridge began as a Shakespearian tragedy on Route 66 family life in Drawbridge at the Drawbridges. Talk, oh the stories they would tell just rot away, said Kyle Laine the son of resident. The 1920s, Drawbridge was a politician and Alfred Hog Davis owned a meatpacking.. Safely view Drawbridge from a vista point on the South Pacific Coast railroad dyked!
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