This 2002 episode of California’s Gold offers yet another great example of the colorful pieces of history that are lost over time. If you were to glance out the window of your commuter train and see the flat marsh of Drawbridge Island extending off into the distance, you might never dream there had once been a bustling make-shift community of fun seekers inhabiting that very spot. I know there are also people (like me) who love to explore abandoned spots such as this one; however, due to the instability of the salt marsh and its importance to wildlife, the area is now under federal protection and no trespassing is allowed.

Drawbridge is a small, marshy island at the southern end of San Francisco Bay. People started going there in 1876 for the excellent hunting and fishing. By the early 20th Century, Drawbridge had become a full time community for a handful of families. It had also become something of a weekend resort. By the 1940s, pollution in the bay and urbanization nearby had destroyed most of the island’s hunting and fishing. Today, Drawbridge is a ghost town of gray, weathered buildings sinking into the bay, and is part of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Huell goes back to Drawbridge with some of the original inhabitants and gets a very special tour.

(Click on the linked image below to see the video.)