Fish & Wildlife Service
California/Nevada Operations Office
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History of the Farallon Islands
Human occupation of the island began in earnest with the arrival of Russian fur traders in the early 1800’s. This period began the exploitation of the island wildlife that lasted until the turn of the century. Elephant seals were harvested for their blubber while fur seals, California sea lions and Steller’s sea lions were harvested for their pelts. Eggs from common murres were taken by thousands and shipped to the mainland
The population explosion created by the goldrush of 1848 led to a shortage of agricultural products because farming was in the infancy stage at the time on the mainland. Newcomers to the area were supplied by murre eggs from the Farallones. Men claimed the island and established the Pacific Egg Company. Records show hundreds of thousands eggs collected each year. After about 20 years and much legal wrangling, an executive order was issued in 1881 which made egging illegal on the Farallons.
By that time a lighthouse had been established by the Lighthouse Service and light keepers and their families were living on the island. Through the years many projects were undertaken and abandoned. A weather station was erected in 1902 by the Weather Bureau operating on a cable that ran from the island to the Marin coast for the first year. A
History
