Angel Island is the largest island in San Francisco Bay. Due to the growing number of vessels traversing the bay, a fog bell was established at Point Knox, on the west side of the island, in 1886. A one story keeper's dwelling was built adjacent to the bell house. The station was accessed by a long wooden stairway down the face of a steep cliff facing the bay. The first keeper, John Ross, had served aboard the lighthouse tender Shubrick until he lost a leg in an accident. He also served at Yerba Buena and Fort Point before serving at Point Know for 16 years.

Point Knox was modest by lighthouse standards. A red, fifth order lens (added in 1900) was displayed at night and drawn by pulley back into the bell house by day. The clockwork machinery which controlled the fog bell was wound by the keeper every few hours.

San Francisco Bay is famous for its fog, and Point Knox is famous for its temperamental fog bell. Keeper Irving Conklin recalled, "That bell was a dog!" (Shanks, p. 170) The mechanism was difficult to wind, and broke down on several occasions, before finally being replaced by a compressed air siren.

The fog bell played a key role in the most famous occurrence at Point Knox. Juliet Fish Nichols (whose stepmother Emily Fish was keeper of Point Piños) served as sole keeper from 1902 to 1914. On July 2, 1906, a thick fog settled in over San Francisco Bay. Keeper Nichols found the bell's clockwork had broken down, and proceeded to strike the bell using a hammer. The next day the mechanism was repaired.

On July 4, the mechanism failed again as a thick fog again settled over the bay. Over a stretch of twenty hours and thirty-five minutes, Keeper Nichols struck the bell by hand until the fog finally cleared on July 5, and the mechanism was again repaired. Juliet Nichols received a letter of commendation from the Lighthouse Board for her dedication to duty.

In 1915, a second light was added to Angel Island at Point Stuart. This new light was served from Point Knox, so a second keeper was assigned to the station, and the keeper's dwelling grew to two stories.

Keeper Irving Conklin began service with Head Keeper Frank Schou in the late 1920's. When Conklin arrived, he offered to clear the poison oak surrounding the station, as he was not allergic to the plant. Unfortunately, the gloves Conklin used absorbed the plant's toxins. The next day, Conklin learned that Schou had gone to a San Francisco hospital with a severe case of poison oak - apparently acquired from the work gloves! "Conklin quietly burned the gloves." (Shanks, pp. 170-1)

In 1960, a third signal was established by the Coast Guard at Point Blunt. The Point Knox site became unnecessary, and was burned down in 1963. Point Blunt remained a manned station until it was automated in 1976. The lantern was removed and the structure torn down. An automated lantern was placed aboard the watch building.

Today, Angel Island is a state park. Point Blunt remains an active Coast Guard station. A green light still shines from the watch building. At Point Knox, only Juliet Nichols bell remains.

References (see links)

Guardians of the Golden Gate - Lighthouses and Lifeboat Stations of San Francisco Bay, Shanks, pp. 161, 164, 167-168, 170-1
Umbrella Guide to California Lighthouses, Nelson, p. 110
Women Who Kept the Lights, Clifford, p. 50