Yerba Buena Island lies in the center of the San Francisco Bay, between San Francisco and Oakland. The island gets its name ("good herb") from the from the Spanish who found mint on the island. From the late 1800's to the 1930's, the island was called Goat Island, due to the presence of a large number of goats brought to the island by squatters after the Gold Rush.

By the 1870's, numerous passenger ferries traveled passed the island, on their way to Oakland or San Francisco. In response to this traffic, a fog signal (a steam whistle and a bell from Point Conception) was installed in 1874 on the south end of the island. In 1875, a small lighthouse with a fifth-order lens (from Yaquina Bay, Oregon) was completed. The lighthouse stood by the fog signal on a 50-foot cliff. The keeper's residence was constructed further up the hill. To increase visibility, the keepers whitewashed the cliff below the lighthouse.

In 1873, just prior to the establishment of the lighthouse, the 12th Lighthouse District established a lighthouse depot on Yerba Buena, which served the California Coast. The first lighthouse tender, the Shubrick, served from 1857-1870. The Shubrick moved to serve the Northwest when it was replaced the the Manzanita. The Madroño arrived in 1885, and the Columbine in 1892. These tenders visited the lighthouses along the California coast every three to four months, and served as a lifeline to the more remote stations. When the lighthouse opened on Yerba Buena, the keepers, unlike their isolated counterparts, could always rely on available supplies.

By 1886, logging and goats had effectively cleared the island. Local poet Joaquin Miller led a drive to replant the island, and on November 27, 1886, California celebrated its first arbor day by replanting the island. The woodland of the island today are the result of trees planted a century ago.

The importance of the light was diminished by the completion of the Oakland - San Francisco Bay Bridge in 1936, which also linked Yerba Buena to the mainland. Travelers took cars or the train to cross the bay, rather than the ferry. Nonetheless, the light remained in service to mark the southern tip of the island. In 1939, the Golden Gate Exhibition was held on Treasure Island - a landfill island created in the 1930's and attached to Yerba Buena. Treasure Island served as a military base until the 1990's.

Meanwhile, the Yerba Buena Lighthouse was automated in 1958, and is still operational. Floodlights were added to make the lighthouse more visible. Today, the Lighthouse Depot is part of US Coast Guard San Francisco, and is home of the buoy tender Blackhaw. The keepers house now serves a a residence for Coast Guard admirals.

References (see links)

Guardians of the Golden Gate, Shanks pp. 44-63
Umbrella Guide to California Lighthouses, Nelson pp. 120-125