The San Leandro Oyster Beds in San Leandro, California, were the origin of the

oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not ...

industry in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. During the 1890s, the oyster industry thrived until it became the single most important fishery in the state. According to the description provided by the

California Office of Historic Preservation California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, Moses Wicks is supposed to have been the first to bring seed oysters around

Cape Horn Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramí ...

and implant them in the San Leandro beds. The oyster industry in San Francisco Bay was at its height around the turn of the 20th century. It reached a secondary peak by 1911 and then faded away because of polluted conditions of the bay. The former site of the oyster beds was named a

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of ...

(#824) and is located in the San Leandro Marina. The historical marker has been stolen but the mounting holes remain in a large mosaic depicting oyster harvesting early in the 1900s. A photograph of the site is available online. It shows the curved mosaic mural and the space where the historical marker was formerly located.

References

California Historical Landmarks History of Alameda County, California Geography of San Leandro, California San Francisco Bay Food and drink in the San Francisco Bay Area Fishing industry {{AlamedaCountyCA-geo-stub

See also

References