Lighthouses of the Bay Area

Images of America: California

by Betty S. Veronico

The 1848 discovery of gold in the hills of California brought prospectors and adventurers west; many came across the country on the treacherous western trails, while others came by sea. The rugged coast of California and the dangers of the San Francisco Bay waters claimed many ships and their passengers. The loss of these ships and the ever-increasing number of vessels converging in the San Francisco Bay made it evident that navigational aids were desperately needed. To enhance maritime safety in the region, the San Francisco Bay's first light, located on Alcatraz Island, began construction in 1852. Light stations soon followed at Fort Point, Point Bonita, and the Farallon Islands. An additional 15 lights later served the bay, and two lightships were stationed outside the Golden Gate.

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2008

Reviews

[Scott DuJardin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A valuable addition to my collection of lighthouse books. Books like this are the only way to 'see' the many lighthouses that no longer exist, like the beautiful structure that was the Mare Island lighthouse and the unusual Mile Rock light.
This is a fairly high-level overview and there are certainly books out there with more detail on the history of these lights, but for a quick reference with great photos, this is a good choice. There are some typos, which was disappointing

[Alissa Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an interesting overview of the light houses in and around the San Francisco Bay. While the photographs and brief text are interesting, the text is very poorly edited, including punctuation that I can only guess was meant to remind the author to check into something later. Having enjoyed so many books in the "Images of America" series, I really felt this one was not up to their usual standards.

[David Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book. Growing up in the Bay Area it was great to see the history and beauty of the lighthouses in the area. I cannot wait to see if the author will write a book about the lighthouses along the Oregon Coast.