The End Of An Era
Back in the 1940’s and 50’s, the laws around sanitation and littering were nothing like they were today. Sewage and garbage were simply dumped in the San Francisco Bay. It wasn’t a huge concern for the people living there, though. Everyone who lived there loved fishing on the island. They did not need a fishing license, and there were no restrictions to how many fish they caught in a single day. Men would bring in enough to feed everyone living on the island. Today, they would never be allowed to do any of this, and it would cost a fortune to keep up with EPA regulations.
Alcatraz closed on March 21, 1963. By that time, most of the fathers had gotten jobs at other prisons, and moved off the island years before it was finally ready to shut down for good. Some of the fathers decided to leave in order to serve in World War II, as well.
However, there were some that stayed until the very end. Many of the kids who grew up on Alcatraz didn’t want to leave. Some of them even returned to the prison to work there as tour guides when it was open to the public. However, many of the residential areas were torn down, and many of the houses and apartments no longer exist. But the memories lived on. The kids who grew up there say that when they meet someone new, it’s easy to make friends, because saying “I lived on Alcatraz” is a real conversation starter.
The people who grew up on the island loved it so much, they decided to hold “Alumni Reunions” once a year, which is really more like a family get-together. With the population growing older and moving to various parts of the country, the number of people attending the reunion went from over 200 people down to only 20. Many of the remaining members would go back only to meet people who would ask them the same questions over and over again, like “Did you meet Al Capone?” They decided that 2018 would be the final year to travel to Alcatraz to see one another, and simply keep in touch and remain friends in San Francisco, instead. Many of the former residents still have fond memories of Alcatraz island as their almost utopian 1950’s home town. They say that if they had the opportunity to move back to Alcatraz, they would.
Where Do we get This Stuff? Here are our Sources:
Children Who Once Called Alcatraz Home: ‘For Us, It Was a Big Playground.’ Caitlin Nolan. Inside Edition. 2018
Kids tell life ‘On the Rock’. CNN/Reuters. 2003.
Children Who Grew Up on Alcatraz. Inside Edition. YouTube. 2018.
Alcatraz to Hold Its Final Alumni Reunion On the Island Sunday. Ian Williams. San Francisco Examiner. 2018.