About Us
More info to come.
Our Mission
The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Our History
Brief History of Marin Islands.
The steep rocky islands were once part of the mainland but became isolated when sea levels rose during the late Holocene period. Vegetation of Coast Live Oak Woodland with Buckeye, grasslands, and scrub reflect native species.
AD 210 and 720.
Archaeological investigations of a shell midden collected two charcoal samples from hearths dating to approximately AD 210 and 720. These dates, together with the artifacts and shell provide evidence of people camping on the island, at least seasonally, for hundreds of years.
1600-1835.
English explorer Sir Frances Drake sailing up the coast of California in the early 1600s may have been the first European to encounter the Miwok Indians. Marin Islands were named for Chief Marin, the leader of a band of Miwok Indians living in the San Rafael area. The earliest known reference to the islands bearing the name Marin is on Juan Reed's drawing from 1835 labeling them "the Islands of Marin."
1850s.
Rock needed for buildings in San Francisco was quarried from East Marin Island by prisoners from the State penitentiary at San Quentin, established in 1852. As many as 100 convicts at a time worked in the quarry, “getting out stones for the new Customs House” (Sacramento Daily Union, November 8, 1854). In 1855, convicts working on Marin Island escaped during the night (Sacramento Daily Union, April 18, 1855). A stone seawall at the north end of the island is constructed from quarried rock.
1860s-1900s.
In 1867, the United States government took control of the San Francisco Bay islands as strategic bases. The islands were also used as triangulation stations and elevation guides by the Coastal Geodesic Survey. After quarrying activities ceased, East Marin Island began attracting visitors for picnics, clambakes, and overnight stays. In 1891, a yacht club clambake breakfast got out of hand and started a grass fire that burned the entire island (Sausalito News June 25, 1891). A 1902 newspaper article relates the story of “The Woman Hermit of West Marin Island” who lived on the island with her son and dog. She sold fish to San Quentin to purchase supplies and was waiting for her husband to return from the gold fields (San Francisco Call, December 21, 1902).
1920s-1990s.
By the 1920s, Mr. A.A. Brown, a sugar magnate, leased East Marin Island and built a summer home, houseboats, wharves, walks and small buildings. These improvements were appraised at $10,000 (The Petaluma ArgusCourier, September 17, 1926). In 1926 the islands were sold at auction by the federal government. Interested parties in purchasing the islands included real estate dealers, speculators, as well as some alleged rum smugglers and bootleggers. As noted in the newspaper “the islands are ideally located for rum running operations” (The Petaluma Argus-Courier, September 17, 1926). Thomas Crowley placed the successful bid of $25,438 for the islands and Mr. Brown was ordered to remove all of his improvements “within 30 days” (The Petaluma Argus-Courier, September 17, 1926). East Marin Island, 1922. Boat houses and landing built by A. A. Brown. Thomas Bannon was born in 1875, but his father died soon after. His widowed mother Jane, married David Crowley, who adopted him. In 1892, Thomas Bannon Crowley was a young man with big ambitions. He started his business by buying a Whitehall rowboat to shuttle personnel and supplies between the San Francisco waterfront and the tall sailing ships at anchor in San Francisco Bay. It was a demanding job, requiring physical strength and stamina because business was won by the boatman who could row out to the ships the fastest. From these humble beginnings the company multiplied, adding larger boats and tugs. Crowley, his son, and grandson expanded into Alaska, Seattle, and Los Angeles as well as international shipping, creating the Crowley Maritime Corporation (Crowley 2017). Interviewed in 1963, Crowley reminisced that he bought the Marin Islands as a retreat for his family. Crowley never spent the night, but his children and grandchildren spent weekends there. Thomas Crowley Sr. died in 1970.
1945.
Main House A small house was built for overnight stays. Water was brought to the island via a 5,000- foot water pipe and electricity by underwater cable. Constructed nearly in the center of the island, the small single-story house perched on the cliff edge, taking advantage of sweeping views to the south bay, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, and Marin County shoreline. Based on family tradition, Mario Corbett was the architect of the Main House. The Main House reflects the San Francisco Second Bay Tradition architectural style. Built into the natural landscape, with a low-pitched side gable roof oriented to the length of the island, it emphasized the horizontal grounding. Rustic materials such as stone from the quarry and exposed structural elements gave the building its character. A patio on the north side of the house served as an outdoor kitchen. Below the patio the steep hillside was stepped into a series of terraces for garden beds and fruit trees. And, the void left from the quarry was used as a swimming and fishing pond by the family.
1965.
Guest House A small guest cottage was built east of the Main House on the high point of the island. It consisted of two rooms separated by a walkthrough bathroom. A large wooden deck extended the living area to the west with a glass wall for wind protection. Mr. Clarence W.W. Mayhew was the architect of the Guest House. Mayhew incorporated modern concepts of the Second Bay Tradition into the design with the flared roof cantilevering over a box shape. Interestingly, the guest cottage did not contain a kitchen – visitors had meals at the Main House.
1992: Change in Ownership
The Crowley family sold the islands to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California State Fish and Game to preserve the wildlife values in 1992. The two houses were removed from the island because of continuous vandalism and safety
Other Facilities in this Complex
Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge is managed as part of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Other refuges in the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex include: Salinas River, Ellicott Slough, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay, Farallon Islands, San Pablo Bay, and Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge.
The Refuge Complex headquarters is located at 1 Marshlands Rd. Fremont, CA. 94555.
A National Wildlife Refuge Complex is an administrative grouping of two or more refuges, wildlife management areas or other refuge conservation areas that are primarily managed from a central office location. Refuges are grouped into a complex structure structure
Something temporarily or permanently constructed, built, or placed; and constructed of natural or manufactured parts including, but not limited to, a building, shed, cabin, porch, bridge, walkway, stair steps, sign, landing, platform, dock, rack, fence, telecommunication device, antennae, fish cleaning table, satellite dish/mount, or well head.
Learn more about structure because they occur in a similar ecological region, such as a watershed or specific habitat type, and have a related purpose and management needs. Typically, a project leader or complex manager oversees the general management of all refuges within the complex and refuge managers are responsible for operations at specific refuges. Supporting staff, composed of administrative, law enforcement, refuge manager, biological, fire, visitor services, and maintenance professionals, are centrally located and support all refuges within the complex.
