San Leandro Oyster Beds
Encyclopedia
The San Leandro Oyster Beds in San Leandro, California
, were the origin of the oyster
industry in the U.S. state
of California
. During the 1890s the oyster industry thrived until it became the single most important fishery
in the state. Moses Wicks is supposed to have been the first to bring seed oysters around Cape Horn
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 as a California Historical Landmark
(#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.
San Leandro, California
San Leandro is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is considered a suburb of Oakland and San Francisco. The population was 84,950 as of 2010 census. The climate of the city is mild throughout the year.-Geography and water resources:...
, were the origin of the oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
industry in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. During the 1890s the oyster industry thrived until it became the single most important fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
in the state. Moses Wicks is supposed to have been the first to bring seed oysters around Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
and implant them in the San Leandro beds. The oyster industry in San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
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 as a California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
(#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.