Drawbridge, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Drawbridge
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Aerial image of Drawbridge
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 Drawbridge
Location in San Francisco Bay Area
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Alameda |
| City | Fremont |
| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) |
Drawbridge (once called Saline City) is a fascinating ghost town in California. It has an old, abandoned railroad station. You can find it at the very south end of the San Francisco Bay. It's near Station Island, which is now part of Fremont.
Drawbridge sits on the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. It's about 6 miles (10 km) south of downtown Fremont. The town is only 7 feet (2 meters) above sea level. Long ago, people used Drawbridge as a place for hunting. But since 1979, it has been a ghost town. It is slowly sinking into the marshlands around it. Today, Drawbridge is part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Because of this, it is against the law to visit the town.
History of Drawbridge
Drawbridge began in 1876. It was created by the South Pacific Coast Railroad. This railroad used a special type of track called "narrow-gauge." The town was built on Station Island. At first, there was only a small cabin. This cabin was for the person who operated the railroad's two drawbridges. These bridges crossed Mud Slough and Coyote Creek. They connected Newark with Alviso and San Jose.
In its busiest times, ten passenger trains stopped at Drawbridge every day. Five trains went north, and five went south. The old drawbridges were taken away a long time ago. The only way to reach Drawbridge now is along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.
Life in the Town
In the 1880s, Drawbridge was a popular place. Nearly 1,000 visitors would come to the town on weekends. By the 1920s, Drawbridge had grown quite a bit. Even though it had no roads, it had about 90 buildings. The town was split into two main areas. There was South Drawbridge, where most people were Roman Catholic. Then there was North Drawbridge, where most people were Protestant.
Why Drawbridge Became a Ghost Town
After the drawbridges were removed, many people started to leave Drawbridge. For many years, the San Jose Mercury News newspaper incorrectly reported that the town was already a ghost town. They also wrongly said that people had left valuable items behind. Because of these reports, the homes of the few people still living there were damaged.
The last person living in Drawbridge is believed to have left in 1979. That's why Drawbridge is now known as the only ghost town in the San Francisco Bay Area. Today, Drawbridge is part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It is not open to the public anymore. This is because of efforts to restore the natural area. However, you can still catch a quick glimpse of Drawbridge from certain trains. These include the Altamont Corridor Ace, Capitol Corridor, and Coast Starlight trains.
