Red Rock Island facts for kids
Aerial photograph of Red Rock Island
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 Red Rock Island
Location in San Francisco Bay Area
Red Rock Island
Location in California
Red Rock Island
Location in the United States
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| Geography | |
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| Coordinates | 37°55′45″N 122°25′51″W / 37.92917°N 122.43083°W |
| Total islands | 1 |
| Area | 0.0234718 km2 (0.0090625 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 46 m (151 ft) |
| Administration | |
| State | California |
| County | San Francisco, Marin and Contra Costa |
Red Rock Island is a small island in the San Francisco Bay that no one lives on. It's special because it's the only island in the San Francisco Bay that is privately owned. Imagine owning your own island!
This island is also unique because it sits where three different counties meet: San Francisco, Marin, and Contra Costa. Part of the island is officially part of the city of San Francisco, and most of it is part of the city of Richmond.
The island gets its name from its bright red earth and rock. It is about 500 feet (152 meters) wide from east to west and 750 feet (229 meters) long from north to south. It rises about 151 feet (46 meters) out of the water. The water around Red Rock Island is quite deep, nearly 60 feet (18 meters) in some spots.
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History of Red Rock Island
Red Rock Island has an interesting past, from its first owner to plans for a hotel.
Who owned Red Rock Island first?
The first person to own and live on Red Rock Island was a man named Selim E. Woodworth in the 1800s. He built a cabin there and used the island as a place to hunt. Old maps from the 1850s show the island, sometimes called "Molate Island."
What was mined on the island?
At one point, people mined the island for a metal called manganese. This shows that the island was once used for its natural resources.
How did the island become privately owned?
The island was bought by private owners in the 1920s. Over the years, it changed hands a few times. In 1964, a San Francisco lawyer named David Glickman bought the island for $49,500. He owned it for a very long time.
Were there plans to build on the island?
In the 1980s, there was a big idea to change Red Rock Island. The plan was to remove the top half of the island and sell the rock for building roads. Then, a 10-story hotel and casino would be built on the island, along with a harbor for yachts. However, these plans never happened.
Is Red Rock Island for sale?
David Glickman tried to sell the island several times. In 2007, he put it up for sale for $10 million. Later, in 2012, the price was lowered to $5 million. As of 2018, the island was owned by Brock Durning, but it was not clear if he planned to sell it.
Red Rock Island in books
The island is even mentioned in a novel! In the book The Circle by Dave Eggers, Red Rock Island is called "Blue Island."
