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Census Reports for Angel Island- 1870 and 1880 © 04/23/05; Rev. 05/03/06
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| Angel Island, California was used as
a U.S. Army post for almost a century after the founding of Camp Reynolds
on the west side of the island in 1863. Today the island is a State
Park and and as such affords a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle
of the modern San Francisco Bay Area. This peaceful repose is far
from what would have been found there during the military period, however
even with the many historic structures and interpetive activities at the
site of Camp Reynolds, it can still be difficult to imagine just what it
would have been like as an active post.
One thing that can give a much deeper understanding of what life was like on the post is an understanding of who would have lived there. The 1870 and 1880 census records provide a snapshot of exactly who was on the island in each of these years. Although many of the individuals who are named in these documents would soon transfer to other military posts, the census records at least give a basic idea of the demographic cross-section of the post during the period known as the Indian Wars. The raw census records for Angel Island from which the tables on this page have been compiled are available here: |
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61yrs. / 3mos. |
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(B= Black, C= Chinese, I= Indian [Native American], J= Japanese, W = White) |
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| * Officers in 1870 include 1 surgeon. In 1880 there
are 1 colonel, 2 captains, 1 first lieutenant, 3 lieutenants, 1 surgeon
and 1 chaplain.
** Included under 'soldier' for 1880 are 1 first sergeant, 1 sergeant, 1 hospital steward and 3 musicians. *** In 1870 8 young women had "At Home" listed under occupation. **** Civilians in 1870 were 1 bank clerk, 5 domestic servants, 1 general merchant (retired), 1 minister and 1 quarryman . In 1880 the island was home to 1 store clerk, 1 cloakmaker, 1 dairyfarmer, 19 shrimp fishermen, 1 governess, 1 housekeeper, 1 quarryman, 1 schoolteacher, 13 servants and 1 trading post owner. |
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