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The island received its name in 1775 when Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala charted the San Francisco Bay, and named this tiny speck of land La Isla de los Alcatraces, which translated to "Island of the Pelicans." The small uninhabited island had little to offer, with its swift currents, minimal vegetation, and barren ground.

Seventy-two years later in 1847, the U.S. Army took notice of "The Rock" and of its strategic value as a military fortification. Topographical engineers began conducting geological surveys, and by 1853, U.S. Army Engineers had started constructing a military fortress on the island, along with the Pacific Coast's first operating lighthouse.

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