Book on Drawbridge

A book on Drawbridge, California, Sinking Underwater: A Ghost Town's Amazing Legacy written by Anita Goldwasser and Cecilia D. Craig, Ph. D. and published by the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society, is now available for purchase.

Anita Goldwasser is a writer who explored the once-vibrant ghost town of Drawbridge in the San Francisco Bay Area and photographed its buildings more than 30 years ago—before most of them sank into the marsh or succumbed to fire.

Cecilia (Ceal) Craig is a long-time member of the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society and volunteer tour guide for Drawbridge.

You can buy the book in person at our Nature Stores at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. You can also have us mail you a copy by sending us a check or making an online payment.

All proceeds from the book sale benefit the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society.

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Visitor Center
2 Marshlands Road, Fremont, CA 94555
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Environmental Education Center Lobby
1751 Grand Blvd, Alviso, CA 95002
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About the book

Full Title: Sinking Underwater: A ghost town’s amazing legacy
Authors: Anita Goldwasser and Cecilia D. Craig, Ph. D.
Publisher: San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society
Paperback: 121 pages in full color
ISBN: 978-1-54392-732-0
First edition: 2018

Sinking Underwater: A Ghost Town's Amazing Legacy by Anita Goldwasser and Cecilia D. Craig, Ph. D. Cover illustration art by Linda Knoll. Cover photo ©2017 by Anita Goldwasser.

There's a certain mystique to the ghost town of Drawbridge, California, even though it "died" 37 years ago. Because of its isolation on a marshy island, the town remains unknown - even to people who live a few miles away. This unusual community lacked streets, schools or stores and its buildings were constantly sank into swampy water. Residents had to walk three miles on railroad tracks to the nearest grocery. Their kids trudged to school on those same busy tracks. Still, residents loved its lifestyle.

Why were they forced to leave?

Why is the island off limits today?

The town remains alive in an unusual manner.

You will meet the hardy folks who lived there and learn their stories firsthand, thanks to unexpected events that took place after it became a ghost town. Photos and rare interviews with former inhabitants bring Drawbridge to life again, allowing readers to experience the town without slogging through its mud.

Come. Drawbridge beckons.

About the authors

Anita Goldwasser has had some 400 articles published on subjects as diverse as travel, humor, and business. She has been a Public Relations writer as well as a ghostwriter for a real estate book published by Dow Jones. Major newspapers have published her travel articles. Anita explored Drawbridge and photographed its buildings more than 30 years ago—before most of them sank into the marsh or succumbed to fire. Her photographs have appeared on many magazine covers and were exhibited at the Triton Museum in Santa Clara, CA.

Cecilia D. Craig, Ph. D., is a retired engineer with several recent publications in STEM education for women and is a Society of Women Engineers Fellow. In 2000, she became a Fish and Wildlife Service volunteer, leading a program about Drawbridge since 2008. The program includes free tours to view Drawbridge from a Coyote Creek levee. Ceal has been an officer and volunteer for the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society (SFBWS), a Friends group for the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. SFBWS is the publisher of this book.

About the publisher

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Friends group, authorized by Congress to support the education, interpretation, and research activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society seeks to nurture in the public a sense of understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuges, their natural and cultural history, and to conserve, preserve, and restore bay lands as essential wildlife habitat.

By becoming a member, you not only support us in our mission, you also get a subscription to the Tideline magazine and a 15% discount at our Nature Stores.