This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Last Shrimp Fisherman Keeps History Alive at China Camp
In San Rafael California Frank Quan, 67, remains the lone survivor of a once thriving community of Chinese American shrimp fishermen near China Camp State Park. The decline began after 1911 laws banned dried shrimp exports and bag nets were outlawed, turning bustling towns into ghost settlements, though Quan continues to fish for both bait and occasional meals while running a waterfront cafe and preserving family memory in a museum exhibit. He notes the bay’s changes have reduced catches but keeps a steady routine, cherishing the pre-dawn work and his role as living history.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
San Rafael
Calif
San Pablo Bay
Frank Quan
China Camp
San Francisco Bay
Quan
Soliary
California
Perkins
San Francisco