Article

The University of California, Santa Barbara campus is situated on the historic site of the Alcatraz Asphalt Mine, which operated from 1890 to 1898 and produced significant quantities of asphalt. The mine, initially worked by the Chumash Indians, was later leased by an English company before ceasing operations due to a shift in focus to a more profitable site. Today, remnants of the mine, including a 550-foot shaft and a lagoon formed from its collapse, remain, although many historical markers have been removed over time.