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The University of California, Santa Barbara campus is located on the former Alcatraz Asphalt Mine, operational from 1890 to 1898. Initially, asphalt was mined from deposits in the area, which were used by the Chumash Indians.

An English company leased the land, mining asphalt by sinking shafts up to 550 feet deep. The mine produced 420 tons of asphalt weekly, transported to the Southern Pacific railroad for distribution. After eight years, operations ceased as focus shifted to a more profitable mine at Brea Canyon.

During World War II, the Navy acquired the site, later transferring it to UC Santa Barbara. Today, remnants of the mine include a 550-foot shaft and a lagoon formed from the mine's collapse. The site has seen multiple historical markers, though they have often been removed. The lagoon was not present on early maps, appearing only after the mine's closure.