In 1850, a California rancher brought 45 sheep to San Miguel Island; by 1862 there were 6,000, and after grazing denuded the island the last 148 were eliminated in 1966

Once, on a remote island battered by fierce winds and surrounded by the Pacific, there existed a peculiar ranching empire. San Miguel Island, now part of California’s Channel Islands National Park, was once home to thousands of sheep, isolated ranching families, and a sprawling ranch complex built partly from shipwreck debris.

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