The Egg Shortage in Gold Rush Era San Francisco

During the gold rush in San Francisco, there was a severe shortage of eggs, which were a valuable commodity due to their use in baking and limited availability. The population boom and lack of farming infrastructure led to a depletion of chickens and roosters, leaving the city without a sustainable source of eggs. Imported eggs from as far as Chile were used to meet the demand, but the prices soared to exorbitant levels. The high prices and scarcity of eggs gave rise to an illegal egg trade, with lighthouse keepers and rival egg poaching companies engaging in violent battles over control of the lucrative egg business.