The inhabitants of Sálvora worked in the agriculture and livestock first, growing rye, potatoes and corn. They had cows, sheep, chickens and rabbits for their own consumption. They would take fish from the sea with the help of “dornas” (small ships) making the fishing, their main source of income.
In the first quarter of the nineteenth century, a family dynasty would get the ownership of the island, although this would be expropriated by the state in 1904, stating reasons of national defense until 1958, although the traces left by the military detachment are meaningless. During that period the inhabitants became settlers of the state without any compensations, enabling them to improve the living conditions, adapting the houses, the courts or their dornas.
A significant event that marked the history of Sálvora forever was the sinking of "Santa Isabel" in 1921( 02/01/1921 ) .
In 1921, no more than 60 people lived on the island, although only 25 of them would know this terrible event. The other inhabitants were on the continent celebrating the New Year with family and friends and couldn´t return to Sálvora due to the storm. Those who had remained on the island were children, women and old people and they worked actively in the rescue of the castaways.
