Treasure of Pirate Almeida) inspired by Caja de Muertos island, and in 1883, it inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write the novel "Treasure Island".<ref>[http://drna.pr.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/La-Reserva-Natural-Isla-Caja-de-Muertos.pdf La-Reserva-Natural-Isla-Caja-de-Muertos.] Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. "Hojas de Nuestro Ambiente". October 2009. Revised July 2009. Number P-009. Accessed 27 July 2020.</ref> In 1898, at the time of the American invasion, the island had a population of 64 permanent residents, and a decade later only 16 residents remained. These residents had no fresh water in the island, so water was brought in from the mainland when, during periods of little rain, it could not be collected from the rainfall. The island eventually became uninhabited, except for the lightkeepers. In 1945 when the island's lighthouse was automated, there was no longer a need to have lighthouse keepers and the island became deserted. After this, the island became a day-trip vacationing spot for some owners of private vessels who might venture to the island for a day trip or for fishing. On January 2, 1980 the island was declared a nature reserve by act of the Puerto Rico Legislature and entrusted to the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources to be guarded and administered. It is administered in conjunction of the Ponce Municipal Government. In 1985, the Government of Puerto Rico gave its approval for the development of a tourism center at Caja de Muertos. The lighthouse was restored by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources and for a while it housed a museum.Recursos Naturales y Ambientales dará prioridad a Caja de Muertos. Jose Fernandez Colon. NoticiasOnline.com 20 February 2009. Retrieved 30 October 2010. The Puerto Rico Ports Authority had public transportation to the Island until 1993; shortly thereafter a company called “Island Venture” started offering daily trips. Service was interrupted twice, after Hurricane Maria and after the 2020 Puerto Rico earthquakes, both of which badly damaged La Guancha, the area on the mainland where passengers boarded the catamarans to the island. The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources built a dock, barracks for reserve personnel, as well as a small museum, trail signs, and compost bathrooms for tourists. In 2009, the government of Puerto Rico announced plans to make development of the island and its restoration of its lighthouse, both for tourism purposes, a priority of the DRNA.Recursos Naturales y Ambientales dará prioridad a Caja de Muertos. José Fernández Colon. NoticiasOnline.com 20