| Branscomb | |
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| — Unincorporated community — | |
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Branscomb
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Mendocino County |
| Elevation[1] | 1,565 ft (477 m) |
Branscomb is an unincorporated community in Mendocino County in the U.S. state California.[1] It is located 8 miles (13 km) west-southwest of Laytonville,[2] at an elevation of 1565 feet (477 m),[1] on a river terrace to the east of the South Fork Eel River.
The ZIP Code is 95454 and the community is inside area code 707.
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Benjamin Franklin Branscomb joined an ox-team wagon train that was headed for California in 1857. He was born in Jackson, Ohio, in 1832, the son of Joseph Edmond Branscomb. The family moved to DeKalb County, Missouri, where Joseph became Sheriff. According to family tradition, Joseph was shot and killed 3 days before President Lincoln was assassinated, but a contemporary newspaper account says Joseph was murdered, shot to death by a Mr. Stoffel in Maysville on July 31, 1865, after Lincoln's assassination.
Benjamin settled in Sonoma County and farmed there for about twenty years. He married one of the daughters of the captain of the wagon train, Mary Jane Taylor, and they had 10 children: 6 boys and 4 girls. They moved to Jackson Valley, Mendocino, in 1880, where he homesteaded 160 acres (0.65 km2) of land and 40 acres (160,000 m2) more under the Timber Act. He was instrumental in starting the first school in that area. He built a large home which, after his family grew up, he turned into a hotel. A small grocery store, meat market and livery stable were added later. After more people came into the area, he established a post office, which first opened in 1894.[2] Since the place had no official name, it was named after him, the postmaster. After his death in 1921, one of his sons, John, inherited the property and ran it until 1959, when he sold it to the Harwood family, who built the timber mill in Branscomb called Harwood Products.
In the state legislature Branscomb is located in the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Noreen Evans (as of 2008), and in the 1st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Wesley Chesbro (as of 2008). Federally, Branscomb is located in California's 1st congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +10 (as of 2008).[3] and is represented by Democrat Mike Thompson
The Cantwell Soda Spring, a natural spring of carbonated water is located 0.25 miles (0.40 km) north of Branscomb.[2]