| City of Fort Bragg | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Aerial view of the southern section of Fort Bragg and the mouth of the Noyo River. State Route 1 crosses the river | |
| Location in Mendocino County and the state of California | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.2 km2 (2.8 sq mi) |
| • Land | 7.1 km2 (2.7 sq mi) |
| • Water | 0.1 km2 (0.0 sq mi) |
| Elevation[1] | 26 m (85 ft) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 7,026 |
| • Density | 993.7/km2 (2,573.7/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP codes | 95437, 95488 |
| Area code(s) | 707 |
| FIPS code | 06-25058 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1656027 |
| Website | http://ci.fort-bragg.ca.us/ |
| Sister cities |
|---|
| Ōtsuchi, Iwate |
Fort Bragg is a city located in coastal Mendocino County, California along State Route 1, the major north-south highway along the Pacific Coast. Fort Bragg is located 24 miles (39 km) west of Willits,[2] at an elevation of 85 feet (26 m).[1] Founded as a military fort prior to the American Civil War, Fort Bragg is now a popular tourist destination due to its picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean and rugged Northern California coastline. The population was 7,026 at the 2000 census.
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Fort Bragg is located at with an average elevation of 85 ft (26 m) above sea level.[1]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2), of which, 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (1.44%) is water.
Due to Fort Bragg's proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the city has very mild weather throughout the year. Most of the rainfall occurs from November to April with some occasional drizzle or light showers during the summer. Fog and low overcast are common, especially during the night and early morning hours.
January, the coldest month, has an average maximum temperature of 55.1 °F (12.8 °C) and an average minimum temperature of 39.9 °F (4.4 °C); September, the warmest month, has an average maximum temperature of 65.8 °F (18.8 °C) and an average minimum temperature of 49.2 °F (9.6 °C). Temperatures rarely reach 90 °F (32 °C), occurring on an average of only 0.1 day annually. Freezing temperatures occur on an average of 11.1 days annually. The record maximum temperature was 94 °F (34 °C) on October 5, 1985 (exceeded by 96 °F (36 °C) on October 23, 1965, at the airport, where records were kept from 1948 to 1972). The record minimum temperature was 18 °F (−8 °C) on December 21, 1990.
Average annual precipitation is 41.17 inches (1,046 mm). The wettest year on record was 1995 with 61.90 inches (1,572 mm) and the driest year on record was 1976 with 21.01 inches (534 mm). The maximum precipitation in one month was 21.60 inches (549 mm) in December 2002. The maximum 24 hour rainfall was 4.36 inches (111 mm) on December 28, 2002.[3]
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 7,026 people, 2,840 households, and 1,644 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,577.1 people per square mile (993.7/km²). There were 3,051 housing units at an average density of 1,119.1 per square mile (431.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.46% White, 1.04% Black or African American, 1.85% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 12.06% from other races, and 4.57% from two or more races. 22.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,840 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.1% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,539, and the median income for a family was $36,000. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $23,287 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,832. About 11.9% of families and 20.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
In the state legislature Fort Bragg is located in the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Noreen Evans, and in the 1st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Wesley Chesbro. Federally, Fort Bragg is located in California's 1st congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +10[5] and is represented by Democrat Mike Thompson.
In prehistoric days, the area now known as Fort Bragg was home to the Native American Indians, most of whom belonged to the Pomo tribe. They were hunter-gatherers who lived close to the land and sea along the northern coast of California.
In 1855 an exploration party from the Bureau of Indian Affairs visited the area looking for a site on which to establish a reservation and, in the spring of 1856, the Mendocino Indian Reservation was established at Noyo. It was 25,000 acres (100 km2) and its boundary extended north from what is now Simpson Lane to Abalobadiah Creek and east from the Pacific Ocean to Bald Hill.
In the summer of 1857, First Lieutenant Horatio G. Gibson, then serving at the Presidio of San Francisco, established a military post on the Mendocino Indian Reservation approximately one and one-half miles north of the Noyo River. He named the camp for his former commanding officer Captain Braxton Bragg, who later became a General in the Army of the Confederacy. The official date of the establishment of the fort was June 11, 1857. Its purpose was to maintain order on the reservation.
Gibson and Company M, Third Artillery left Fort Bragg in January 1859 to be replaced by Company D, 6th Infantry. They stayed for two years and continued to build up the post.
In June 1862 Company D, 2nd California Infantry were ordered to garrison the post and remained until 1864. In October of that year the Fort Bragg garrison was loaded aboard the steamer "Panama" and completed the evacuation and abandonment of Mendocino County's first military post.
The Mendocino Indian reservation was discontinued in March 1866 and the land opened for settlement three years later.
The last remaining building of the Fort Bragg military post is located at 430 North Franklin Street. It may have been the Quartermaster's storehouse and commissary, or surgeon's quarters or hospital.
The approximate boundaries of the fort extend from the south side of Laurel, east from the railroad depot to the alley behind Franklin, down the alley to a point 100 feet (30 m) south of Redwood Avenue, west on Redwood to just beyond the Georgia-Pacific Corporation company offices, then north to connect with the Laurel Street border at the railroad station.
By 1867 the reservation and military outpost at Fort Bragg were abandoned. By 1869 small lumber mills were being built at the mouth of every creek. Ranches were settled. By 1873 Fort Bragg had an established lumber port at Noyo.
In 1869, after the fort was abandoned, the land of the reservation was returned to the public and offered for sale at $1.25 per acre to settlers. In 1885 C.R.Johnson who, with partners Calvin Stewart and James Hunter had been operating a sawmill in Mill Creek on the Ten Mile River, moved their mill machinery to Fort Bragg to take advantage of the harbor for shipping.
The company incorporated in 1885 as the Fort Bragg Redwood Company. In 1891, after merging with the Noyo River Lumber Company, it was renamed the Union Lumber Company.
The Fort Bragg Railroad was founded to haul logs to the mill. The first rails were run up Pudding Creek and in 1887 reached Glen Blair. A San Francisco streetcar was purchased to carry loggers and their families on Sunday excursions to the woods.
Fort Bragg was incorporated in 1889 with C.R. Johnson as its first mayor. Calvin Stewart did the plat maps for the town.
The Union Lumber Company was incorporated in 1891 by absorbing some of the smaller lumber companies in the area. Some of the new company lands were in the Noyo River watershed east of town making removal of logs difficult by rail, unless a tunnel was built. Johnson hired experienced Chinese tunnel builders from San Francisco. After completion of the tunnel, most of the Chinese settled in Fort Bragg and Mendocino. A six-walled Chinese town was built at Redwood and McPherson. Older residents say that eventually most of the Chinese children moved elsewhere.
In 1901 the Union Lumber Company incorporated the National Steamship Company to carry lumber, passengers and supplies. The only link to manufactured creature comforts and staples like sugar and coffee were delivered by steamship. In 1905 the California Western Railroad and Navigation Company was formed and plans were pushed to get the rail line all the way to Willits, where train connections to the Northwestern Pacific would link to San Francisco.
The 1906 earthquake resulted in a fire that threatened the saw mill and the city. Within the town itself, all brick buildings were damaged. Only two were not destroyed completely. Many frame houses were knocked off their piers. The fire downtown burned the entire block bordered by Franklin, Redwood and McPherson Streets, plus the west side of Franklin. The west Franklin block burned down to approximately one half a block beyond the intersection of Redwood and Franklin.
Within 12 months following the earthquake, most downtown reconstruction was completed. Ironically, the earthquake brought real prosperity to Fort Bragg as the mills furnished lumber to rebuild San Francisco, and the lumber ships returning from San Francisco were ballasted with bricks used for rebuilding Fort Bragg.[6] With the new prosperity, the rail line to Willits was completed and in 1912 the first tourists came to Fort Bragg. By 1916 Fort Bragg had become a popular place to visit - and to settle.
Commercial fishing has also played an important role in the economic base of the community. Once a major commercial fishing port, Fort Bragg was well known for producing quality fish products that were distributed to major metropolitan markets.
In 1969 the Union Lumber Company was purchased by Boise Cascade and it, in turn, became Georgia Pacific in 1973.
The emergence of the City of Fort Bragg as a diverse residential, recreational and growing commercial area had begun and the city was on the path to becoming what it is today. The Guest House Museum is the repository of artifacts and records telling the story of Fort Bragg. An endowment fund has been established to support cultural and educational programs associated with the Museum. Donations can also be made for specific building restoration or grounds improvement projects. The Museum is open to the public on a regular schedule.
Recently, Georgia Pacific Lumber Company put on the market a 400-acre (1.6 km2) piece of property within the city limits, formerly the site of a large mill facility. The mill was shut down in 2002 and has been identified as a nonperforming asset by Georgia Pacific. The mill site takes up almost the entire coastline of Fort Bragg including Fort Bragg Landing. The public of Fort Bragg has embraced the mill site as the future of Fort Bragg and has proposed many forward-thinking ideas. Some possibilities for the mill site are: a marine research center, a conference center, a world-class golf course, a smaller mill, or a branch of a college.
Glass Beach is on the edge of town, along the ocean. In the 20th century, Fort Bragg residents threw their trash over these cliffs. They discarded glass, appliances, and cars. The land was owned by the Union Lumber Company, and locals called it "The Dumps." Sometimes fires would be lit to remove the trash pile. In 1967, city leaders closed the area and various cleanup programs were brought on through the years to fix the damage. Over several decades the pounding waves cleansed the beach, wearing down the discarded glass into the small, smooth, colored pieces that coat the beach today. The area is now visited by tourists.
The city is also home to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, a 47-acre (190,000 m2) garden along the coastal bluffs.
Other points of interest:
Fort Bragg is the western terminus of the California Western Railroad (otherwise known locally as the "Skunk Train", Steam passenger service was started in 1904, extended to the town of Willits in 1911, running through the Coast Redwood forests to the city of Willits, 40 miles (64 km) inland. Started in 1885 as a rail route for moving large logs to the mills, the Skunk Train now offers scenic tours through the redwoods. In 1925 self-powered, yellow "Skunk" rail cars were inaugurated. The little trains were quickly nicknamed for their original gas engines, which prompted folks to say, "You can smell 'em before you can see 'em." In 1965 the line reintroduced summer steam passenger service between Fort Bragg and Willits with Baldwin-built steam locomotive No.45, calling the colorful train "The Super Skunk." That train was discontinued in 2001, then revived in September 2006. No.45 continues to power excursion trains from Fort Bragg, California as far as Northspur, California, the CWR's mid-point, on selected weekends summer to early autumn.
The city also has a small airport [7] which has perhaps the narrowest paved runway in the United States at just 12 feet wide.[8]
As a youth Ken Sasaki noted that his home Ōtsuchi, Japan, is located on the same latitude as Fort Bragg and in 2001 he contacted then Mayor Lindy Peters and visited with a delegation to open discussions on a sister city agreement. Fort Bragg students visited Otsuchi in 2002 and the Sister-City Proclamation was solidified in 2005 by following Mayor, Dave Turner. Other student exchanges were held in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 and the next exchange was planned for July 2011.[9][10] Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami devastation of Otsuchi, the Mayor ordered that city flags be flown half staff until the end of March to honour the thousands of lives lost.[11]
Children in Fort Bragg attend Fort Bragg High School, Fort Bragg Middle School, Dana Gray Elementary and Redwood Elementary. In 2006, Three Rivers Learning Center, a charter school under the jurisdiction of Mattole Valley Charter School opened. "Three Rivers" As it is abbreviated by locals, was the brainchild of two local teachers, one of whom had originally been teaching a small private school by the name of Thomas More Preparatory School. It is largely considered by the students who transferred were that Three Rivers rose from the ashes of Thomas More.
Fort Bragg has variety of restaurants and cafes positioned along Highway 1, which officially becomes Main Street upon entering the city, and other streets. The first restaurant seen, when entering town from the south is a McDonald's, but there are many more places to eat. The Mendocino Chocolate Company, owned by the Keaton family, makes a variety of chocolate and fudges in the homestyle fashion, and is based in what was once the local Bank of America. The Mendocino Cookie Company, owned by the Alarcon family, is a cookie and coffee cafe located near the front of the local company store. Eggheads Restaurant, currently under the ownership of the Parrish family, is a The Wizard of Oz themed restaurant, specialising in omelets.
Several major movies have been filmed at an around Fort Bragg, including "The Majestic",[14] "Racing with the moon", The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming", a 1966 comedy movie about a Soviet Union submarine that accidentally runs aground off the coast of New England,[15] and the 1987 romantic comedy "Overboard" starring Goldie Hawn.[16]