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 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.
Geography
Fort Bragg is located at 39°26′45″N 123°48′19″W / 39.44583°N 123.80528°W / 39.44583; -123.80528 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 (7.2 km²), of which, 2.7 square miles (7.1 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.44%) is water.
Climate
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]
Demographics
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/sq mi (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.
Politics
In the state legislature Fort Bragg is located in the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Pat Wiggins, and in the 1st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Patty Berg. 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.
History
On June 11, 1857, Fort Bragg was established by members of a detachment from Company M, 3rd Artillery Regiment, lead by 1st Lieutenant (later Brigadier General) Horatio Gates Gibson. The post was named for Captain Braxton Bragg, 3rd Artillery Regiment, a Mexican-American War veteran and later a general in the Confederate Army. The original fort was part of the Humboldt Military District headquarted at Fort Humboldt. Fort Bragg shares its name with Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Lieutenant Gibson and Company M left Fort Bragg in January 1859 to be replaced by Company D, 6th Infantry Regiment. They stayed for two years and continued to build up the post. The fort was laid-out in a typical military design with a quad at the center of the post which served as its parade grounds. At its height, the fort comprised 17 structures including 2 buildings for officer's quarters, 4 barracks for enlisted men, a guardhouse, a commissary, a hospital, and a stable. A small cemetery seems to have been next to the fort.
The 1860 U.S. census provides us with an interesting snapshot of life at the fort. Living at the fort were 1st Lieutenant Edward Dillon, Surgeon Pascal Quinan and his wife Sophie, First Sergeant Paul Duell, Second Sergeant James Baston, two corporals, two musicians, and 23 privates.
Regular Army troops would be reassigned to battlefields in the eastern United States as the American Civil War heated up. In 1862 a company from the 2nd Infantry Regiment, California Volunteers, replaced the Regular Army soldiers at Fort Bragg and remained until 1864. The fort was permanently evacuated October 19, 1864 when the garrison was loaded aboard the steamer Panama. This completed the abandonment of Mendocino County's first military post.
A partial list of the post's commander's include:
- 1st Lieutenant Horatio Gates Gibson, June 1857-June 1858
- 1st Lieutenant William Passmore Carlin, September 1859-May 1860
- 1st Lieutenant Edward Dillion, May 1860-June 1861
- 1st Lieutenant Orlando H. Moore, July-August 1861
- 2nd Lieutenant James P. Martin, August-November 1861
Edward Dillion resigned his commission in 1861 and left for the Confederacy. Both Horatio Gates Gibson and William Passmore Carlin went on to become Brigadier Generals in the U.S. Army during the Civil War.
The last remaining building of the Fort Bragg military post is located at 430 North Franklin Street. It was the Quartermaster's storehouse and commissary. The building is now a California Historical Landmark #615.
A post office was opened for a time during 1858 before closing, re-opened in 1861, closed in 1862, and re-opened in 1885.[2]
Much of the early industry in the town was centered around logging the vast redwood forests that lie near the coast.
The first lumber mill opened in 1885.[2] Fort Bragg incorporated in 1889.[2]
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 Soldier Bay. 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.
Points of Interest
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. Warning: the path from the road down to the beach is somewhat treacherous, so curious visitors should be sure to wear shoes with good tread. It is not uncommon for unprepared visitors to injure themselves on the way down.
Fort Bragg is the western terminus of the California Western Railroad (otherwise known locally as the "Skunk Train", which was either caused or was inspired by the local train logo, a skunk), 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.
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:
City government
- Mayor- Doug Hammerstrom
- Vice Mayor- Dave Turner
- City Manager- Linda Ruffing
- Councilmembers
- Meg Courtney
- Dan Gjerde
- Jere Melo
People from Fort Bragg
Schools
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.
Food
Fort Bragg has variety of restaurants and cafes positioned along Highway 1, which officially becomes Main Street upon entering the city. The first restaurant, entering town from the south, is a McDonalds, but there are many more places to eat. The Mendocino Chocolate Company, owned by the Keaton family, makes a variety of chocolated and fudges in the homestyle fashion, and is based it 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.
Movies
Several major movies have been filmed at an around Fort Bragg, including "The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming", a 1966 comedy movie about a Soviet Union submarine that accedently runs aground off the coast of New England.
References
External links
