Fort Bragg in Mendocino County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Whirring Saws Silenced: A Pictorial History of the Mill Site

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 22, 2016

1. Whirring Saws Silenced: A Pictorial History of the Mill Site Marker

Click on this image to enlarge it a view the photos.

Inscription. You would have heard the buzz of saw blades, the roar of trains and trucks moving logs in and lumber out, the blast of steam from the smoke stack, and the set-your-watch-by-it blow of the lunch whistle. But that's all gone now.
The old mill that supplied 500 to 2,000 workers with gainful employment for generations shut down operation in 2002.
While we now have access to our coastline and can restore wildlife habitat along the bluffs, there is a trade-off. Fort Bragg has suffered a loss of our economy and to the vitality and pride of many working people. A major part of our community has changed.

Timeline across the bottom: 1884: Fort Bragg Redwood Lumber Co. • 1892-1969: Union Lumber Co. • 1969-1973 Boise Cascade • 1973-2002 Georgia-Pacific Lumber Co.

Erected by City of Fort Bragg.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 2002.

Location. 39° 26.616′ N, 123° 48.78′ W. Marker is in Fort Bragg, California, in Mendocino County. Marker can be reached from West Elm Street near Glass Beach Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 398 West Elm Street, Fort Bragg CA 95437, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Dynamite Shack (approx. ¼ mile away); Major William F. Mullen Freedom Tree

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(approx. 0.4 miles away); Charles Russell Johnson (approx. 0.4 miles away); Fort Bragg (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Weller House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Fort Building (approx. half a mile away); First Baptist Church Bell (approx. half a mile away); Our Past Through Our Trash (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Bragg.

More about this marker. This marker is found on the Glass Beach (Bluffs) Trail at Noyo Headlands Park in Fort Bragg.

Also see . . . The Fort Bragg Mill Site - Anderson Valley Advertiser. Fast forward to 1885. Charles Russell Johnson, future Lumber Baron of Mendocino, buys into a Mill Creek operation that was to become Union Lumber. Within four years (1889), the Town of Fort Bragg was incorporated, with Mr. Johnson as the first mayor... For the next 100 or so years, it could truly be said that Fort Bragg was a company town. (Submitted on August 7, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, July 22, 2016

2. Whirring Saws Silenced: A Pictorial History of the Mill Site Marker

The Drying Sheds, in the background, are the only buildings remaining from the lumber mill.

Photographed By Vintage Postcard

3. Whirring Saws Silenced: A Pictorial History of the Mill Site Marker

Edgers, and showing Log Way running to Double Cutting Band Saw, Union Lumber Co. Fort Bragg, Cal. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Vintage Postcard

4. Edgers, and showing Log Way running to Double Cutting Band Saw, Union Lumber Co. Fort Bragg, Cal.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 7, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 7, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 431 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 7, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.