Fort Bragg in Mendocino County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
First Baptist Church Bell
Cast in England and brought around the Horn. First bell in Fort Bragg. It hung in the steeple from 1890-1952. It summoned worshipers to church, sounded fire alarms and curfew.
Erected 1983 by Native Daughters of the Golden West No. 210.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Historic Bells, and the Native Sons/Daughters of the Golden West series lists.
Location. 39° 26.812′ N, 123° 48.292′ W. Marker is in Fort Bragg, California, in Mendocino County. It is at the intersection of East Pine Street and North Franklin Street, on the left when traveling east on East Pine Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Bragg CA 95437, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in California’s Wine Country, in the North Coast, and specifically on the Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast and in the Pacific Northwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fort Building (within shouting distance of this marker); The Weller House (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Major William F. Mullen Freedom Tree (about 700 feet away); Fort Bragg (approx. 0.2 miles away); Charles Russell Johnson (approx. 0.2 miles away); Surrounded By Trees (approx. half a mile away); Whirring Saws Silenced: A Pictorial History of the Mill Site (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.
Additional commentary.
1. Actual origin of this bell
This bell is cast iron amalgam, and it was made in Cincinnati, Ohio, not in England. Bells of identical style and similar age can be found all over the western states.
— Submitted August 17, 2020, by Carl Scott Zimmerman of Kirkwood, Missouri.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 17, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 14, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 408 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 14, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.


