The Visitor Property Museum
As we traveled south from Arcata, California, on SR 101 I noticed a smaller city suitable on the ocean known as Ft. Bragg on our map. It appeared like an space that wasn’t closely traveled and I was certainly correct. Having said that, having to and from Ft. Bragg proved to be a challenge. We had to vacation down a twisting, winding two-lane freeway with turns so sharp that we located our fifth wheel monitoring into the oncoming lane on many events. Fortunately for us and other persons on the street we seldom saw an oncoming car or truck. Following we obtained into the town we uncovered a charming minimal trailer park that was tucked into a tiny bay proper throughout from the ocean. Soon after settling in we commenced searching all-around and I observed a truly attractive previous Victorian Mansion in the centre of city. There was a sign indicating it was The Guest House Museum. It was sponsored by the Mendocino Coastline Historical Modern society. The Guest Residence Museum provides site visitors an overview of the background of the Mendocino Coast. The three-story Victorian framework that residences the Museum is alone a hanging remnant of that background. Constructed in 1892, the property occupies what prior to the Civil War had been the web-site of the Fort Bragg army post hospital. The write-up was proven in 1857 “for the comfort and security of the Indians.”
It was the California Gold Rush that 1st stimulated settlement of the Mendocino Coastline–not for gold, as there was none below, but for the area’s majestic redwood forests, which would offer the lumber to make San Francisco and several other Gold Hurry-period communities. (San Francisco would be rebuilt with north coastline lumber pursuing the good earthquake of 1906, which damaged or ruined cities and towns from Monterey to Eureka, which include Fort Bragg.)
A great deal of the early heritage was formed by ambitious lumbermen from New England and the Higher Midwest who had been drawn to the Mendocino Coast by the promise of new prosperity. Amid them was Charles Russell Johnson (1859-1940), regarded familiarly as “CR,” who very first arrived on the Coast as a youthful male in 1882. Inside of a ten years he had come to be a outstanding mill owner, Fort Bragg’s founding mayor (1889), and an exemplar of Victorian-period lumber barons who influenced virtually every aspect of everyday lifetime in their communities.
Johnson was the founder of the Fort Bragg Redwood Enterprise in 1885 which grew to become the Union Lumber Corporation in 1891 as a result of a merger of his own firm with the neighboring Noyo River business of W.P. Plummer and C.L. White.
He had efficiently set up himself on the Mendocino Coast with the financial backing of his father and two of his father’s Michigan business associates. With the elder Johnson as Union Lumber’s nominal president, “CR” expanded logging and milling functions into a veritable loved ones empire that quickly dominated everyday living in Fort Bragg and its environs.
“C.R.” Johnson was understandably proud of his many exploits and like other thriving business owners of his day, he sought to exhibit them conspicuously. This impressive Victorian property which dominates downtown Fort Bragg displays that satisfaction. It preserves some thing of Johnson’s individuality and stands as a community reminder of his place in the neighborhood. Built as a visitor house for pals, buyers and company associates, it also offered lodging for “CR” anytime enterprise enterprise or holidays introduced him to town from the Union Lumbers Firm’s San Francisco business.
The Guest House served as a clearly show place for Union Lumber wooden products and solutions. It was produced from the greatest outdated-growth redwood and Douglas fir and contained 67,000 board feet of lumber. Website visitors will be struck by the ornate woodwork, notably the attractive moldings, door and window trim, and the spool, spindle banisters of the staircase. Also noteworthy are the stained glass windows higher than the stairway’s initially landing. Extraordinary as well, is the inside spaciousness of the property designed by its twelve ft superior ceilings – aesthetically satisfying by Victorian standards but not extremely realistic for housekeeping or heating.
Initially the Guest Property contained 7 fireplaces, but the 1906 earthquake and set up of a additional contemporary heating process has decreased that range to a few. When initial accomplished, all bedrooms in the home had very hot and cold managing water and every single place apart from the kitchen had electric lights. There was a discreetly concealed soaked bar on the very first flooring and a substantial billiard room on the third floor where male attendees could smoke and schmooze in personal.
Our journey by means of the Museum and into Mendocino Coast’s colorful earlier was genuinely good. The good news is, our vacation out of Ft. Bragg to Napa was a whole lot much easier than our excursion in.
Superior Luck! Have Pleasurable! and Continue to be Harmless!
-Laura
www.rvtravelog.com/ftbragg.dir/ftbragg1.htm
Posted by Hotash on 2009-02-17 18:27:41
Tagged: , fort , bragg , historic , web site , logging , historical past , mendocino , county , california , zipcode95437 , 95437 , guest , residence , museum , http://www.mcn.org/ed/cur/liv/ind/mark/kell.htm , february , 2009 , gues
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