History of Mendocino Village
What is it about Mendocino that draws people? It’s a combination of factors, best described by MaryAnne Hurley, an Architectural Historian with CA State Parks: “Perched on the bluff overlooking the river and the ocean, the town of Mendocino is not only classically picturesque, but it is also one of the best examples of a vibrant historic landscape where people carry on everyday lives amidst the delightful and enduring legacy of the 19th century.”
The history of Mendocino is the history of the Coast: redwood trees. This was the first location in the area where lumber was harvested. It all started in 1849 when the Frolic sank near Point Cabrillo. The attempt to recover the cargo was unsuccessful, but the scout discovered the giant redwood trees. In less than 2 years, the first lumber mill was operating on the Mendocino Headlands – right out where the sinkhole is, south of the west end of Main Street. You can still see traces of the old buildings, as well as massive iron rings set into the rock to anchor lines going out to the ships. This mill was only used for 2 years, and then it was rebuilt on Big River, just east of where Highway One crosses the river. The reason for moving it was simple: the exposed location on the Headlands meant that the winter storms kept tearing off pieces of the mill.
Over time, a billion board-feet of lumber was taken out of the Big River watershed. This lumber was primarily used to build San Francisco as it expanded in the Gold Rush, and then again to rebuild it after the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906. The mill closed in 1939, and Mendocino became a sleepy place for decades.
In the Sixties, there was an influx of creative and independent people. Bill and Jennie Zacha started the Mendocino Art Center on a shoestring and a prayer, and this gradually became the center of a thriving artist community. The Art Center continued to grow over the years, and it hosts exhibits, demonstrations, and classes for artists. Over the years, the arts became a way of life for many people, and so you can find a lot of galleries in Mendocino and in Fort Bragg. Local arts are exemplified in another way: music and the other performing arts. There are 2 local opera companies, a symphony, a theatre company, and other performers in the musical arts.
As the cultural scene thrived, so did the tourism industry. Now, you can find great restaurants with C.I.A. chefs, full-service hotels, and bed & breakfast inns everywhere. Many other services have built up around the tourism trade, and so visitors to Mendocino can expect to easily fill their time with as much or as little as they want to do.