Mendocino dates to 1852, and 24% of its homes were built before 1940
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 2000.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
Prior to 1850, a Pomo settlement named Buldam was located near Mendocino on the north bank of the Big River. In 1850, the ship Frolic was wrecked a few miles north of Mendocino, at Point Cabrillo, and the investigation of the wreck by agents of Henry Meiggs sparked the development of the timber industry in the area. Mendocino itself was founded in 1852 as a logging community for what became the Mendocino Lumber Company, and was originally named "Meiggsville" after Meiggs. The town was also known as "Big River" Meiggstown, and "Mendocino City", before the current name was settled on. The first post office opened in 1858. Many of the town's early settlers were New Englanders, as was true of many older Northern California logging towns. Portuguese fishermen from the Azores also settled in the area, as did immigrants from Canton Province in China, who built the Taoist Temple of Kwan Tai in …
Passages that mention Mendocino, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Mendocino and Lake counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading, men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present1914 · page 847Read the page →
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and a friend embarked in merchandising there. On the death of his partner he disposed of their interests and came to San Francisco, thence to Benicia, where he worked at shipbuilding. In company with J. B. Ford, E. C. Williams and Harry Meigs in 1852 he came to Mendocino county and assisted in building the first sawmill in the old town of Mendocino. In the beginning he took charge of the logging, until a store was found necessary, and then with Mr.
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History of Mendocino County, California1880 · page 279Read the page →
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time for the collection of the delinquent tax was obtained from the Legislature, until under date of February 21, 1862, we find the following spread upon the minutes of the Board of Supervisors : — " Ordered, that the District Attorney of Mendocino county be empowered to make a settlement with said Sonoma county regarding the amount to bo paid by said Mendocino county to said Sonoma county as per settlement between the Commissioners of the said counties, authorized by the Act of 1859, organizing Mendocino county. That said settlement shall be made in
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History of Mendocino County, California1880 · page 422Read the page →
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The following Act of the Legislature was passed February 8, 1878 : " The Board of Supervisors of Mendocino county are hereby empowered to sell the remainder of the ' Mendocino Special Road and Bridge Bonds,' authorized to be issued by an Act of the Legislatui-e ' to provide for the purchase and erection of bridges, etc.,' approved March 20, 1876, and to apply the proceeds thereof to the purchase of the toll-bridge on Big river. The sura to be paid for said bridge is to be determined by persons selected as follows : One by the Board, and one by the Bridge Company, within thirty days. If
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History of Mendocino and Lake counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading, men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present1914 · page 227Read the page →
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Point Arena high school in 1908 and for the building of road Ijridges along the coast; that is, the Garcia and Alder creek bridges, and the rebuilding of the Gualala bridge, the latter the largest bridge in Sonoma and Mendocino counties, replacing a structure that had been destroyed at the time of the earthquake. During 1912 he sold out his creamery at Manchester and since then has managed the Point Arena creamery. With the management of his large farm and dairy interests, and with the presidency of the Bank of Point Arena (of which he has been the leading executive since its organization in
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Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Mendocino, 1852 to 1943
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the Library of Congress (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1877
2012![Scenic views along Route 1 near the Pacific Ocean in Northern California [Mendocino Headlands State Park]](https://images.townratings.com/story/36968/749fd716d8d289f382d2-s.jpg)
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