[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 159 (Friday, October 4, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE CITY OF FORT BRAGG

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 4, 2019

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of 
Fort Bragg, California on the 130th anniversary of its incorporation. 
One of only four cities in Mendocino County, it is the largest coastal 
city on California's North Coast between San Francisco and Eureka.
  Prior to its incorporation as a city on August 5, 1889, the area now 
known as Fort Bragg was inhabited by Native Americans of the Pomo 
tribes for more than 10,000 years. It was first encountered by a Bureau 
of Indian Affairs exploration party in 1855, which led to the 
establishment of the Mendocino Indian Reservation and Fort Bragg 
military post in 1857. The military post and reservation were abandoned 
by 1865, after the majority of the indigenous population was forced to 
relocate to the Round Valley Reservation in inland Mendocino County.
  Fort Bragg's first Mayor, C.R. Johnson, was president of the Fort 
Bragg Redwood Company. Much of the City's infrastructure was laid out 
and developed by the timber industry, particularly the Union Lumber 
Company which formed through the consolidation of smaller companies and 
established Fort Bragg as a company town. Additionally, Noyo Harbor was 
a thriving commercial fishing port as well as the only source of 
outside goods until the California Western Railroad was developed in 
1905, creating reliable rail transportation between Fort Bragg and San 
Francisco.
  Today, Fort Bragg has transitioned from timber extraction and 
commercial fishing to an economy oriented toward tourism and services. 
With a population of approximately 8,000, it is the largest city on the 
North Coast and serves as a retail and service hub for more than 20,000 
residents as well as hundreds of thousands of visitors who come each 
year to experience the scenic coastline and temperate climate. Fort 
Bragg is governed by a City Council comprised of 5 members and has a 
thriving and diverse population that is dedicated to making the City a 
warm, inviting, and family-friendly place to live and work.
  Madam Speaker, the City of Fort Bragg continues to be a special place 
with a thriving local economy and inviting atmosphere. Despite the 
challenges inherent in transitioning into a tourism-focused economy, 
the City has succeeded in carrying on the values and traditions that 
epitomize this unique coastal community. Please join me in 
congratulating the City of Fort Bragg on the occasion of its 130th 
anniversary, and in wishing it and its residents many more years of 
vibrance and prosperity.

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