The first regional inhabitants were the Bokeya Pomo; their village, Pda’hau, was near the mouth of the Garcia River. Like other California Indians, the Bokeya were primarily self-sufficient, drawing from plentiful resources of the ocean, rivers, forests, and coastal shelf.
In 1542, Spaniards arrived and named the Point Arena headland “Cabo de Fortuna” (Cape of Fortune), in recognition of their difficult journey. The Point served as a prominent navigational site. In the 1850s, Mexican homesteaders arrived in Mendocino County, although some Pomo tribes
remained. The first Point Arena land purchase by a US citizen, 640 acres, occurred in 1852 and first building erected in 1859.
The first wharf in built in 1866 helped Point Arena Arena became the “busiest town between San Francisco and Eureka,” producing 200,000 board feet of redwood lumber a day and serving as the main Mendocino coast agricultural products shipping port. As more and more timber was shipped south, Point Arena became known for not just its wharf but its dangerous coastline for ships. Because of the increased amount of shipwrecks, the U.S government issued an order in 1866 for a lighthouse to be constructed on the point at Point Arena. The first lighthouse constructed was built with brick. About 600,000 bricks were either created or brought in from San Francisco for construction. It was approximately 22 feet in diameter, 100 feet high, and the base of the walls was 6 feet thick. The original cost for this structure was $120,000. The light from the lighthouse could be seen plainly for 19 miles at sea. .
The first lumber mill was built in 1870 along the Garcia River about 5 miles east of the city of Point Arena. The biggest hurdle for this mill was getting the manufactured lumber to the wharf. So a flume was constructed that used water and gravity to get the timber to the port. The lumber had to be taken up a large hill by an elaborate conveyor. Once at the top of the hill, the lumber was hauled by horses to the bluff top and later taken by train. The lumber was then sent down a chute to the cove and loaded on a waiting vessel.
The City incorporated on July 11, 1908, in order to establish greater political freedom from the County of Mendocino, inspired by a controversy over whether Point Arena could sell alcohol or go “dry.” The town had 14 liquor licenses and wanted to protect them in case Mendocino County went dry. By becoming a city, Point Arena could regulate and issue its own liquor licenses, as well as collect a larger share of the local taxes instead of relying on the county to share its revenue.
Three catastrophic events have affected the architecture and shape of Point Arena: the Fire of 1893, the 1906 Earthquake and the 1927 Fire. In 1893, a fire broke out in the Grand Hotel eventually destroyed a dozen buildings. Much of Point Arena, including its original lighthouse, was leveled in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. After the earthquake, Point Arena – including its lighthouse – was rapidly rebuilt and became home to the region’s ranch hands, foresters, and fishermen. In 1927, a fire in the Grand Hotel spread and most of the City was again destroyed — only 3 structures survived. By the 1930’s, the city had been rebuilt. Some of the Art Deco and Art Modern style buildings of that era are still standing today.
The independent spirit that prompted Point Arena to go its own way and twice rebuild itself in less than thirty years remains. Today, residents of Point Arena continue to value the rural character that comes from being located among the open fields and spectacular vistas along the Pacific Ocean. Residents of the City take pride in the fact that the community is self-contained and can meet their needs without reliance on big outside corporations. With its wharf, monumental lighthouse and abundant natural beauty, Point Arena is a place that continues to draw in visitors. For its citizens, Point Arena is more than a wide place in the road. It is a unique place with unique flavor inhabited by unique people.
Point Arena has always been an independent place and that spirit still thrives today.
Sources: City of Point Arena 2014-2019 Housing Element Update, December 2015.
The Early Days of Point Arena by Steve Oliff and Cheri Carlstedt, 2005.
