Bridgeville, California
40°28′10″N 123°47′59″W / 40.46944°N 123.79972°W
Bridgeville | |
|---|---|
 Old Bridge over the Van Duzen River | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Humboldt County |
| Elevation | 636 ft (194 m) |
Bridgeville (formerly Robinsons Ferry and Bridgeport)[2] is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California.[1] It is located 12 miles (19 km) north-northeast of Weott,[2] at an elevation of 636 feet (194 m).[1] Bridgeville is 420 km (260 mi) north of San Francisco, with a population of about 25.
History
Originally called Robinsons Ferry, it was renamed Bridgeport when a bridge was built across the Van Duzen River in 1875.[2] The post office rejected Bridgeport as a name because of another Bridgeport (in Mono County), and the Bridgeville post office opened in 1877.[2] Robinsons Ferry was named in honor of William Slaughter Robinson, local rancher.[2]
The 83-acre (340,000 m2) town became famous in 2002 for being the first in history to be put up for auction on eBay. It was originally sold for $1.77m but the buyer backed out of the deal only for it to be bought by businessman Bruce Krall for $700,000.
Krall put the town up for sale again in 2006 for a starting price of $1.75m. According to the BBC News website, the price included three cows, eight houses, and a post office.
Los Angeles-based entertainment manager and college student Daniel Thomas La Paille, 25, purchased the town on August 3, 2006 from Krall. La Paille paid $1.25 million, the money coming from his own entertainment management work as well as from his mother and grandmother.
In an interview with the Times-Standard, La Paille said, “(Community) is very important in every aspect. We all have to live together. Bridgeville is going to be an example. We're going to ... show that we can be environmentally conscious, good neighbors and just create a special little community.”[citation needed]
According to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, Daniel La Paille committed suicide November 9, 2006. The cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the chest.
On June 29, 2007, Bridgeville was on the market with a $1.3 million price tag for at least several months. This was the third time that Bridgeville had been listed for sale within five years.[3]
In June 2013, Steve Farzam a business owner and entrepreneur from Santa Monica California offered to purchase Bridgeville for $900,000 from Daniel La Paille's Mother. Farzam had his team visit the town where they met with the County Board of Supervisors. Farzam had vast plans to redevelop this town as "America's Greenest City" since sustainability is at his forefront. Farzam stopped the deal since the owner wanted over $1,000,000.
Geography
The Van Duzen River flows through Bridgeville.
The ZIP Code is 95526.[4] The community is inside area code 707.
Climate
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bridgeville has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[5]
Education
Bridgeville is the seat of the Bridgeville Elementary School District,[6] and home of the Bridgeville School,[7] a public K-8 school.[7]
Politics
In the state legislature, Bridgeville is in the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Mike McGuire,[8] and the 2nd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Jim Wood.[9]
Federally, Bridgeville is in California's 2nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman.[10]
See also
References
- ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bridgeville, California
- ^ a b c d e Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 26. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
- ^ times-standard.com
- ^ USPS look up tool
- ^ Climate Summary for Bridgeville, California
- ^ Humboldt County Office of Education
- ^ a b Bridgeville School Board
- ^ "Senators". State of California. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
- ^ "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
- ^ "California's 2nd Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
External links
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. CA-1456, "Bridgeville, General View, Bridgeville, Humboldt County, CA"
