Gualala, California
Encyclopedia
Gualala is an unincorporated community in Mendocino County
in the U.S. state
of California
. It is located 26 miles (42 km) southwest of Hopland
, at an elevation of 49 feet (15 m). It is located on the Pacific coast at the mouth of the Gualala River
, on State Route 1
. It serves as a commercial center for the surrounding area. Gualala was once a logging
town, but tourism is now its central economic activity.
Gualala is located in the 2nd Senate
District and in the 1st Assembly
District. Federally, Gualala is located in California's 1st congressional district
.
Gualala is located on the Rancho German
Mexican land grant received by Ernest Rufus in 1846. The American settlement of Gualala was first established by the construction of a hotel
, saloon
and a lumber mill in the 1860s. The first post office opened in 1862. Logging the local redwood trees became especially profitable after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
, when huge amounts of lumber were needed to rebuild the city.
Mendocino County, California
Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and west of the Central Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841, up from 86,265 at the 2000 census...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is located 26 miles (42 km) southwest of Hopland
Hopland, California
Hopland is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California. It is located on the west bank of the Russian River south-southeast of Ukiah, at an elevation of 502 feet . The population was 756 at the 2010 census....
, at an elevation of 49 feet (15 m). It is located on the Pacific coast at the mouth of the Gualala River
Gualala River
The Gualala River is a river on the northern coast of California. Most of the river is in Sonoma County, but a portion is in Mendocino County. The headwaters of the river are high in the Coast Range, and it empties into the Pacific Ocean...
, on State Route 1
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
. It serves as a commercial center for the surrounding area. Gualala was once a logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
town, but tourism is now its central economic activity.
Politics
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Gualala is located in the 2nd Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District and in the 1st Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District. Federally, Gualala is located in California's 1st congressional district
California's 1st congressional district
California's 1st congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California and presently consists of the northern coastline and includes Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties and parts of Sonoma and Yolo counties.The district is currently...
.
History
"Gualala" was the name given to the site of today's Gualala by the Pomo indigneous people. The name comes from ah kha wa la lee. The literal translation is "coming down water place", or less literally, "riverside," or "where the river meets the sea."Gualala is located on the Rancho German
Rancho German
Rancho German was a Mexican land grant in present day Sonoma County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Ernest Rufus. Rufus named the ranch after Hermann, the German hero who defeated the Roman legions in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest at the time of the Emperor Augustus...
Mexican land grant received by Ernest Rufus in 1846. The American settlement of Gualala was first established by the construction of a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, saloon
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
and a lumber mill in the 1860s. The first post office opened in 1862. Logging the local redwood trees became especially profitable after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
, when huge amounts of lumber were needed to rebuild the city.