Town Sign with Population of 100 or Less

Team: Snap Happy (Jen, Chrissie and Mallory)
Team Member: Mallory
Location: Navarro, CA

Photo credit: Teresa Barker

Due to road construction and fires along the way, Mallory and her Mom, Teresa, were taking a circuitous route from Sacramento to Ft. Bragg for a short stay at the north Coast. They traveled up Highway 128 toward Mendocino County and happened upon this small community 15 miles east of Highway One along the coast near Albion.

A bit of history: The original town of Navarro was located 15 miles east at the site of what is now called Navarro River Redwoods State Park. This park includes several historical buildings at the first European settlement on the Navarro Estuary. Logging was the primary industry and the area thrived for fifty years. The logging mill burned in 1902. A developer named Wendling built a new mill farther inland and called the town Wendling. At some point, Wendling usurped the town name of Navarro to capitalize on the lumber reputation of the Navarro Lumber Company. Eventually, to avoid confusion, the dwindling seaside town of Navarro became known as Old Navarro, Navarro Ridge or Navarro-by-the-Sea. 

A bit of Popular Culture: The location Navarro appears in the video game Fallout 2 and is mentioned in Fallout New Vegas. In the former, the main antagonist of the game, The Enclave, deploy and underground base in the area. If these facts mean ANYTHING to you.