Bridgeville, California
Encyclopedia
Bridgeville is an unincorporated community
in Humboldt County
, California
. It is located 12 miles (19 km) north-northeast of Weott
, at an elevation of 636 feet (194 m). Bridgeville is 420 km (261 mi) north of San Francisco, with a population of about 25.
in 1875. The post office rejected Bridgeport as a name because of another Bridgeport
(in Mono County), and the Bridgeville post office opened in 1877. Robinsons Ferry was named in honor of William Slaughter Robinson, local rancher.
The 83 acres (335,889.4 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 house
s, 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.”
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.
flows through Bridgeville.
The ZIP Code
is 95526. The community is inside area code 707
.
, and home of the Bridgeville School, a public K-8 school.
Bridgeville is located in the 2nd Senate
District, represented by Democrat
Noreen Evans
, and in the 1st Assembly
District, represented by Democrat Wesley Chesbro
. Federally, Bridgeville is located in California's 1st congressional district
.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Humboldt County
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
, 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 12 miles (19 km) north-northeast of Weott
Weott, California
Weott is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California. It is located 375 km north of San Francisco, California and 40 km due west of the Pacific Ocean. Lower Weott is situated at an elevation of 100m along the Avenue of the Giants and in the flood plain of the South Fork of...
, at an elevation of 636 feet (194 m). Bridgeville is 420 km (261 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 RiverVan Duzen River
The Van Duzen River is a river on the north coast of California. It is a major tributary of the Eel River and drains , mostly in Humboldt County, with a small portion in Trinity County. The river travels from its headwaters on the west side of the North Coast Range to its confluence with the Eel...
in 1875. The post office rejected Bridgeport as a name because of another Bridgeport
Bridgeport, California
Bridgeport is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Mono County, California. It lies at an elevation of 6463 feet in the middle of the Bridgeport Valley. Bridgeport is located at the intersection of highways US 395 and State Route 182. The population was 575 at the 2010...
(in Mono County), and the Bridgeville post office opened in 1877. Robinsons Ferry was named in honor of William Slaughter Robinson, local rancher.
The 83 acres (335,889.4 m²) town became famous in 2002 for being the first in history to be put up for auction on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. 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
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
website, the price included three cows
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, eight house
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
s, and a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
.
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.”
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.
Geography
The Van Duzen RiverVan Duzen River
The Van Duzen River is a river on the north coast of California. It is a major tributary of the Eel River and drains , mostly in Humboldt County, with a small portion in Trinity County. The river travels from its headwaters on the west side of the North Coast Range to its confluence with the Eel...
flows through Bridgeville.
The ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 95526. The community is inside area code 707
Area code 707
North American area code 707 is a Californian telephone area code which covers Napa, Sebastopol, Vallejo, Benicia, Fairfield, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Fort Bragg, Crescent City, Eureka, Clearlake, Vacaville, Ukiah, and northwestern California. It was split from area code 415 on March 1, 1959...
.
Education
Bridgeville is the seat of the Bridgeville Elementary School DistrictBridgeville Elementary School District
The Bridgeville Elementary School District is a school district in Bridgeville, California. It offers classes from kindergarten through grade 8, in a portion of eastern Humboldt County, California. It operates the Bridgeville School in Bridgeville....
, and home of the Bridgeville School, a public K-8 school.
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...
Bridgeville 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, represented by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Noreen Evans
Noreen Evans
Noreen Evans is an American politician in the California State Senate. She is a Democrat representing the 2nd district, encompassing Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, and Napa counties, as well as parts of Sonoma and Solano counties....
, 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, represented by Democrat Wesley Chesbro
Wesley Chesbro
Wesley P. Chesbro is a Democratic politician from California. He is currently the Assembly member for the 1st Assembly district in California. Previously, Chesbro served as a State Senator from California's 2nd district from 1998 until 2006...
. Federally, Bridgeville 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...
.
External links
- http://www.humboldt.k12.ca.us/bridgeville_sd/
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4875206.stm
- http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_4803052
- http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_4795167
- http://www.eurekareporter.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=18206
- http://www.times-standard.com/lifestyle/ci_4444887
- http://www.wordsareimportant.com/bridgefest.htm - The Annual Bridgefest Flying Saucer Contest Rules