Little River, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Little River (also known as Littleriver) is a small unincorporated town in Mendocino County, California, located two miles (3 km) south of the town of Mendocino and running along the Pacific Ocean coast on State Route 1. The town limits contain a few hundred people who live within a few miles from the coast. The community is named after Little River, which reaches the ocean in Van Damme State Park. The town center, on a scenic bluff overlooking the mouth of the Little River, is a single small structure which hosts a grocery store with two gas pumps, a post office, and a restaurant. Higher up on the bluff between Highway 1 and the ocean is the Little River Cemetery. A tourist destination, Little River is home to several boutique inns, such as the Inn at Schoolhouse Creek, Little River Inn, Dennen's Victorian Farmhouse, Glendeven, and The Heritage House. The Inn at Schoolhouse Creek is the oldest roadside lodging establishment on SR 1 and dates back to the 1800s. During World War II it was taken over by the Coast Guard as an officers barracks. Currently it is an upscale Bed and Breakfast. The Little River Area has two state parks, lots of ocean access and diverse recreational opportunities. Little River is also home to Little River Airport with its mile-long runway. The ZIP Code is 95456. The community is inside area code 707.
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[edit] Politics
In the state legislature Little River is located in the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Pat Wiggins, and in the 1st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Patty Berg. Federally, Little River is located in California's 1st congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +10[1] and is represented by Democrat Mike Thompson.
[edit] History
Little River was first settled by Lloyd and Samuel Bell, and the Moore Brothers. Shortly after, in 1856, W.H. Kent purchased the Bell tract and until 1862 the place was known as Bell’s Harbor and Kent’s Landing. In that year Ruel Stickney, Silas Coombs, and Tapping Reeves built a mill here, which provided the stimulus for the formation the town of Little River. This coastal mill town grew with the success of the mill so that eventually a schoolhouse, post house, shipyard, hotels, stores and blacksmith shops all established themselves here.[2] Little River prospered in a similar way to many other towns on the Mendocino Coast until the nearby inland timber stands faltered. In the case of Little River, the mill closed in 1893. The loss of the mill shrunk the town and since that time it has served mainly as a tourist destination due to its beaches and Van Damme State Park, which the Little River runs through. The first road that ran through this area was the Anderson Valley and Big River Wagon Road (1966 GLO Plat). This road was likely widened and altered over the years until it was eventually added to the State Highway System.
[edit] Film Industry
The Heritage House Inn, a bed and breakfast in Little River, was the location for the film Same Time, Next Year starring Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn.
[edit] References
- ^ Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?. Campaign Legal Center Blog. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
- ^ Little River, History of Mendocino County California - Alley, Bowen & Co., San Francisco, 1880
[edit] External links
- Little River, California is at coordinates Coordinates:
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