Irmulco, California

Irmulco
Unincorporated community
"Seventeen-foot redwood stump. Cut January 1933. Age 1500+ years. Noyo River, about 3/4 mile above railroad trestle over Redwood Creek and between Irmulco and Shake City, Mendocino County, California" (photo by Emanuel Fritz)
"Seventeen-foot redwood stump. Cut January 1933. Age 1500+ years. Noyo River, about 3/4 mile above railroad trestle over Redwood Creek and between Irmulco and Shake City, Mendocino County, California" (photo by Emanuel Fritz)
Irmulco is located in California
Irmulco
Irmulco
Location in California
Irmulco is located in the United States
Irmulco
Irmulco
Irmulco (the United States)
Coordinates: 39°25′20″N 123°31′03″W / 39.42222°N 123.51750°W / 39.42222; -123.51750
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyMendocino County
Elevation
[1]
436 ft (133 m)

Irmulco is a former logging town in Mendocino County, California.[1] It was located on the California Western Railroad 12 miles (19 km) north-northeast of Comptche,[2] at an elevation of 436 feet (133 m).[1]

The name comes from an initialism of the Irvine and Muir Lumber Company.[2] The Irvine and Muir Lumber Co. owned logging rights in the county and two lumber mills, including the one at Irmulco.[3] The mill primarily processed redwood.[4] In December 1909 a stage coach connection with the railroad was opened at Irmulco.[3] A post office operated at Irmulco from 1911 to 1927.[2] At the time of the settlement's application for a U.S. post office, the local population was about 220.[5] In November 1912, heavy rain washed "50,000 feet of logs" out of Irmulco Dam.[3] The Irmulco Mill Dam was partly destroyed in 1913.[6] There was a redwood shingle mill at Irmulco around 1914.[7] The mill may have shut down for a time as it was slated to reopen in March 1917, and the owners had hired a manager, a woods boss, and a sawyer.[4] Three months later the engineer of a logging train was killed in an accident at Irmulco.[8] A fire in 1921 destroyed the schoolhouse and several residences.[9] At its peak in the early 20th century, Irmulco was home to a couple thousand residents drawn there by the lumber mill.[10] Circa 1927, the area was described as "mostly brush, and redwood cut-over land with some non-merchantable timber of various kinds".[11]

"Irmulco News" (Fort Bragg Advocate and News, 1925)

The remnants of the mill and most of the surviving buildings were destroyed in a fire in October 1928.[12] According to the Ukiah Dispatch Democrat, the roof of the caretaker's house in the "old town" caught fire and "in a very short time practically all that was left of the abandoned town and mill was a raging inferno. After burning the buildings the fire raged up the south fork of the Noyo and destroyed all that was not burned up in the fire two years ago."[12] In 1930, Irvine & Muir sold the townsite and the timberland to James L. Robertson, the mayor of nearby Willits.[13] At that time, the land was said to have "plenty of good buildings for ranching operations. The land lies along the Noyo river and Redwood Creek...There are numerous springs and a good water supply, which was used when the mill was in operation, consisting of two 25,000 tanks fed by springs. This water is piped to the buildings. The land is also on the railroad and has a spur track to the old store building which will be remodeled for a barn."[13] Robertson planned to establish a ranch in the area.[13]

A small lumber mill was opened and operating near Irmulco in 1946.[14]

Map/diagram submitted with Irmulco post office application, 1911
California Western Railroad map, 1915
  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Irmulco, California
  2. ^ a b c Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 83. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
  3. ^ a b c "History of Mendocino and Lake counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading, men and women of the counties who have been identified with ... c.1". HathiTrust. pp. 115, 116, 669. hdl:2027/chi.082957699. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Forty Years Ago - March 30, 1917". Ukiah Daily Journal. March 27, 1957. p. 20. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  5. ^ "Record Group 28: Records of the Post Office Department - Series: Reports of Site Locations - California: Mendocino - Modoc - NAID: 68230398".
  6. ^ "Irmulco Mill Dam Is Partly Destroyed". Mendocino Coast Beacon. July 26, 1913. p. 1. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  7. ^ "Edward Melville". The Press Democrat. February 10, 1994. p. 5. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  8. ^ "Forty Years Ago - June 1, 1917". Ukiah Daily Journal. May 29, 1957. p. 13. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  9. ^ "Fire at Irmulco Destroys Many Homes". Ukiah Dispatch Democrat. September 30, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  10. ^ "Skunk Line Stop: The good life at 'Risch Station'". The Press Democrat. September 13, 1976. p. 13. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  11. ^ "Forest Fire Raging at Irmulco Yesterday". Ukiah Dispatch Democrat. September 9, 1927. p. 8. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Fire Saturday Burns Old Town of Irmulco". Ukiah Dispatch Democrat. October 6, 1928. p. 4. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  13. ^ a b c "Irvine & Muir Co. Sell 3000 Acres of Land at Irmulco". Mendocino Coast Beacon. November 8, 1930. p. 6. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  14. ^ "Are Operating Small Mill Near Irmulco". Mendocino Coast Beacon. January 5, 1946. p. 7. Retrieved October 25, 2023.