The HISTORIC VILLAGE of WESTPORT

Westport, located 145 miles north of San Francisco, is a coastal village with a "tiny town personality", which lies on the southern edge of the fabled "LOST COAST". The population is 100 plus. It can be reached from the north/south by State Highway 1 and from the east by the remote Branscomb Road. Rarely does the temperature go over 89 degrees, however days can be windy and winter storms fierce and exciting. Today Westport is a peaceful community to visIt or spend the night. A good selection of food is available at the Westport Store and you can dine or spend the night at the Westport Hotel (est 1890) or Howard Creek Ranch. Campgrounds are to the north at Wages Creek and Westport Union Landing State Park.

The first settlers arrived in Westport in the 1870's with the advent of the California gold rush for both gold and redwoods used to finance and construct cities to the south and east. Originally called Beall's Landing in honor of Samuel Beall, the first white settler there, the place was renamed in 1877 by James T. Rodgers who built a timber loading facility for the name to contrast with his home town of Eastport, Maine. The first Post Office opened inWestport in 1879.

There was a mill at Westport which had a railroad and two busy piers which shipped lumber for the small mills in the vicinity at Wages Creek, De Haven Creek and Howard Creek. The south wharf, built in 1877 by James T. Rogers, was a major piece of engineering, constructed at great cost. Because of its vulnerability to coastal storms, especially during the winter months, it was in need of constant repair.

The scarcity of schooners in 1889 affected the course of business unfavorably. There was about $20,000 (some $2 million by todays standards) worth of railroad ties, bark, poles and shakes piled up on the landing awaiting shipment. A new chute, built in 1882, proved to be a successful improvement over the old one. It was 610 feet from the bank to the outer end, and the apron was 75 feet long with a slight incline outwards so that the loaded car could haul the empty one back. As the commerce grew the town grew and at one time Westport boasted 14 saloons and was the fastest growing settlement on the Mendocino Coast,

Here is Today's Weather, Today's Tide Chart, and Today's Nightime Star Chart. The elevation of Westport is from 1 foot at the beach to 150 feet at the historic hillside graveyard. Feel an earthquake? - You have 2 minutes to get 100 feet up (tsunami waves travel 600 mph) and the surge can reach 50 to 100 feet. Here is the Tsunami Early Warning System. Enjoy the "Mom & Pop" business's linked to and in some cases reviewed below. Be alert - travel with LOVE in your heart and you will be safe.

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