A Short History of Albion, California   In 1835 English sea captain William Richardson erected the first building at San Francisco (then known as Yerba Buena). He later climbed the social ladder by marrying the daughter of the Mexican Commandant of "Yerba Buena". In 1845 the Mexicans awarded Richardson a land grant covering the vast territory between the Garcia River and Big River. (encompassing the land between the present-day towns of Elk and Mendocino) Richardson settled in the middle and called the place Albion after his English homeland's ancient name (Latin for white - as in the white cliffs of Dover). He built a house and sawmill by 1853. (He built the first mill to begin operation along the Redwood Coast.) His first mill that was built on the river's narrow estuary, was powered by a tide-driven water wheel. This clever design allowed the mill to operated whenever the tide was changing. Immense waves destroyed the mill in it’s first winter in 1853. Richardson rebuilt the mill as a steam operation, but then lost the land in 1854 because his grant was not recognized by the U.S. Land Commission. A sawmill would continue to operate in Albion over the next 75 years. New owners modernized the sawmill in 1854. By 1861 the growing town had a hotel, livery stable and mercantile near the mill. Workers lived in cabins on the crowded river flats. When the second mill burned in 1867, it was promptly replaced with a larger, better equipped mill. As the town outgrew the crowded river flats, neighborhoods marched up Michigan Hill to the north and Snob Hill to the south, vying for dominance. In 1879 the worst fire of all consumed the sawmill and ten other buildings. Once again the mill and town were rebuilt. The huge saws were powered by steam, generated in wood-burning boilers, much of the heavy machinery ran on crude bearings that were always subject to overheating, the buildings were built of light wood and the grounds were jam-packed with lumber, sawdust, wood trimmings and other flammables. Steam-powered (and later gasoline-powered) equipment, both stationary and mobile, was scattered about among all of this. The whole facility was criss-crossed by a narrow-gauge steam railroad. Fire was a regular occurrence. In order to survive, the mill organized and equipped it's own substantial fire brigade which aggressively attacked all fires, thus keeping most of them from becoming conflagrations. Nevertheless, major fires were not rare and in Albion, over the years, the entire mill complex burned to the ground several times . In 1889, a 1200-foot wharf reached out to deep water in the rocky harbor. (You can still see the piling off the beach). Miles Standish (a direct descendent of the pilgrim of the same name) and Henry Hickey bought the lumber company in 1891. When another fire razed the fourth mill and most of the town in 1900, Albion rebuilt yet again. Southern Pacific Railroad bought the Albion mill operation in 1907 to provide wood for railroads they were building in Mexico. They expanded the small logging railway around Albion, extending lines to Wendling (now Navarro) and Christine in Anderson Valley, and up the Albion River to Keen's Summit, not far from Comptche. When Smeaton Chase came through in 1911, he hoped to see a microcosm of his own English homeland. He found . . . a fine little town, all buzzing and humming with life, steam whizzing, saws shrieking, locomotive bustling about with cars of lumber, trim schooner at wharf, men wiping perspiring brows, and everything thriving. Down at the river's mouth was a little purple bay, all a-glitter with wind and surf. Outside events changed all of this, beginning with the economic collapse of 1929. Mills all over Northern California closed abruptly - in many cases in the middle of what had been just an ordinary day - never to reopen. Workers, including firefighters, were permanently laid off and the majority of them left the area. The Albion mill closed forever in 1928, the railroad shut down in 1930, and Albion's heyday passed into history. Albion survived as a farming and ranching community, with most residents living up on the ridges. The small village of Albion continues to straddles the Albion River, and is now connected by the historic Albion River Bridge. This bridge, built in 1944 during the second World War, towers 120 feet above the river, and was constructed of salvaged wood because steel and concrete were scarce due to wartime shortages. It remains in service as the last wooden bridge along the Coast Highway. Economic conditions improved somewhat as logging, fishing and ranching again became profitable, and the population slowly increased, though the mill never reopened and there were still far fewer people in the area than in the early decades of the century. In 1959 a group of long-time residents decided that a fire department was urgently needed. Albion residents pooled their own resources and purchased a seven- year old pickup truck and mounted a gasoline-powered pump, a water tank and a hose-reel into its bed. At the same time they formed an all-volunteer fire department, comprised of about a dozen men. Dispatch was by audible siren and a "telephone tree." During the 1960's cheap land and the isolated location brought many urban refugees to the area. They coined the term Albion Nation to describe their independent and divergent lifestyles. Marijuana farming brought a new kind of prosperity briefly, but it soon collapsed in theft and violence, then heavy police surveillance. Feminist separatists and other communes revived some of the old farms and ranches, and many of their originators still live here today. In the '70s wildly successful Albion's People's Fairs celebrated the cultural renaissance and Country Women magazine spread the gospel. Today these manifestations of Albion's cultural diversity have become history, but a healthy independent spirit endures.   Albion Today This close-knit community supports a small but interesting selection of lodging, restaurants and shops and services. South of town before the Navarro River is the historic Fensalden Inn, once a stage coach stop. On the north side of the river, is The Albion River Inn with it's internationally recognized restaurant, cooking & photography classes and great views. Another fine restaurant, the Ledford House is just west, across highway with live music and a spectacular view of the ocean. Further north is the charming Heritage House and Restaurant, where the Alan Alda & Ellen Berkin movie "Same Time Next Year" was filmed. Below the bridge, on the flats are Albion River Campground and another campground, "Schooner Landing" and a seasonal café. Across the river is a college sponsored biological field station. A small fishing fleet operates out of the harbor harvesting salmon, bottom fish and urchins. Many Abalone divers also use these facilities along with canoes and kayaks that enjoy the tidal Albion River or investigate the cove or beyond. The river is tidal for more than 3 miles. If you try your paddle in the river , it’s best to time your trip with the direction of the tide. The village has quaint homes, perched high above the river, they enjoy breathtaking views of the boat slips and fishing docks below, the historic wooden bridge spanning the river, and the ever changing Pacific beyond. (January to April the whales parade just offshore) In the village you will find, a good full-service grocery store and deli, hardware store, and post office. Up the Albion Ridge is home to many locals with houses hidden among redwoods, woods and a portion of the North Coast's ecologically unique Pygmy Forest. Several interesting nurseries supplying local and regional markets are located here. In a matter of minutes one can travel from the ocean bluffs, through the Pygmy forest, and on to the deep redwood glades. People who enjoy the quiet beauty of this area, coupled with the nearby convenience of Mendocino and Fort Bragg, like to call Albion home.    - excerpted from various sources