Andersonia is an unincorporated community in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located near U.S. Route 101DeLorme California Atlas & Gazetteer (2008) Yarmouth, Maine p.47 on the South Fork of the Eel River, north-northwest of Piercy, at an elevation of 541 feet (165 m).
History
A small wharf was completed at Bear Harbor in 1884 for loading of forest products from the Lost Coast. In 1893 construction commenced on the Bear Harbor and Eel River Railroad over the coastal ridge to connect Bear Harbor to South Fork Eel River tributary Indian Creek. The inland railway terminus was called Moody after Lew Moody constructed a hotel and saloon nearby.
Southern Humboldt Lumber Company camp 10 sawmill was built in 1903, and the location was named Andersonia for company president Henry Neff "Pap" Anderson. A log pond dam was constructed on Indian Creek where of timber were stored in preparation for milling. A railway extension from Moody to Andersonia was being completed in 1905.
"Pap" was killed by a mill accident on November 6, 1905."Local Brevities" Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.), 09 Nov. 1905. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. Sawmill operation was delayed by litigation following Anderson's death. Mr and Mrs Lilley stayed on as caretakers of the "ghost town"
The mill was almost sold in April 1906 to the Wright Blodgett Company of Saginaw, but the earthquake on April 18 caused the buyer to back out."New Andersonia Mill at Full Production" Ukiah Daily Journal (Ukiah, California) 05 Jul 1950, Wed Page 9 (https://www.newspapers.com/ : accessed 14 Oct 2020)"Michigan Lumber Concern Buys a California Plant" The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]), 06 April 1906. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
In 1921, the mill, equipment, and machinery were all dismantled for storage and the town was officially closed.
Heavy rains in 1925-6 caused the dam to burst sending the twenty-year old logs, down the Eel River.
Andersons' grandsons brought new life to the mill in 1940 with an Arcata-based "Andersonia Forest Products"."County News", Ukiah Republican Press (Ukiah, California) January 3, 1940 Page 2 The company name was briefly changed to Indian Creek Lumber Company, but by 1950, it was once again called Andersonia Forest Products and Tom Dimmick of Centralia, Washington, was brought on as the manager."Andersonia - Fate thwarted a dream of lumbering" Eureka Times Standard (Eureka, California) December 28, 1975 Page 22 (https://newspaperarchive.com/ : accessed 13 Oct 2020) Lumber was trucked out over U.S. Route 101 rather than rebuilding the railroad and wharf at Bear Harbor. The locomotives were preserved in 1962. The sawmill operated until local timber supplies were exhausted in 1972.
Bear Harbor and Eel River Railroad Locomotives NumberBuilderTypeDateWorks numberNotes1Marshutz and Cantrell0-4-0 Tank locomotive1892purchased new; restored by the Northern Counties Logging Interpretive Association at Fort Humboldt State Historic Park2Baldwin Locomotive Works2-4-2 Tank locomotive1898purchased new; preserved by the Northern Counties Logging Interpretive Association at Fort Humboldt State Historic Park
References
"Tales of the Town Tersely Told" Aberdeen herald. (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.), 31 July 1905. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. "Tales of the Town Tersely Told" Aberdeen herald. (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.), 19 Oct. 1905. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. "Tales of the Town Tersely Told" Aberdeen herald. (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.), 25 Dec. 1905. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. "Tales of the Town Tersely Told" Aberdeen herald. (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.), 22 Jan. 1906. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. "Tales of the Town Tersely Told" Aberdeen herald. (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.), 31 May 1906. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. "Tales of the Town Tersely Told"Aberdeen herald. (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.), 25 March 1907. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. "Gypsy Locomotives don Fort Humboldt" Eureka Times Standard January 30, 1980 Page 14 (https://newspaperarchive.com/ : accessed 13 Oct 2020) Borden, Stanley. Bear Harbor & Eel River Railroad The Western Railroader, Booklet 292 Vol 27 No 5 May 1964 (https://www.mendorailhistory.org/ : accessed 14 Oct 2020) See also: “Andersonia (Calif.) - Search Results - Digital Collections.” (http://www.berkeley.edu/ : accessed 13 Oct 2020).