Bridgeville, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bridgeville
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Old Bridge over the Van Duzen River
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 Bridgeville
Location in California
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Humboldt County |
| Elevation | 636 ft (194 m) |
Bridgeville is a small, quiet community located in Humboldt County, California. It's not an official city, but an unincorporated community. This means it's a settlement without its own local government, and it's managed by the county.
Bridgeville is about 12 miles (19 km) north-northeast of Weott. It sits at an elevation of 636 feet (194 meters) above sea level. The community is also about 260 miles (418 km) north of the big city of San Francisco. Only about 25 people live in Bridgeville, making it a very small place.
Contents
What's in a Name? The History of Bridgeville
Bridgeville has had a few different names over the years. It was first known as Robinsons Ferry. This name honored William Slaughter Robinson, who was a local rancher in the area.
The name changed to Bridgeport in 1875. This happened when a new bridge was built across the Van Duzen River. However, the post office couldn't use the name Bridgeport. There was already another town called Bridgeport in California (in Mono County). So, in 1877, the post office officially opened with the name Bridgeville.
The Town for Sale: An Unusual Story
Bridgeville became quite famous in 2002 for a very unusual reason. It was the first entire town ever put up for auction on eBay, an online marketplace! The town, which covers about 83 acres (34 hectares), was first sold for $1.77 million. However, the buyer didn't complete the deal.
Later, a businessman named Bruce Krall bought the town for $700,000. Krall decided to sell Bridgeville again in 2006. This time, the starting price was $1.75 million. News reports from the BBC News website mentioned that the sale included eight houses, a post office, and even three cows!
On August 3, 2006, a 25-year-old entertainment manager and college student named Daniel Thomas La Paille bought Bridgeville from Krall. He paid $1.25 million for the town. La Paille used money he earned from his work and also received help from his mother and grandmother.
La Paille shared his vision for Bridgeville in an interview. He believed that a strong community is very important. He wanted Bridgeville to be an example of a special community. He hoped it would show how people could live together, be good neighbors, and care for the environment.
Bridgeville was put up for sale again in June 2007 for $1.3 million. This was the third time the town had been listed for sale in just five years. In June 2013, another businessman, Steve Farzam, offered to buy Bridgeville for $900,000. He had big plans to make it "America's Greenest City" by focusing on being environmentally friendly. However, this deal didn't go through because the owner wanted more than $1 million.
Geography and Climate
The Van Duzen River is an important natural feature that flows right through Bridgeville.
The area uses the ZIP Code 95526. The phone numbers in the community are within area code 707.
Bridgeville's Weather
Bridgeville experiences a type of weather known as a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means the summers are warm but not extremely hot, and they are also very dry. The average monthly temperatures usually stay below 71.6 °F (22 °C). This climate is often abbreviated as "Csb" on climate maps.
Education
Bridgeville is home to its own school district, called the Bridgeville Elementary School District. The community has the Bridgeville School, which is a public school for students from kindergarten through 8th grade (K-8).
Images for kids
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Old Bridge over the Van Duzen River
