Editing Fort Bragg, California (section)

=== 1855–1867 ===
In 1855, an exploration party from the [[Bureau of Indian Affairs]] visited the area looking for a site on which to establish a reservation; in the spring of 1856, the [[Mendocino Indian Reservation]] was established at [[Noyo, California|Noyo]]. It was {{convert|25000|acre|km2}} in size, and its boundary extended north from what became Simpson Lane to Abalobadiah Creek and east from the [[Pacific Ocean]] to Bald Hill.

In the summer of 1857, 1st Lt. Horatio G. Gibson, then serving at the [[Presidio of San Francisco]], established a [[Military base|military post]] on the reservation, approximately {{Convert|1+1/2|mi|km|spell=in}} north of the [[Noyo River]], and named it for his former commanding officer Capt. [[Braxton Bragg]], who later became a General in the [[Army of the Confederacy]].<ref name="la_times">{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-black-caucus-members-seek-name-change-for-city-of-fort-bragg-20150717-story.html|title=Black Caucus members seek name change for city of Fort Bragg|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=July 17, 2015|last=McGreevy|first=Patrick|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824105939/https://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-black-caucus-members-seek-name-change-for-city-of-fort-bragg-20150717-story.html|archive-date=August 24, 2019|url-status=dead|access-date=August 24, 2019}}</ref>

Gibson and Company M, [[3rd Field Artillery Regiment (United States)|3rd Artillery]], left Fort Bragg in January 1859 to be replaced by Company D, [[6th Infantry Regiment (United States)|6th Infantry]], which stayed for two years and continued to build up the post.

In June 1862, Company D, [[2nd Regiment California Volunteer Infantry|2nd California Infantry]], were ordered to [[garrison]] the post and remained until 1864. In October of that year, the Fort Bragg garrison was loaded aboard the steamer ''Panama'' and completed the evacuation and abandonment of Mendocino County's first military post.

The Mendocino Indian Reservation was discontinued in March 1866, and the land was opened for settlement three years later.

The last remaining building of the Fort Bragg military post is located at 430 North Franklin Street. It may have been the [[Quartermaster]]'s storehouse and commissary or surgeon's quarters or hospital.

The approximate boundaries of the fort extend from the south side of Laurel, east from the railroad depot to the carriage road behind Franklin, down the lane to a point {{Convert|100|ft|m}} south of Redwood Avenue, west on Redwood to just beyond the Georgia-Pacific Corporation company offices, then north to connect with the Laurel Street border at the railroad station.