Editing Ukiah, California (section)

===Early American era===
In 1865, Samuel Lowry built a log cabin approximately on the corner of today's East Perkins and North Main streets.<ref name=Palmer475 /> Lowery sold his claim to A.T. Perkins in the spring of 1857, and the latter moved his family into the valley. They were the first Anglo-American pioneer family of the township.<ref name=Palmer475 /> Six others followed to make their home there that same year.<ref name=Palmer475 /> The first United States post office opened in 1858.<ref name=CGN /> By 1859, the population of Ukiah had grown to about 100 people, making it a community sufficient in size to serve as the [[county seat]]. Before this, administrative duties for [[Mendocino County, California|Mendocino County]] had been handled by [[Sonoma County, California|Sonoma County]].<ref name="Palmer476">Palmer, ''History of Mendocino County, California,'' pg. 476.</ref>

Initially visitors could reach town only by [[stagecoach]], or private horses. A short rail line from San Francisco terminated in [[Petaluma, California|Petaluma]], nearly {{convert|80|mi|km}} to the south. In 1870 the remainder of the trip to Ukiah took another two days by horse.<ref name="Purdy">Carl Purdy, "Ukiah, 1870-1890: Interesting Reminiscences; Progress Made; Products of Our Valley," ''Dispatch-Democrat'' [Ukiah City], vol. 21, no. 15 (January 10, 1890), pg. 2.</ref> In subsequent years the rail line was extended further northward to [[Cloverdale, California|Cloverdale]]. Although the stagecoach portion was reduced to  {{convert|30|mi|km}}, the community was still relatively isolated and slow to develop.<ref name=Purdy />

Ukiah was incorporated in 1876.<ref name=CGN /> It was not until 1889 that the [[San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad]] completed its line from Cloverdale to Ukiah, linking the Mendocino County seat to the national rail network.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stindt, Fred A. |title=The Northwestern Pacific Railroad Redwood Empire Route |publisher=Fred A. Stindt |year=1978 |edition=3rd}}</ref>

Ukiah has been the hub of an agricultural and business community. Over the decades various commodity crops have been grown in the Ukiah Valley. They include pears, green beans, hops, apricots, and grapes. As part of California's [[Wine Country]], grapes have become the predominant agricultural product.

[[Hops]] were once a major crop grown around Ukiah. The beer flavoring agent was first grown there in 1868 when L.F. Long of Largo grew an initial experimental crop.<ref name=Purdy /> The climate proved suitable for the crop and production expanded, peaking in 1885. It declined in the last years of the 1880s as prices dropped.<ref name=Purdy /> Mendocino County remained the third-largest producer of hops in the state of California in 1890, with well over {{convert|900|acres|km2}} under cultivation.<ref>"Hops," ''Dispatch-Democrat'' [Ukiah City], vol. 21, no. 20 (February 14, 1890), pg. 1.</ref> Production continued well into the 20th century. A refurbished hop [[kiln]] can be seen at the north end of Ukiah east of Highway 101, where many of the old fields were located.