We begin with a land acknowledgement. The Mendocino coast belonged to the Pomo tribe of Northern California.
The sinking of the Frolic in 1850, near the future Point Cabrillo lighthouse led to western people discovering the redwood forests.
In the 1860s, J.G. Jackson incorporated the Caspar Lumber Company. They built train tracks, they cut down trees.
In the 1920s, the lumber company built a residential neighborhood for company officers uphill from main street with 16 houses.
In the 1950s, the mill closed. It was hard times for Caspar.
In the 1960s, California Highway 1 was re-routed through upper Caspar, taking six more houses. Caspar became a ghost town.
In the 1970s, Calfornia passed the Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and California Coastal Act. Caspar became a you're-gonna-need-permits-for-that ghost town.
In the 1980s, the Mendocino City Community Services District commissioned a study of the potential for groundwater storage and retrieval in Caspar, known as conjunctive use. They were going to build an aqueduct, but it didn't pass CEQA.
In the 1990s, the remaining lumber company land was put up for sale. The headlands were purchased for a state park. Caspar became a highly-scenic ghost town.
In the 2000s, the owner (who was having a hard time selling), operated a water truck station.
In the 2010s, the department of drinking water caught up with this. Caspar became a highly-scenic you're-gonna-need-permits-for-that ghost town with a water surplus.
In 2021, my family and I moved from San Francisco, coming to own the water system and the four remaining houses. The water system that once served the town still serves the town area, but ghosts don't use much water. We have a surplus.