Two of Mendocino Coast's many major industries: Dairy and Stock Raising
The dairies were almost totally confined to the coast. There were five dairies
all around Point Arena. They produced around 24,000 pounds a week. Nearly all went
to The San Francisco market. Mendocino County produced 527,000 pounds of butter a year, That was worth $200,000.
Not like dairying, stock raising was spread all over the coast. Hundreds of beef cattle were sold every year. There was always a constant demand. As the country was cultivated and sown with better grasses there was an increase in the number of cattle raised.
As long as there were 100,000 acres of grazing land stock-raising was profitable. In 1913 there were 203,212 head of cattle, calves, cows, hogs, mules, horses, goats and sheep in Mendocino county. That was worth $1,937,526
.
Sheep were sheared twice a year. About 800,000 pounds of wool were produced annually. The wool was worth $200,000. Mendocino wool brought a higher price than of any other part of California.
Report by Tim Erwin