Lifes Little Treasures

by Marnie Patchett

Title

Lifes Little Treasures

Artist

Marnie Patchett

Medium

Photograph - Photograph

Description

Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, California. Unfortunately most of the glass is gone from people collecting it over the years.

In 1906, Fort Bragg residents established an official water dump site behind the Union Lumber Company onto what is now known as "Site 1". Most water fronted communities had water dump sites discarding glass, appliances, and even vehicles.Locals referred to it as "The Dumps."Fires were often lit to reduce the size of the trash pile.

When the original dump site filled in 1943, the site was moved to what is now known as "Site 2", the active dump site from 1943 until 1949.

When this beach filled in 1949, the dump was moved north to what is now known as "Glass Beach", which remained an active dump site until 1967.

The California State Water Resources Control Board and city leaders closed this area in 1967. Various cleanup programs were undertaken through the years to correct the damage. Over the next several decades, what was biodegradable in the dump sites simply degraded and all the metal and other items were eventually removed and sold as scrap or used in art. The pounding waves broke down the glass and pottery and tumbled those pieces into the small, smooth, colored pieces that often become jewelry quality and that cover Glass Beach and the other two glass beaches (former dump sites) in Fort Bragg.

Uploaded

September 12th, 2016

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