Occidental (population of 931) has a rich history dating back to its establishment in 1876 as a stop on the North Pacific Coast Railroad. Originally known as "Howard's Station", the town's roots are intertwined with the tale of Christopher Folkmann, a Danish sailor who, in 1849, 'jumped ship' from the US Navy in San Francisco and headed north in a stolen boat. Adopting the alias Dutch Bill Howard, Folkmann acquired land and in the 1870s granted the railroad the right-of-way in exchange for a rail pass and station naming rights...
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Long inhabited by the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo tribes, the land now known as Occidental was established amidst the din of timber mills in 1876, this small, attractive and peaceful village evolved out of a colorful and restless ingenuity.
In 1876, the North Pacific Coast Railroad Company extended its tracks to the Bodega Bay region. Occidental's depot, initially known as Howards Station, was established as a wood-framed, gable-roofed structure with vertical wood siding.
In 1876, the North Pacific Coast Railroad Company extended its tracks to the Bodega Bay region. Occidental's depot, initially known as Howards Station, was established as a wood-framed, gable-roofed structure with vertical wood siding.
