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Saturday, June 3, 2023 | 
U.S. & World The West

California city named for Confederate general declines to change name

A commission spent more than a year to concluded that the name of this coastal city won’t change for now

By Gitanjali Poonia Gitanjali Pooniagpoonia@deseretnews.com
SHARE California city named for Confederate general declines to change name
An aerial view of the Georgia Pacific timber mill is seen in the foreground, in Fort Bragg, Calif.

In this July 10, 2002, photo, an aerial view of the Georgia Pacific timber mill is seen in the foreground, in Fort Bragg, Calif. The rugged Northern California coastal city named for a Confederate general has decided not to change its name. The city in Mendocino County, population 7,000, is named for Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, who is accused of keeping more than 100 slaves. A commission concluded that they could not come to a consensus about whether the name should change or not.

Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press

Officials in a northern California coastal town have been debating whether they should rename the town for more than a year.

  • The commission examining the issue said that for now, the name Fort Bragg is here to stay, according to The Guardian.

Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, who the city is named after, was accused of keeping more than 100 slaves.

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  • According to NBC News Bay Area, the city was founded in 1857, before the Civil War. Horatio G. Gibson established a military post to keep control of the Mendocino Indian Reservation and named it for Bragg, his former commanding officer.

In 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, the city of Fort Bragg asked voters whether to keep the name or not.

After more than 60 hours of meetings, an informal survey of the 7,000 residents and debates during city council meetings, the citizen group did not issue a decision about the name, stating that they were unable to reach a consensus, even though 60% of people supported the change, per the report.

  • “As a commission, we came to the conclusion that, at this time, because the citizens are so divided, this commission cannot unanimously recommend a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no,’” Cesar Yanez, a commissioner, told the city council on Monday.
  • The group did issue a list of recommendations, which included supporting the creation of a cultural center in the city to honor the Indian heritage and forming a committee dedicated to working with tribes and schools to tell a more complete history.

According to Stars and Stripes, Fort Bragg in North Carolina is expected to be identified as needing a name change by a commission set up by Congress. The commission is examining Confederate-related names across the military.