
Over a century ago, Ukiah played a quiet but crucial role in an international effort to understand Earth’s wobble—an endeavor that laid the foundation for modern GPS. The Ukiah Latitude Observatory, one of six identical sites worldwide, meticulously tracked the planet’s subtle movements for nearly a hundred years. Though its mission ended in 1982, the observatory still stands, its modest structures now part of Observatory Park, where children play and residents walk their dogs, largely unaware of the scientific legacy beneath their feet.
Thanks to local advocates, including historian Alyssa Boge and longtime Ukiah resident Martin Bradley, efforts to preserve and celebrate the site have gained momentum. The observatory’s original telescope was tracked down and returned, while interactive museum displays and research initiatives keep its history alive. Today, Ukiah’s quiet observatory continues to inspire curiosity, proving that even small towns can have a hand in shaping scientific discovery.
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Matt! Why are you blowing up our tiny town in SF! I know mendo is on a big tourism push, but every young person I know from Santa Rosa south wants to move up here and start a farm cause it’s cheap and peaceful and they’ve been watching too many homesteading revival videos on you tube.
This article was fed to SF first.
It’s a good marketing effort and I hope Ukiah (as a city) actually makes an effort to attract young (under 40) people.