Haywire / Makela's

Overview

The property at 151 W. Elm Street is best remembered through two connected business chapters: Makela’s Boots & Saddlery and Haywire.

For years, the store supplied workwear, footwear, rain gear, western and equestrian goods suited to life and work on the Mendocino Coast.

Haywire continued much of that tradition after taking over the business in 2013, but has since closed, leaving the property awaiting its next use.

Location

The store stands at 151 W. Elm Street, west of Main Street and behind the Denny’s area.

Its location outside the tighter downtown shopping blocks provided room for a larger retail floor, parking, deliveries and inventory.

The surrounding area has changed considerably over the years. Community memories include carnivals operating nearby before some of the present development, including memories of carnival grounds near what later became Denny’s and in the area of the present police station.

History

The Makela business traced its Fort Bragg roots to 1918, although it did not spend all of those years at 151 W. Elm Street.

Longtime residents remember earlier Makela locations elsewhere in town.

One recollection places the first Makela’s on Franklin Street, where an old shoe sign associated with the business could still be remembered. Another location was remembered between the liquor store and Lucy’s Laundry.

The Makela name survived those moves, carrying the family business and its customers from one storefront to another.

Eventually, 151 W. Elm Street became the location most strongly associated with Makela’s Boots & Saddlery.

Makela’s was built around the practical needs of the community. Its customers included fishermen, loggers, millworkers, ranchers, horse owners, tradespeople and local families.

The store filled a niche somewhere between a shoe shop, workwear dealer, western store and saddlery — the kind of business where much of what was sold was meant for work rather than fashion.

In 2013, the business changed hands and reopened as Haywire.

The name changed, but much of the store’s practical character remained. Haywire continued serving many of the same kinds of customers and carried forward the workwear and western-store tradition associated with Makela’s.

The business eventually closed, ending this chapter of the property’s retail history.

The Building Today

The former Haywire location now stands vacant.

Its large open retail floor, offices or supply areas and private parking give the property more flexibility than many of Fort Bragg’s older downtown storefronts.

After Haywire closed, community discussion quickly turned toward what might come next. Residents noted that zoning and permitting can affect which businesses can move into an existing commercial space.

A remodeled bar was also remembered as being inside, adding another interesting feature for a possible future use.

For now, its strongest identity remains connected with Makela’s and Haywire.

Community Memories

The discussion about Haywire brought back memories reaching well beyond West Elm Street.

Residents remembered earlier Makela locations around Fort Bragg, particularly the Franklin Street store and its memorable shoe sign.

Others remembered carnivals operating in the surrounding area before later development changed the neighborhood.

Haywire’s closure also prompted discussion about bringing new businesses into vacant commercial properties. Some saw the location as prime commercial real estate, while others talked about the difficulties prospective businesses can encounter with zoning, permits and changes in use.

For longtime customers, Makela’s and Haywire remain part of the memory of shopping locally for the practical things needed for work, weather and everyday life on the Mendocino Coast.

Why It Matters

Makela’s and Haywire represent a kind of Fort Bragg store shaped by the community around it.

The Makela name also shows how a business history can extend beyond a single address. Its story moved through several Fort Bragg storefronts before becoming closely associated with West Elm Street.

Haywire carried much of that tradition forward after 2013.

Whatever eventually comes next at 151 W. Elm Street, the Makela’s and Haywire years will remain part of its history — a story of family business, working Fort Bragg and generations of local customers.