First town ever sold on eBay is going back on the market

The rural Northern California spot is surrounded by redwood trees and conveniently located between highways. Picture: Google Earth Bridgeville, CA, made history in 2002 as the first town to ever be sold on eBay, and soon, it will be up for grabs again. The Northern California locale — positioned along the Van Duzen River, 45 miles southeast of Eureka and 26 miles east of Fortuna, with an estimated population of just 25 — is an 80-acre property surrounded by beautiful redwood trees. It’s been quite a journey to find an ideal owner for Bridgeville. When Bridgeville was initially listed on eBay by its former owner, Elizabeth Lapple, the minimum bid was set at $775,000 (AUD $1.08 million). The monthlong bidding war — which garnered 250 bids — saw the price soar to $1,777,877 (AUD $2.48 million). The winner backed out upon learning how much work the town needed, and SF Gate reported “a dozen more deals” similarly fell through. Two years later, in 2004, an Orange County, CA, financial adviser named Bruce Krall purchased Bridgeville for $700,000 (AUD $977,000). At the time, the deal included 10 houses, four cabins, a post office, a cemetery, and a few additional structures. Krall reported...