HUMBOLDT COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

'Humboldt County' is a county located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific Ocean. As of the 2000 census, the county had a population of 126,518. The county seat is Eureka.

Contents

History

Geography

Rivers

Climate

Incorporated cities

Unincorporated towns and areas

Adjacent counties

Agriculture

Transportation infrastructure

Major highways

Public transportation

Airports

Government

Area organizations

Demographics

Educational and cultural institutions

Media

Points of interest

Events

References

External links

History

The original inhabitants of the area now known as Humboldt County include the Wiyot, Yurok, Hupa, Karuk, Chilula, Whilkut, and the southern Athabascans, including the Mattole and Nongatl.^[1] Humboldt County was formed in 1853 from parts of Trinity County. The first recorded entry by people of European origin was a landing by the Spanish in 1775.¹
The county derived its name from Humboldt Bay. The first recorded entry of Humboldt Bay by non-natives was an 1806 visit from a sea otter hunting party from Sitka employed by the Russian American Company.¹ The hunting party included Captain Jonathan Winship, an American, and some Aleut hunters.^1[2] The bay was not visited again by people of European origin until 1849 when Josiah Gregg's party visited.² In 1850, Douglas Ottinger and Hans Buhne entered the bay, naming it Humboldt in honor of the great naturalist and world explorer, Baron Alexander von Humboldt.
The area around Humboldt Bay was once solely inhabited by the Wiyot Indian tribe. One of the largest Wiyot villages, Tolowot, was located on Gunther Island (AKA Indian Island and AKA Bloody Island) in Humboldt Bay. Founded circa 900, it contains a shell midden 6 acres (24,000 m²) in size and 14 feet (4 m) deep. It was the site of the February 26, 1860 massacre of the Wiyot people that was recorded by Bret Harte, then living in Union, now called Arcata. Between 60 and 200 Wiyot men, women, and children were murdered that night. In 1998, musician Frank Black wrote and recorded a song about this event, called "Humboldt County Massacre." Tolowot is now an archaeological site, designated "Gunther Island Site 67", and is a National Historic Landmark.²
State historic landmarks in Humboldt County include Trinidad Head, Fort Humboldt, The Old Arrow Tree, Centerville Beach Cross, Camp Curtis, the Town of Trinidad, the City of Eureka, California's first drilled oil wells in Petrolia, the Jacoby Building, the Old Indian Village of Tsurai in Trinidad, the Arcata and Mad River Railroad Company, the Humboldt Harbor Historical District, and the town of Ferndale.²
On February 5 and February 6, 1885, Eureka's entire Chinese population of 300 men and 20 women were expelled after a gunfight between rival Chinese gangs (tongs) resulted in the wounding of a 12 year old boy and the death of 56 year old David Kendall, a Eureka City Councilman. After the shooting, an angry mob of 600 Eurekans met and then informed the Chinese that they were no longer wanted in Eureka and would be hanged if they were to stay in town longer than 3 p.m. the next day. They were put on two steamships and shipped to San Francisco. No Chinese were killed in the expulsion. Another Chinese expulsion occurred during 1906 in a cannery on the Eel River, which expelled 23 Chinese cannery workers after local loggers objected to their presence. However, A few Chinese remained in the Orleans area, where some white landowners sheltered and purchased food for Chinese mineworkers until after racial tension passed. The Chinese did not return to the coastal cities until the 1950s.^[3]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 10,495 km² (4,052 mi²). 9,253 km² (3,572 mi²) of it is land and 1,243 km² (480 mi²) of it (11.84%) is water.
Located in Humboldt County is Cape Mendocino, the westernmost point in California, with a longitude of 124 degrees, 24 minutes and 30 seconds.

Rivers

Humboldt County's major rivers include (in order of flow-cubic meters per second-from largest to smallest): The Klamath, The Eel, The Trinity, and The Mad.
Other smaller rivers and large creeks include: Van Duzen, Mattole, Elk, Bear, and Little rivers, and Redwood Creek.

Climate

The coastal areas of the county experience wet, cool winters and dry, mild foggy summers. Winter highs usually range from the low 40s to the upper 50s, and winter lows on the coast usually range from the 40s into the 30s. The immediate coastal zone experiences a number of frosty nights in winter and early spring, though snowfall and hard freezes are rare. Winter rainstorms are frequent, with coastal areas averaging from 30 to 100 inches a year based on elevation. Summers on the coast are cool to mild with frequent fog. Yet just 10 or 20 miles inland one can find abundant sunshine and warmth. Thus coastal residents often head eastward in the summer to escape the gloomy cold summer fog. Summer highs range from the mid-50s to upper 60s, with lows in the upper 40s to mid-50s. Record highs at Woodley Island for most summer days are in the low to mid-70s.
Inland areas of the county also experience wet, cool winters. Snowfall is common at elevations over 3,000 ft. throughout the winter months. The main climatic difference between inland areas and the coast takes place in the summer months. Inland parts of Humboldt County experience average highs from the 80s to 90s depending on the elevation and distance from the ocean. 100 degree days are also common in eastern parts of the county including Orleans, Hoopa, and Willow Creek during the summer.

Incorporated cities

★ Arcata

★ Blue Lake

★ Eureka

★ Ferndale

★ Fortuna

★ Rio Dell

★ Trinidad

Unincorporated towns and areas

★ Alderpoint

★ Alton

★ Bayside

★ Bayview

★ Briceland

★ Blocksburg

★ Bridgeville

★ Carlotta

★ Cutten

★ Fernbridge

★ Fieldbrook

★ Garberville

★ Harris

★ Honeydew

★ Hoopa

★ Humboldt Hill

★ Hydesville

★ Loleta

★ Manila

★ McKinleyville

★ Miranda

★ Myrtletown

★ Myers Flat

★ Orick

★ Orleans

★ Pepperwood

★ Petrolia

★ Phillipsville

★ Pine Hills

★ Redcrest

★ Redway

★ Scotia

★ Samoa

★ Shelter Cove

★ Westhaven-Moonstone

★ Weott

★ Whitethorn

★ Willow Creek.

Adjacent counties

★ Del Norte County, California - north ★ Mendocino County, California - south

★ Siskiyou County, California - northeast ★ Trinity County, California - east

Agriculture

Humboldt County is known for its impressive redwood trees, and many acres of private redwood timberland make Humboldt the top timber producer in California. The lush river bottoms adjacent to the ocean are renowned for producing rich, high-quality dairy products. Somewhat more inland the warmer valleys have historically produced abundant apples and other fruit. More recently vinyards have been planted in the Trinity, Klamath, and upper Eel river valleys. Humboldt County is also widely known for its high potency strains of marijuana, which are grown outdoor and increasingly indoors. Large scale "grows" are prosecuted, while others are able to grow under county guidelines for medicinal use under the auspices of California Proposition 215.

Transportation infrastructure

Major highways

★ U.S. Route 101

★ California State Route 36

★ California State Route 96

★ California State Route 299

Public transportation

Humboldt Transit Authority operates two fixed route transit bus systems:

★ Redwood Transit System provides intercity service to and within communities between Trinidad and Scotia, with occasional service to Manila and Loleta. HTA also offers service between McKinleyville or Arcata and Willow Creek and an express bus between Arcata and College of the Redwoods when classes are in session.

★ Eureka Transit Service provides local service on four scheduled routes (one hour headway) in Eureka and adjacent communities. Connections can be made to the Redwood Transit System at several places in Eureka.
The city of Arcata operates the Arcata and Mad River Transit System, with funding from Humboldt State University. A&MRTS provides fixed route local bus service on two scheduled routes (one hour headway) in Arcata and an additional route between the Valley West student ghetto and the university when classes are in session.
The city of Blue Lake and the Blue Lake Rancheria operates the Blue Lake Rancheria Transit Authority. Blue Lake Rancheria Transit provides fixed route intercity transit bus service (one hour headway) between Arcata and the Blue Lake Rancheria Indian Reservation and casino and local service within the city of Blue Lake.
Del Norte county's Redwood Coast Transit operates fixed route intercity transit bus service between Arcata and Crescent City or Smith River.

Airports

Arcata-Eureka Airport is located in McKinleyville (north of Arcata). Commercial flights are
available.
Other (general aviation) airports are located at Dinsmore, Garberville, Kneeland, Murray Field (Eureka) and Rohnerville (Fortuna).

Government

★ County of Humboldt ★ City of Arcata ★ City of Blue Lake ★ City of Eureka

★ City of Ferndale ★ City of Fortuna ★ City of Rio Dell ★ City of Trinidad

Area organizations

★ Humboldt County Convention and Visitor's Bureau ★ Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce ★ Arcata Chamber of Commerce ★ Fortuna Chamber of Commerce

★ Ferndale Chamber of Commerce ★ Trinidad Chamber of Commerce ★ Garberville & Redway (Southern Humboldt) Chamber of Commerce

Demographics

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 126,518 people and 51,238 households in Humboldt County, and the population density was 14/km² (35/mi²). By 2003, the population was projected to increase to 127,915. There were 55,912 housing units at an average density of 6/km² (16/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.71% White, 0.88% Black or African American, 5.72% Native American, 1.65% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 2.45% from other races, and 4.39% from two or more races. 6.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 13.3% were of German, 10.7% Irish, 10.3% English, 7.4% American and 5.7% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 92.1% spoke English and 4.6% Spanish as their first language.
There were 51,238 households out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.10% were married couples living together, 11.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.20% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.20% under the age of 18, 12.40% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,226, and the median income for a family was $39,370. Males had a median income of $32,210 versus $23,942 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,203. About 12.90% of families and 19.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.50% of those under age 18 and 7.20% of those age 65 or over.

Educational and cultural institutions

★ Humboldt State University

★ College of the Redwoods

★ Heartwood Institute

★ Dell'Arte School
The County is served by many school districts and a wide variety of schools. Most schools are under the direction of the |Humboldt County Office of Education, but a few are not. The independent, private schools include St. Mary's Catholic School in Arcata and |Salmon Creek Community School in rural southern Humboldt County. A complete list of Humboldt County Schools under the Humboldt County Office of Education includes charter schools and adult education.

Media

The longest-running paper is the Eureka Times-Standard, owned now by Media News Group, which has been in daily publication since 1854. Joining them in 2006 is the daily Eureka Reporter owned by local developer and conservative Republican activist Rob Arkley Jr.. Regional weekly and bi-weekly publications include the Coast Journal, the McKinleyville Press, the Independent, the HSU Lumberjack, Arcata Eye the Humboldt Beacon, and the BigfootValleyNews.html Bigfoot Valley News - distributed from Weaverville, CA in the east to Mc Kinleyville CA then south to Fortuna CA. Also along HWY 96 from Willow Creek to Happy Camp, CA, primarily local coverage. Last but not least is the Hoopa People Newspaper, distributed weekly in the Klamath Trinity region and available by subscription to tribal members and other interested people.
There are also a number of tabloid circulars both on-line and in print which have a narrower focus than traditional print media. Humboldt County also has numerous zines and on-line blogs.
All of Humboldt County's television stations (KIEM, KVIQ, KAEF, KEET) are based in Eureka, although only KIEM continues to produce nightly news broadcasts originating locally.
Commercial, community and public radio continues to thrive in Humboldt County, with some stations bucking the national trend to produce local content and program a smattering of local music. For-profit stations include (KFMI, KRED, KXGO, KHUM, KSLG, KWPT and KATA). Non-profit stations include the Hoopa Tribe's KIDE, Redway's KMUD, Humboldt State University-based KHSU and KRFHand Jefferson Public Radio's KNHM and KNHT. On August 26, 2006 the Blue Ox Millworks and School of the Traditional Arts launched KKDS, a low power FM station focused on youth and community issues. There have also been a number of pirate radio stations such as Free Arcata Radio and Humboldt Free Radio, although none of these have broadcasted on a consistent basis or frequency for many years.

Points of interest

★ Arcata/Jacoby Creek Community Forests [1]

★ Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary [2]

★ Avenue of the Giants

★ Fort Humboldt State Historic Park

★ Humboldt Botanical Garden [3]

★ Humboldt County parks and beaches [4]

★ Humboldt Redwoods State Park

★ Headwaters Forest

★ Lanphere Dunes

★ Lost Coast Trail

★ Redwood National and State Parks

★ Samoa Dunes

★ Shelter Cove
Although the Avenue of the Giants is home to many giant Redwoods, it is not the home of the tallest tree. This distinction goes to Hyperion, a tree in Redwood National Park measuring 115.55 m [5] (379.1 feet).

Events

★ Roll on the Mattole at the Mattole Grange in Southern Humboldt (Summer)

★ The Oyster Festival on the Arcata Plaza (June)

★ Redwood Coast Jazz Festival in Eureka (Last Weekend of March)

★ Blues by the bay in Eureka (mid July)

★ Reggae on the River

References

1. Van Kirk, Susie. "Humboldt County: A Briefest of Histories" May 1999 Prepared for the Shades of Humboldt Project, Humboldt County Library Humboldt County Historical Society
2. CA Historical Landmarks List of Humboldt County State Designated Historical Landmarks
3. Easthouse, K. (2003, February 27). The Chinese Expulsion. Retrieved November 26, 2006 from http://www.northcoastjournal.com/022703/cover0227.html

External links

★ Humboldt County website

★ Humboldt Economic Index

★ Humboldt County Historical Society website

★ Open Directory page for Humboldt County, California