Fortuna, California
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Fortuna (
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
for "Fortune";
Wiyot The Wiyot ( Wiyot: Wíyot, Chetco-Tolowa: Wee-’at xee-she or Wee-yan’ Xee-she’, Euchre Creek Tututni: Wii-yat-dv-ne - "Mad River People“, Yurok: Weyet) are an indigenous people of California living near Humboldt Bay, California and a s ...
: ''Vutsuwitk Da'l'') is a city on the northeast shore of the Eel River, approximately from where it enters the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
, and is on
U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States. It is also known as (The Royal Roa ...
in west-central
Humboldt County, California Humboldt County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 136,463. The county seat is Eureka. Humboldt County comprises the Eureka–Arcata–Fortuna, California Micropolitan Statistica ...
, United States. The population was 12,516 at the 2020 census, up from 11,926 at the 2000 census.


History

The settlement was originally called "Slide," for Slide Hill, in 1874, named for the
slide Slide or Slides may refer to: Places * Slide, California, former name of Fortuna, California Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Slide'' (Lisa Germano album), 1998 * ''Slide'' (George Clanton album), 2018 *''Slide'', by Patrick Glees ...
that was a fixture on the northeast side of the Eel River and the southwest portion of Christian Ridge just to the northwest, near the edge of town. In 1875, the name was changed to Springville during the construction of the Springville Mill, a lumber mill for the nearby
redwood Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affini ...
forests, named so because of the numerous springs in the area. The mill's owners were Henry Rohner (namesake of neighboring Rohnerville), Alexander Masson, M. N. Weber and G. F. Gushaw. Springville was originally a company town belonging to the mill, and the few people that resided there all worked at the mill. By the late 1870s Springville had grown enough to warrant a post office, but a town called
Springville, California Springville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 934 at the 2010 census, down from 1,109 at the 2000 census. Geography Springville is located at (36.128378, -118.819001). Accordi ...
(now part of Camarillo, in Ventura County) already existed in the state. The post office was named Slide on May 24, 1876.The Road to the Friendly City: A Brief History of Fortuna
, Sunny Fortuna, 2013
In 1884 the residents petitioned the state legislature for the name Fortuna, Spanish for "fortune" and Latin for "chance," and by July 3, 1888, the change was official. The name was chosen when settlers saw the proximity of the forests, the river and its valley, and the Pacific Ocean, as ideal for enjoying a good quality of life, and felt "fortunate" to live there. It is believed that a local minister and real estate agent, desiring to sell lots to newcomers, devised the name as a marketing tool. Electricity came to Fortuna in 1883 when W. J. Swortzel and George W. Williams (of Swortzel & Williams), owners of the Springville Mill Company, built a $4,000 power plant.
, Sunny Fortuna, 2013
Some of the local sawmills were already powered by electricity, and by providing power to the mills, Swortzel and Williams saw the opportunity to also provide inexpensive electric lighting to the townspeople. The town was incorporated on February 20, 1906, and, because of the Eel River, became known for its agricultural prowess in vegetable crops, berries and fruits, and for the fresh fish from the river. Although agricultural industry was expanding, the lumber industry is what started the town, and would continue as the main source of local income for some time to come. Rohnerville (formerly Eel River Township), a town founded to service the many gold miners inhabiting the mountains to the north and east, was competing with Fortuna to be the leading township in the area. The miners would come by ship to
Eureka Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...
, and then head up the Eel River to the junction with the
Van Duzen River The Van Duzen River is a river on the north coast of California. It is a major tributary of the Eel River and drains , mostly in Humboldt County, with a small portion in Trinity County. The river travels from its headwaters on the west side o ...
, from whence the miners headed east up the Van Duzen River Valley into Trinity County. Rohnerville was at this junction, and looked to prosper from selling supplies to the miners. But when it was decided that the railroad would be routed through neighboring Fortuna, it set the fate of both towns. The
Eel River and Eureka Railroad The Eel River and Eureka Railroad company was organized on November 14, 1882, by a group of Eureka businessmen led by John M. Vance (b. Nova Scotia October 1, 1821 – d. January 1892). One of the other founders of the line was William Carso ...
was built in 1884 to provide Humboldt Bay shipping access to the lumber mills and farms of the lower Eel River.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...
reorganized Fortuna's railroad as the San Francisco and Northwestern Railway in 1903, and then completed the
Northwestern Pacific Railroad The Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional shortline railroad utilizing a stretch of the 271 mile mainline between Schellville and Windsor with freight and Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) commuter trains. Formerly, it was a regi ...
to
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
in 1914. Fortuna became the rail hub for smaller communities like Alton, Fernbridge, Ferndale, Hydesville, Newburg, Port Kenyon, Rohnerville, and Waddington. Fortuna was the location of one of two secondary mills of the storied
Pacific Lumber Company The Pacific Lumber Company, officially abbreviated PALCO, and also commonly known as PL, was one of California's major logging and sawmill operations, located 28 miles (45 km) south of Eureka and 244 miles (393 km) north of San Francisc ...
, headquartered south in
Scotia Scotia is a Latin placename derived from ''Scoti'', a Latin name for the Gaels, first attested in the late 3rd century.Duffy, Seán. ''Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia''. Routledge, 2005. p.698 The Romans referred to Ireland as "Scotia" around ...
. Since Fortuna's earliest days in the 1800s, its nickname has been "The Friendly City."Fortuna, The Friendly City!
, Sunny Fortuna, 2013


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Fortuna is located from the Pacific coast on the bank of the Eel River. The community is affected by coastal weather patterns with the Pacific Ocean to the west. Fortuna is served by U.S. Route 101 providing direct access to San Francisco to the south, and to
Eureka Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...
(the county seat) to the north. The western terminus of
California State Route 36 State Route 36 (SR 36) is an east–west state highway in the U.S. state of California that is routed from U.S. Route 101 in Humboldt County to U.S. Route 395 just east of Susanville in Lassen County. The highway passes through Red Bluff, t ...
intersects U.S. Route 101 just south of the city limits. Fortuna is surrounded by national, state and county redwood parks, and is the gateway to the
redwood Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affini ...
forests of Northern California. ''Sequoia sempervirens'' grow to about and live to be 2,500 years old. The
Avenue of the Giants The Avenue of the Giants is a scenic highway in northern California, United States, running through Humboldt Redwoods State Park. It is named after the coastal redwoods that tower over the route. The road is a former alignment of U.S. Route 101, ...
offers views of the area's redwoods, and carries visitors through a number of groves. Stops include Founders Grove, the Visitor Center near Weott and several locations that provide trail access.


Climate

The area sees summers that are not as foggy as Eureka and Arcata to the north, and run a few degrees warmer. Fortuna has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Csb'') typical of the
North Coast North Coast or Northcoast may refer to : Antigua and Barbuda * Major Division of North Coast, a census division in Saint John Parish Australia *New South Wales North Coast, a region Canada *The British Columbia Coast, primarily the communiti ...
that is characterized by warm (but not hot), dry summers, and mild to chilly, rainy winters.


Demographics


2010

At the 2010 census Fortuna had a population of 11,926. The population density was . The racial makeup of Fortuna was 9,686 (81.2%) White, 73 (0.6%) African American, 444 (3.7%) Native American, 106 (0.9%) Asian, 9 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,065 (8.9%) from other races, and 543 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2,032 persons (17.0%). The census reported that 11,665 people (97.8% of the population) lived in households, 189 (1.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 72 (0.6%) were institutionalized. There were 4,688 households, 1,509 (32.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,135 (45.5%) were heterosexual married couples living together, 579 (12.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 279 (6.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 363 (7.7%) unmarried heterosexual partnerships, and 38 (0.8%) homosexual married couples or partnerships. 1,368 households (29.2%) were one person and 683 (14.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.49. There were 2,993 families (63.8% of households); the average family size was 3.06. The age distribution was 2,937 people (24.6%) under the age of 18, 1,192 people (10.0%) aged 18 to 24, 2,681 people (22.5%) aged 25 to 44, 3,050 people (25.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,066 people (17.3%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 38.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. There were 4,991 housing units at an average density of , of which 4,688 were occupied, 2,747 (58.6%) by the owners and 1,941 (41.4%) by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.2%. 6,821 people (57.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 4,844 people (40.6%) lived in rental housing units.


2000

At the 2000 census there were 10,497 people in 4,185 households, including 2,778 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 4,414 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 88.4% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 2.9% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 4.0% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. 10.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 4,185 households 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 28.1% of households were one person and 14.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.98. The age distribution was 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. The median household income was $31,129 and the median family income was $38,867. Males had a median income of $32,414 versus $23,327 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,574. About 12.1% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

According to a 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were the City of Fortuna, Eel River Disposal, Fortuna Motors (now defunct), Fortuna Union Elementary School District, Fortuna Union High School District, Redwood Memorial Hospital, Rohnerville School District,
Safeway Safeway is an American supermarket chain founded by Marion Barton Skaggs in April 1915 in American Falls, Idaho. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and features a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, d ...
, St. Luke Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center and Wendt Construction.


Education

Fortuna is served by the
Fortuna Elementary School District Fortuna Elementary School District is a public school district based in Humboldt County, California, United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country ...
and the Fortuna Union High School.


Government

In the state legislature, Fortuna is , and . Federally, Fortuna is in .


Culture

The city has a large number of events and festivals, including the Daffodil Festival, Art & Wine in the Park, the Annual Fortuna Rodeo, the Redwood AutoXpo, the Logging Competition, Civil War Days, and Apple Harvest, the Hops in Humboldt festival, the Fortuna Concert Series and holiday events including concerts and parades with performances by Scotia Band Brass Choir and Saxophone Quartet. Additionally, the Eel River was the locale for the Paddle to the Headwaters canoe race.


Notable people

*
Jean Buckley Jean Buckley Bucketts"(December 4, 1931 – July 7, 2019) was a center fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , , Buckley batted and threw right-handed. She was born in Dorchester, ...
, center fielder in the
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...
* John A. Campbell, timber executive and president of the Pacific Lumber Company *
Reggie Christiansen Reggie Aaron Christiansen (born August 28, 1975) is an American college baseball coach who has served as head coach of the Sacramento State Hornets baseball team since 2011. Christiansen was previously head coach at Menlo and South Dakota State. A ...
, American college baseball coach *
Jon Crosby Jon Crosby (born July 25, 1976) is an American musician and founder of the musical project VAST. Biography Crosby was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Humboldt and Sonoma counties in Northern California, raised by a single mot ...
, American musician and founder of
VAST Vast or VAST may refer to: * ''Vast'' (novel), a 1998 science fiction novel by Linda Nagata * ''Vast'' (2011 film), a Dutch film, winner of the 2011 Golden Calf for Best Television Drama * Vast Broadband, an American cable and internet compan ...
*
Cecelia Holland Cecelia Holland (born December 31, 1943) is an American historical fiction novelist. Early life and education Holland was born December 31, 1943, in Henderson, Nevada. She grew up in Metuchen, New Jersey, where she started writing at age 12, rec ...
, historical novelist *
Randy Niemann Randal Harold Niemann (born November 15, 1955) is an American professional baseball coach and a former pitcher who appeared in 122 Major League games, all but 10 in relief, in 1979–80 and 1982–87 for the Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, Ch ...
, major league baseball player, major league baseball coach *
Sam Reynolds Sam Reynolds (born December 13, 1981, in Fortuna, California) is a former American professional soccer player, now a player liaison for PROficient Agency, representing professional soccer players, primarily in the United States and Europe. Car ...
, professional soccer player *
Ryan Villopoto Ryan Villopoto (born August 13, 1988, in Fortuna, California) is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2005 to 2014.


References


External links

*
Fortuna Website
– archived 2005-07-19
Fortuna Chamber of CommerceHumboldt Sentinel
{{authority control Cities in Humboldt County, California Incorporated cities and towns in California 1874 establishments in California Populated places established in 1874