Loleta, California
Encyclopedia
Loleta is a census-designated place
in Humboldt County
, California
. It is located 5.5 miles (9 km) south of Fields Landing
, at an elevation of 46 feet (14 m). The population was 783 at the 2010 census.
Loleta is 15 miles south of Eureka
. Most of the residents live in a central community. There are, however two separate Native American
reservations on the rural outskirts of Table Bluff, California
.
The ZIP Code
is 95551. The community is inside area code 707
.
native inhabitants. Wiyots still make up the largest single ethnic minority in Loleta, according to the 2000 US census, at 4 percent of the population. Whites make up 85.5 percent of the population of 750 (less than the 807 inhabitants the census recorded in 1880).
The Eel River and Eureka Railroad reached Swauger's Station from Humboldt Bay in 1883. The Swauger post office opened in 1888, and changed its name to Loleta in 1898. The Humboldt Creamery plant (originally Diamond Springs Creamery) opened in the town proper in 1893, and dairying continues to be a major economic influence. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
reorganized Loleta's railroad as the San Francisco and Northwestern Railway
in 1903 and then completed the Northwestern Pacific Railroad
to San Francisco
in 1914.
In 1982 The Movie "Halloween III:Season of The Witch" was filmed in Loleta.
, which drains 10 percent of the total California watershed, and four miles from the Pacific Ocean and Humboldt Bay, fishing has also been a significant economic factor in the local economy. In the early years of the 20th century, fish buyers from San Francisco congregated in Loleta every fall to bid on the salmon catch, which averaged $50,000.
The Aleutian Cackling Goose
(Branta hutchinsii leucopareia) has in recent years extended its spring staging area to Loleta. Flocks of over 400 individual birds may be seen in March.
was 368.5 people per square mile (142.3/km²). The racial makeup of Loleta was 643 (82.1%) White, 12 (1.5%) African American, 16 (2.0%) Native American, 5 (0.6%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 65 (8.3%) from other races
, and 42 (5.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 114 persons (14.6%).
The Census reported that 783 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 314 households, out of which 96 (30.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 135 (43.0%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 34 (10.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 12 (3.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 40 (12.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 4 (1.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 97 households (30.9%) were made up of individuals and 21 (6.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49. There were 181 families
(57.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.17.
The population was spread out with 186 people (23.8%) under the age of 18, 81 people (10.3%) aged 18 to 24, 207 people (26.4%) aged 25 to 44, 241 people (30.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 68 people (8.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.5 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males.
There were 341 housing units at an average density of 160.5 per square mile (62.0/km²), of which 178 (56.7%) were owner-occupied, and 136 (43.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.2%. 460 people (58.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 323 people (41.3%) lived in rental housing units.
, and home of the Loleta Elementary School, a public K-8 school.
The town is known for the Loleta Cheese Company, which ships cheese worldwide.
The Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria is headquartered in Loleta, where they operate the Bear River Casino.
.
The Northwest school mystic artist, Morris Graves
lived in Loleta from 1964 until his death in 2001, in a house designed by Seattle architect Ibsen Nelson.
Season 6, Episode 2 of the hit show X-files features Loleta momentarily near the end of the episode.
Loleta is located in the 2nd Senate
District, represented by Democrat
Noreen Evans
, and in the 1st Assembly
District, represented by Democrat Wesley Chesbro
. Federally, Loleta is located in California's 1st congressional district
.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in Humboldt County
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is located 5.5 miles (9 km) south of Fields Landing
Fields Landing, California
Fields Landing is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California. It is located on Humboldt Bay south-southwest of downtown Eureka, at an elevation of 13 feet . The ZIP Code is 95537...
, at an elevation of 46 feet (14 m). The population was 783 at the 2010 census.
Loleta is 15 miles south of Eureka
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
. Most of the residents live in a central community. There are, however two separate Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
reservations on the rural outskirts of Table Bluff, California
Table Bluff, California
Table Bluff is a semi-flat terrace in Humboldt County, California, that terminates above the ocean in a dramatic, high cliff with spectacular views of the Eel River delta, the South Spit of Humboldt Bay, and the Pacific Ocean. It separates Humboldt Bay to the north from the Eel River to the south...
.
The ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 95551. The community is inside area code 707
Area code 707
North American area code 707 is a Californian telephone area code which covers Napa, Sebastopol, Vallejo, Benicia, Fairfield, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Fort Bragg, Crescent City, Eureka, Clearlake, Vacaville, Ukiah, and northwestern California. It was split from area code 415 on March 1, 1959...
.
History
European settlement began in the early 1850s. Potato farming was the biggest agricultural use of land until the 1870s, when depleted soil and declining prices caused a turn to dairying. The town was originally known as Swauger or Swauger's Station, for local landowner Samuel A. Swauger, but the town has been called Loleta since 1897. The name means "pleasant place at the end of the tide water" in the language of the original WiyotWiyot people
The Wiyot people are a native people of the Humboldt Bay, California and nearby environs.-History:The Wiyot and Yurok are the farthest southwest people whose language has Algic roots; Wiyot and Yurok are distantly related to the Algonquian languages...
native inhabitants. Wiyots still make up the largest single ethnic minority in Loleta, according to the 2000 US census, at 4 percent of the population. Whites make up 85.5 percent of the population of 750 (less than the 807 inhabitants the census recorded in 1880).
The Eel River and Eureka Railroad reached Swauger's Station from Humboldt Bay in 1883. The Swauger post office opened in 1888, and changed its name to Loleta in 1898. The Humboldt Creamery plant (originally Diamond Springs Creamery) opened in the town proper in 1893, and dairying continues to be a major economic influence. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
reorganized Loleta's railroad as the San Francisco and Northwestern Railway
San Francisco and Northwestern Railway
San Francisco and Northwestern Railway was a Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway subsidiary formed in 1903 to connect Humboldt Bay to the Santa Fe rail system....
in 1903 and then completed the Northwestern Pacific Railroad
Northwestern Pacific Railroad
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional railroad serving California's North Coast. The railroad currently runs on 62 miles of the 462 mile main line, stretching from Schellville, California to Eureka, California...
to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in 1914.
In 1982 The Movie "Halloween III:Season of The Witch" was filmed in Loleta.
Environment
Located one mile from the Eel RiverEel River (California)
The Eel River is a major river system of the northern Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. Approximately 200 miles long, it drains a rugged area in the California Coast Ranges between the Sacramento Valley and the ocean. For most of its course, the river flows northwest, parallel to the...
, which drains 10 percent of the total California watershed, and four miles from the Pacific Ocean and Humboldt Bay, fishing has also been a significant economic factor in the local economy. In the early years of the 20th century, fish buyers from San Francisco congregated in Loleta every fall to bid on the salmon catch, which averaged $50,000.
The Aleutian Cackling Goose
Aleutian Cackling Goose
The Aleutian Cackling Goose , formerly known as the Aleutian Canada Goose , is small subspecies of Cackling Goose averaging 1700 to 2100 grams....
(Branta hutchinsii leucopareia) has in recent years extended its spring staging area to Loleta. Flocks of over 400 individual birds may be seen in March.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Loleta had a population of 783. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 368.5 people per square mile (142.3/km²). The racial makeup of Loleta was 643 (82.1%) White, 12 (1.5%) African American, 16 (2.0%) Native American, 5 (0.6%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 65 (8.3%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 42 (5.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 114 persons (14.6%).
The Census reported that 783 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 314 households, out of which 96 (30.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 135 (43.0%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 34 (10.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 12 (3.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 40 (12.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 4 (1.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 97 households (30.9%) were made up of individuals and 21 (6.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49. There were 181 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(57.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.17.
The population was spread out with 186 people (23.8%) under the age of 18, 81 people (10.3%) aged 18 to 24, 207 people (26.4%) aged 25 to 44, 241 people (30.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 68 people (8.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.5 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males.
There were 341 housing units at an average density of 160.5 per square mile (62.0/km²), of which 178 (56.7%) were owner-occupied, and 136 (43.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.2%. 460 people (58.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 323 people (41.3%) lived in rental housing units.
Education
Loleta is the seat of the Loleta Union School DistrictLoleta Union School District
The Loleta Union School District, headquartered in Loleta, California, oversees public education, through grade 8, in a portion of coastal central Humboldt County, California...
, and home of the Loleta Elementary School, a public K-8 school.
Local institutions
Downtown Loleta consists of a grocery store, a meat market, a bakery, a realty office, and a post office. Close to the freeway is the school, Loleta Elementary, a Catholic church and a Protestant church. There is an independent media development house, Bandicoot12 Studios. The most notable building in town is the firefighter's pavilion, managed by the local volunteer firefighters.The town is known for the Loleta Cheese Company, which ships cheese worldwide.
The Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria is headquartered in Loleta, where they operate the Bear River Casino.
Popular culture
Loleta and Eureka were locations for filming the 1982 horror movie, Halloween III: Season of the WitchHalloween III: Season of the Witch
Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a 1982 science fiction horror film and the third installment in the Halloween film series. It is the only Halloween where the story does not revolve around Michael Myers. Directed and written by Tommy Lee Wallace, the film stars Tom Atkins as Dr. Dan Challis,...
.
The Northwest school mystic artist, Morris Graves
Morris Graves
Morris Cole Graves was an American expressionist painter. Along with Guy Anderson, Kenneth Callahan, William Cumming, and Mark Tobey, he founded the Northwest School. Graves was also a mystic.-Early years:...
lived in Loleta from 1964 until his death in 2001, in a house designed by Seattle architect Ibsen Nelson.
Season 6, Episode 2 of the hit show X-files features Loleta momentarily near the end of the episode.
Politics
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Loleta is located in the 2nd Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Noreen Evans
Noreen Evans
Noreen Evans is an American politician in the California State Senate. She is a Democrat representing the 2nd district, encompassing Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, and Napa counties, as well as parts of Sonoma and Solano counties....
, and in the 1st Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Democrat Wesley Chesbro
Wesley Chesbro
Wesley P. Chesbro is a Democratic politician from California. He is currently the Assembly member for the 1st Assembly district in California. Previously, Chesbro served as a State Senator from California's 2nd district from 1998 until 2006...
. Federally, Loleta is located in California's 1st congressional district
California's 1st congressional district
California's 1st congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California and presently consists of the northern coastline and includes Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties and parts of Sonoma and Yolo counties.The district is currently...
.