Samoa, California
Encyclopedia
Samoa is a census-designated place
in Humboldt County
, California
. It is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northwest of Eureka
, at an elevation of 23 feet (7 m). Samoa is located in the northern peninsula of Humboldt Bay
and is the site of the Samoa Cookhouse, one of the last remaining original, lumber style cookhouses. The name Samoa is used interchangeably with the peninsula it occupies. The population was 258 at the 2010 census.
businessmen formed the Samoa Land and Improvement Company in 1889. Vance Lumber Company purchased the Humboldt Bay frontage from Samoa Land and Improvement Company for construction of a large sawmill in 1892. Eureka and Klamath River Railroad was chartered in 1893 to connect the Samoa sawmill and associated worker housing facilities to the city of Arcata
and timberlands near the Mad River. The Samoa sawmill was the largest in Humboldt County when purchased by Andrew B. Hammond in 1900.
A sash and door factory was added to the mill complex by 1909, and the company was reorganized as the Hammond Lumber Company in 1912. Hammond Lumber Company built an emergency shipyard during World War I
, and seven wooden steam-ships were built at Samoa between 1917 and 1919. Hammond Lumber Company railroads brought logs and lumber to Samoa from Little River and Big Lagoon until the railway trestles were destroyed by wildfire in 1945.
Georgia-Pacific
Corporation purchased the Samoa sawmill complex in 1956 and began operation of a plywood mill in 1958. A modern sawmill replaced the original sawmill facilities in 1964. A pulp mill
began operation in 1965. Some of the older worker housing was razed during construction of modern mill facilities, but the Samoa Cookhouse was preserved. The Samoa mill complex was transferred to Louisiana-Pacific
Corporation during a Federal Trade Commission
action initiated in 1972 The last old-growth timber was milled in 1980, and the area was set for sale in 2001.
The Samoa post office opened in 1894. The name Brownsville honored James D. H. Brown, dairy rancher.
was 308.4 people per square mile (119.1/km²). The racial makeup of Samoa was 198 (76.7%) White, 1 (0.4%) African American, 9 (3.5%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 31 (12.0%) from other races
, and 19 (7.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52 persons (20.2%).
The Census reported that 258 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 91 households, out of which 28 (30.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 21 (23.1%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 13 (14.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 13 (14.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 23 (25.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 18 households (19.8%) were made up of individuals and 1 (1.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84. There were 47 families
(51.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.87.
The population was spread out with 47 people (18.2%) under the age of 18, 59 people (22.9%) aged 18 to 24, 96 people (37.2%) aged 25 to 44, 47 people (18.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 9 people (3.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.1 years. For every 100 females there were 126.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 137.1 males.
There were 98 housing units at an average density of 117.2 per square mile (45.2/km²), of which 1 (1.1%) were owner-occupied, and 90 (98.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.2%. 2 people (0.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 256 people (99.2%) lived in rental housing units.
a woman named Casey Meadows played by Deborah Foreman
has to chauffeur Battle Witherspoon played by Sam J. Jones
to Samoa, while on their way the car breaks down.
, which resemble toy jacks
. The breakers were built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
to withstand the area's heavy seas, and were featured by Huell Howser
On PBS's "California's Gold
" (Episode #803). Samoa peninsula includes the Manila
and Samoa Dunes, some of the most ecologically diverse areas in California, and stretches to the Arcata Bottoms. The peninsula is about ten miles (16 km) long by one mile wide. This area is vulnerable to tsunamis as its average height above sea level
is only 3 foot (0.9144 m). It also contains the unincorporated community of Manila and a United States Coast Guard
station. Residential expansion is proposed that would double the size of Manila, which currently has neither fire or police services of its own. The ZIP Code is 95564. The community is inside area code 707
.
The seaward side of the peninsula is Samoa Beach. The great green combers of winter gales hump and crest about a half-mile offshore where the 30-foot curve parallels the shoreline. During such storms, little can be seen between the breakers and the beach except the smoky spume of crests blown off by the wind. Varying currents and a high incidence of foggy days caused mariners to call the approach to Humboldt Bay a "graveyard of the Pacific" in days before modern navigational aids were available. Even when the fog bank was no more than a threat on the horizon, landmarks on the higher ground east of Humboldt Bay were obscured by a low overcast of smoke from lumber mills and homes using wood fuel. Twenty-seven vessels had gone ashore in this vicinity before the cruiser USS Milwaukee (C-21)
grounded here on 13 January 1917 and broke up in the pounding surf. The cruiser, disregarding recommendations of local mariners, was attempting to salvage the submarine USS H-3 (SS-30)
. The submarine had gone aground on 15 December 1916; and its crew were living in tents on the beach. The submarine was later salvaged by the Mercer-Fraser Company building a track of balks across the Samoa peninsula and jacking the submarine up onto rollers to be towed across and relaunched into Humboldt Bay.
Samoa is located in the 2nd Senate
District, represented by Democrat
Noreen Evans
, and in the 1st Assembly
District, represented by Democrat Patty Berg
. Federally, Samoa 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 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northwest 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....
, at an elevation of 23 feet (7 m). Samoa is located in the northern peninsula of Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay is a natural bay and a multi-basin, bar-built coastal lagoon located on the rugged North Coast of California, United States entirely within Humboldt County. The regional center and county seat of Eureka and the college town of Arcata adjoin the bay, which is the second largest enclosed...
and is the site of the Samoa Cookhouse, one of the last remaining original, lumber style cookhouses. The name Samoa is used interchangeably with the peninsula it occupies. The population was 258 at the 2010 census.
History
The place was known as Brownville until a group of EurekaEureka, 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....
businessmen formed the Samoa Land and Improvement Company in 1889. Vance Lumber Company purchased the Humboldt Bay frontage from Samoa Land and Improvement Company for construction of a large sawmill in 1892. Eureka and Klamath River Railroad was chartered in 1893 to connect the Samoa sawmill and associated worker housing facilities to the city of Arcata
Arcata, California
-Demographics:-2010 Census data:The 2010 United States Census reported that Arcata had a population of 17,231. The population density was 1,567.4 people per square mile...
and timberlands near the Mad River. The Samoa sawmill was the largest in Humboldt County when purchased by Andrew B. Hammond in 1900.
A sash and door factory was added to the mill complex by 1909, and the company was reorganized as the Hammond Lumber Company in 1912. Hammond Lumber Company built an emergency shipyard during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and seven wooden steam-ships were built at Samoa between 1917 and 1919. Hammond Lumber Company railroads brought logs and lumber to Samoa from Little River and Big Lagoon until the railway trestles were destroyed by wildfire in 1945.
Georgia-Pacific
Georgia-Pacific
Georgia-Pacific LLC is an American pulp and paper company based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, packaging, building products and related chemicals. As of Fall 2010, the company employed more than 40,000 people at more...
Corporation purchased the Samoa sawmill complex in 1956 and began operation of a plywood mill in 1958. A modern sawmill replaced the original sawmill facilities in 1964. A pulp mill
Pulp mill
A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fibre source into a thick fibre board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical or fully chemical methods...
began operation in 1965. Some of the older worker housing was razed during construction of modern mill facilities, but the Samoa Cookhouse was preserved. The Samoa mill complex was transferred to Louisiana-Pacific
Louisiana-Pacific
Louisiana-Pacific Corporation , commonly known as "LP", is a United States building materials manufacturer. It was founded in 1973 and is currently based in Nashville, Tennessee. LP pioneered the U.S. production of oriented strand board panels. Today, LP is the world’s largest producer of OSB, and...
Corporation during a Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
action initiated in 1972 The last old-growth timber was milled in 1980, and the area was set for sale in 2001.
The Samoa post office opened in 1894. The name Brownsville honored James D. H. Brown, dairy rancher.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Samoa had a population of 258. 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 308.4 people per square mile (119.1/km²). The racial makeup of Samoa was 198 (76.7%) White, 1 (0.4%) African American, 9 (3.5%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 31 (12.0%) 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 19 (7.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52 persons (20.2%).
The Census reported that 258 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 91 households, out of which 28 (30.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 21 (23.1%) 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, 13 (14.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 13 (14.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 23 (25.3%) 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 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 18 households (19.8%) were made up of individuals and 1 (1.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84. There were 47 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...
(51.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.87.
The population was spread out with 47 people (18.2%) under the age of 18, 59 people (22.9%) aged 18 to 24, 96 people (37.2%) aged 25 to 44, 47 people (18.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 9 people (3.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.1 years. For every 100 females there were 126.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 137.1 males.
There were 98 housing units at an average density of 117.2 per square mile (45.2/km²), of which 1 (1.1%) were owner-occupied, and 90 (98.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.2%. 2 people (0.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 256 people (99.2%) lived in rental housing units.
Popular Culture
In the 1986 movie My ChauffeurMy Chauffeur
My Chauffeur is an American comedy film starring E. G. Marshall, Deborah Foreman, and Howard Hesseman. It was written and directed by David Beaird. The original music score was composed by Paul Hertzog. The film was released on January 24, 1986, and was marketed with the tagline "Some women will,...
a woman named Casey Meadows played by Deborah Foreman
Deborah Foreman
Deborah Lynn Foreman is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her starring role in the 1983 movie Valley Girl, as "Julie Richman" acting opposite Nicolas Cage as "Randy".-Early life:...
has to chauffeur Battle Witherspoon played by Sam J. Jones
Sam J. Jones
Sam J. Jones is the stage name of Samuel Gerald Jones , an American actor also credited as Sam Jones.-Early life:Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
to Samoa, while on their way the car breaks down.
Samoa Peninsula
The coastal bar separating Humboldt Bay from the Pacific Ocean has been breached by a dredged channel to allow commercial shipping to enter the bay. The north jetty has unusual concrete breakers known as dolosDolos
A dolos is a concrete block in a complex geometric shape weighing up to 20 tons, used in great numbers to protect harbour walls from the erosive force of ocean waves...
, which resemble toy jacks
Jacks
Jacks is a playground game for children....
. The breakers were built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
to withstand the area's heavy seas, and were featured by Huell Howser
Huell Howser
Huell Burnley Howser is an American television personality best known for California's Gold, his travel show for the Los Angeles based KCET.-Early career:...
On PBS's "California's Gold
California's Gold
California's Gold is a public television travel program that explores the numerous natural, cultural and historical wonders of the Golden State. The show, now in its 17th year, is produced and hosted by Huell Howser...
" (Episode #803). Samoa peninsula includes the Manila
Manila, California
Manila is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California. It is located north of downtown Eureka, at an elevation of 13 feet . The ZIP Code is 95521...
and Samoa Dunes, some of the most ecologically diverse areas in California, and stretches to the Arcata Bottoms. The peninsula is about ten miles (16 km) long by one mile wide. This area is vulnerable to tsunamis as its average height above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
is only 3 foot (0.9144 m). It also contains the unincorporated community of Manila and a United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
station. Residential expansion is proposed that would double the size of Manila, which currently has neither fire or police services of its own. The ZIP Code is 95564. 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...
.
The seaward side of the peninsula is Samoa Beach. The great green combers of winter gales hump and crest about a half-mile offshore where the 30-foot curve parallels the shoreline. During such storms, little can be seen between the breakers and the beach except the smoky spume of crests blown off by the wind. Varying currents and a high incidence of foggy days caused mariners to call the approach to Humboldt Bay a "graveyard of the Pacific" in days before modern navigational aids were available. Even when the fog bank was no more than a threat on the horizon, landmarks on the higher ground east of Humboldt Bay were obscured by a low overcast of smoke from lumber mills and homes using wood fuel. Twenty-seven vessels had gone ashore in this vicinity before the cruiser USS Milwaukee (C-21)
USS Milwaukee (C-21)
The second USS Milwaukee was a St. Louis-class protected cruiser in the United States Navy. Milwaukee was laid down 30 July 1902 by Union Iron Works, San Francisco, California; launched 10 September 1904; sponsored by Miss Janet Mitchell, daughter of U.S. Senator John L...
grounded here on 13 January 1917 and broke up in the pounding surf. The cruiser, disregarding recommendations of local mariners, was attempting to salvage the submarine USS H-3 (SS-30)
USS H-3 (SS-30)
USS H-3 was a H-class submarine originally named Garfish, the only ship of the United States Navy named for the garfish, a popular target for recreational anglers....
. The submarine had gone aground on 15 December 1916; and its crew were living in tents on the beach. The submarine was later salvaged by the Mercer-Fraser Company building a track of balks across the Samoa peninsula and jacking the submarine up onto rollers to be towed across and relaunched into Humboldt Bay.
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...
Samoa 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 Patty Berg
Patty Berg (politician)
Patty Berg is an American politician who served in the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2008. She was elected in November 2002 to represent the 1st Assembly District, which includes Del Norte County, Humboldt County, Mendocino County, Lake County, and Trinity County as well as parts of...
. Federally, Samoa 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...
.
See also
- California State Route 255California State Route 255State Route 255 is a state highway in Humboldt County, California, United States.-Route description:It is a western alternate route of U.S. Route 101 between Eureka and Arcata, routed via the three bridges over Humboldt Bay and Indian Island and Woodley Islands, rather than motorists having to...
- Northwestern Pacific RailroadNorthwestern Pacific RailroadThe 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...
- Timber Heritage Association Has large collection of locomotives,and logging artifacts in the Roundhouse building complex behind the Samoa Cookhouse.
Sources
- http://www.beachcalifornia.com/samoa-california.html
- http://www.visitormags.com/humboldt/features/manila_dunes.html