Trinidad, California
Encyclopedia
Trinidad is a seaside city 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...

, located on the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

 8 miles (12.9 km) north of the Arcata-Eureka Airport
Arcata-Eureka Airport
Arcata/Eureka Airport , also known as Arcata Airport, is an airport located north of Eureka in the unincorporated town of McKinleyville, California. This regional airport serves Humboldt County, including the two primary regional cities that compose its name: Arcata and Eureka. The airport is a...

 and 15 miles (24.1 km) north of the college town of Arcata. Situated directly above its own North Coast harbor, one of 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...

's smallest incorporated cities by population (367 residents in 2010, up from 311 residents in 2000) is noted for its spectacular coastline with ten public beaches and offshore rocks. These rocks are part of the California Coastal National Monument
California Coastal National Monument
The California Coastal National Monument is located along the entire coastline of the U.S. state of California. Created by Presidential proclamation on January 11, 2000, the monument, which covers about of land, is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, an agency of the U.S. Department...

 of which Trinidad is a Gateway City. Fishing operations related to Trinidad Harbor are vital to both local tourism and commercial fishery interests in the region. Trinidad lies at an elevation of 174 feet (53 m).

History

Yurok Indians settled the bluffs over the bay before 1700 AD at the village of Tsurai
Tsurau, California
Tsurau is a former Yurok settlement in Humboldt County, California. It was located at Trinidad, at an elevation of 174 feet and is California State Historic Landmark #838....

. The first European sighting of Trinidad Harbor was by the Portuguese navigator Sebastian Rodriguez Cermeño
Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño
Sebastião Rodrigues Soromenho , was a Portuguese explorer, born in Sesimbra , appointed by the king Philip II to sail along the shores of California, in the years 1595 and 1596, in order to map the American west coast line and define the maritime routes of the Pacific Ocean in the 16th...

, who did not make landfall. The next visit was by Bruno de Heceta
Bruno de Heceta
Bruno de Heceta y Dudagoitia was a Spanish Basque explorer of the Pacific Northwest. Born in Bilbao of an old Basque family, he was sent by the Viceroy of New Spain, Antonio María Bucareli y Ursúa, to explore the area north of Alta California in response to information that there were colonial...

 and Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra
Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra
Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra was a Spanish naval officer born in Lima, Peru. Assigned to the Pacific coast Spanish Naval Department base at San Blas, in the Viceroyalty of New Spain , this navigator explored the Northwest Coast of North America as far north as present day Alaska.Juan...


of the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...

. Their two ships anchored in Trinidad Bay on June 9, 1775. On June 11, which was Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity...

, a formal act of possession was conducted. The area was named "la Santisima Trinidad".

Settlers arrived on the James R. Whitting in 1850 and founded the town, renamed Warnersville in honor of R.V. Warner, one of the settlers. The first post office opened in Trinidad in 1851.

Trinidad was the original county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Klamath County
Klamath County, California
Klamath County was a county of California from 1851 to 1874. During its existence, the county seat moved twice and several counties were carved from its territory...

, one of California's original counties, from 1851 to 1854. At that time Trinidad became part of the newly created Humboldt County after its creation in 1853, with its county seat in 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....

. Klamath County was finally dissolved in 1874.

During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 from July to October 1863, California Volunteers fighting the local Indians in the Bald Hills War
Bald Hills War
Bald Hills War was a war fought by the forces of the California Militia, California Volunteers and soldiers of the U. S. Army against the Chilula, Lassik, Hupa, Mattole, Nongatl, Sinkyone, Tsnungwe, Wailaki, Whilkut and Wiyot Native American peoples.The war was fought within the boundaries of the...

 were stationed in the town, in Trinidad Camp to protect it and the coast road from Indian raids, until they were moved four miles north to Camp Gilmore. Trinidad was incorporated in 1870 as a City of the State of California, USA.

Climate

Trinidad has an oceanic climate
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...

 and is relatively temperate compared with inland areas. Annual temperatures range from approximately 40 °F (4.4 °C) to 60 °F (15.6 °C). Winter months are rainy with the average amount being around 50 inches (127 cm), Although rain falls in all months of the year, it is less pronounced in the summertime. Spring and fall cold fronts often form advection fog which pushes the marine layer
Marine layer
A marine layer is an air mass which develops over the surface of a large body of water such as the ocean or large lake in the presence of a temperature inversion. The inversion itself is usually initiated by the cooling effect of the water on the surface layer of an otherwise warm air mass...

 towards the coast. In summer, low pressure troughs produced by intense heating inland can create strong pressure gradients pulling the marine layer
Marine layer
A marine layer is an air mass which develops over the surface of a large body of water such as the ocean or large lake in the presence of a temperature inversion. The inversion itself is usually initiated by the cooling effect of the water on the surface layer of an otherwise warm air mass...

 ashore. Summer fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...

s, moderate precipitation, and mild temperatures are characteristic of Northern California coastal forests ecoregion and are vital to the growth of local Coast Redwood. Protected stands of old growth redwoods can be visited 20 miles (32.2 km) north of Trinidad, in Redwood National and State Parks
Redwood National and State Parks
The Redwood National and State Parks are located in the United States, along the coast of northern California. Comprising Redwood National Park and California's Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks , the combined RNSP contain...

.

2010 Census data

The 2010 United States Census reported that Trinidad had a population of 367. The population density
Population 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 547.1 people per square mile (211.2/km²). The racial makeup of Trinidad was 331 (90.2%) White, 2 (0.5%) African American, 15 (4.1%) Native American, 2 (0.5%) Asian, 1 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 1 (0.3%) 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 15 (4.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11 persons (3.0%).

The Census reported that 366 people (99.7% of the population) lived in households, 1 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 187 households, out of which 35 (18.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 64 (34.2%) 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, 21 (11.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3 (1.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 20 (10.7%) 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 3 (1.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 73 households (39.0%) were made up of individuals and 28 (15.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.96. There were 88 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...

 (47.1% of all households); the average family size was 2.64.

The population dispersal was 60 people (16.3%) under the age of 18, 25 people (6.8%) aged 18 to 24, 91 people (24.8%) aged 25 to 44, 120 people (32.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 71 people (19.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.9 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males. There were 252 housing units at an average density of 375.7 per square mile (145.0/km²), of which 113 (60.4%) were owner-occupied, and 74 (39.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 12.9%. 212 people (57.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 154 people (42.0%) lived in rental housing units.

2000 Census data

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 311 people, 168 households, and 73 families residing in the city. The population density
Population 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 643.0 people per square mile (250.2/km²). There were 228 housing units at an average density of 471.4 per square mile (183.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.86% White
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...

, 1.61% Black
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...

 or African American
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...

, 0.32% Native American
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...

, 0.64% Asian
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...

, 0.32% Pacific Islander
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...

, 0.32% 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 1.93% from two or more races. 2.25% of the population were Hispanic
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...

 or Latino
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...

 of any race. There were 168 households out of which 12.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were 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, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 56.5% were non-families. 40.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 2.51.

In the city the population dispersal was 11.3% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 41.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males. The median income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...

 for a household in the city was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $50,357. Males had a median income of $39,583 versus $31,167 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $28,050. About 2.3% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Politics

In the state legislature
California 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...

 Trinidad is located in the 2nd Senate District
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...

, 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 District
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...

, 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, Trinidad 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...

.

Points of Interest

State Parks
  • Little River State Beach
    Little River State Beach
    Little River State Beach is a beach located in Humboldt County, California, north of Eureka. Getting there is convenient as it's right off US Route 101. It's a broad open beach that contains sand dunes. Clam Beach County Park is to the south, and Little River is to the north...

  • Patrick's Point State Park
    Patrick's Point State Park
    Patrick's Point State Park is north of Eureka, California in the heart of California's coast redwood country.The park is home to many tree species including coastal redwoods, spruce, hemlock, pine, fir and red alder and wildflower meadows with a...

  • Trinidad State Beach
    Trinidad State Beach
    Trinidad State Beach is north of Eureka in Humboldt County, California. This scenic State Beach is accessed from a signposted side road at Trinity Street and Stagecoach Road in the seaside town of Trinidad. The parking lot at Trinidad Bay below Trinidad Head is another popular access point. The...


Historic Landmarks
  • Trinidad Head Light
    Trinidad Head Light
    Trinidad Head Lighthouse is a lighthouse in United States, in Trinidad Harbor, California. The historic site is located north of Eureka, California.-History:...

    , National Registered Landmark #1720
  • Trinidad Head
    Trinidad Head, California
    Trinidad Head is a rocky promontory surrounded by sea stacks sheltering Trinidad Harbor, adjacent to the town of Trinidad in Humboldt County, California, USA, designated as California Historical Landmark #146.-History:...

    , State Historic Landmark #146
  • Town of Trinidad, State Historic Landmark #216
  • Old Indian Village of Tsurai
    Tsurau, California
    Tsurau is a former Yurok settlement in Humboldt County, California. It was located at Trinidad, at an elevation of 174 feet and is California State Historic Landmark #838....

    , State Historic Landmark #838

Other
  • Trinidad Pier
  • Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory, Humboldt State University
    Humboldt State University
    Humboldt State University is the northernmost campus of the California State University system, located in Arcata within Humboldt County, California, USA. The main campus, nestled at the edge of a coast redwood forest, is situated on Preston hill overlooking Arcata and with commanding views of...

  • Trinidad City Cemetery includes Indian and settler graves and one unusual tombstone. Edward Bernhardt Schnaubelt was the brother of Rudolph Schnaubelt, accused of the Haymarket Riot bombing in Chicago, Illinois and the brother-in-law of Michael Schwab
    Michael Schwab
    Michael Schwab was a German-American labor organizer and one of the defendants in the Haymarket Square incident.-Early years:...

    , sentenced to death for his role in the riot. All three Schnaubelt brothers left Chicago shortly after the riot. Edward Schnaubelt briefly panned for gold before settling in Trinidad, opening a sawmill and buying a tract of timber to supply his mill. After Schnaubelt's mill was taken over by his rivals, he re-entered the closed mill at night to reclaim his personal tools, and was shot to death by a nightwatchman hired to protect the property. His wife chose the phrase "Murdered by Capitalism" for his marker which inspired the 2004 book by John Ross.

Events

  • Trinidad to Clam Beach Run
    Trinidad to Clam Beach Run
    The Trinidad to Clam Beach Run began in the 60s in Humboldt County, CA as a 8.75 mile winter training race for track and field athletes attending Humboldt State University. The event grew into a nationally known run and added a 3 mile and 5 ¾ mile race...

     (February)
  • Trinidad Fish Festival (June)
  • Blessing of the Fleet (November)

People from Trinidad

  • Henry A. Boyes - First Sergeant, Fifth Marines: Eugene Sledge
    Eugene Sledge
    Eugene Bondurant Sledge was a United States Marine, university professor, and author. His 1981 memoir With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa chronicled his combat experiences during World War II and was subsequently used as source material for Ken Burns's PBS documentary, The War, as well as...

    , With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
    With the old breed
    With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa is a World War II memoir by Eugene Sledge, a United States Marine. Since its first publication in 1981, With the Old Breed has been recognized as one of the best first-hand accounts of combat in the Pacific during World War II...

    , p. 213
  • Michael John Fles
    Michael John Fles
    Michael John Fles , known both as John Fles and Michael Fles, is an American poet, editor, musician and film personality. Professor David James referred to him as "the single most important promoter of underground film" in Los Angeles, California.-Biography:Michael John Fles was born to a Dutch...

     - poet and musician
  • Howard B. Keck - businessman
  • Tim McKay
    Tim McKay
    Timothy J. McKay was the executive director of the non-profit Northcoast Environmental Center in Arcata, California, for virtually its entire 35-year existence....

     - environmental activist
  • Don Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart – musician and painter

External links

Government and Public Community Information

Individual and Private Community Information
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