by Jessica Faulkner (Author), County Historical Society Humboldt (Author), Humboldt County Historical Society (Author)
Arcata, a bright jewel surrounded by the redwood forested hills of northern Humboldt Bay, was once the territory of the Wiyot Indians. The tribe only barely survived massacres and relocation after a town was founded there in 1850, a supply point for gold seekers at nearby mines. That town soon evolved into a center for a thriving lumber industry that fed sawmills and a barrel factory, and dairies that prospered on the pastoral Arcata Bottom. Home to Humboldt State University and the much loved Humboldt Crabs baseball team, Arcata is attracting new businesses, industries, and national attention for its innovative Arcata Marsh public works project.