Trinidad   



Humboldt County's first residents hailed from the Yurok, Karuk, Wiyot, Chilula, Whilkut and Hupa tribes, among others. They settled on the coast and along the banks of the Trinity and Klamath rivers. The county was created in May 1853 and derives its name from Humboldt Bay, which was "discovered" by a sea otter hunting party in 1806 and rediscovered in 1849. Douglas Ottinger and Hans Buhne entered the bay in 1850 and named it in honor of naturalist and explorer Baron Alexander von Humboldt.

Del Norte County has been home to the Yurok and Tolowa peoples for thousands of years. Legendary explorer Jedediah Smith is credited with being the first non-native to enter the region, in 1828. Gold strikes on the Klamath and Smith Rivers in the 1850s led to the settlement of the county, which was created in March 1857. Its name, meaning "the north" is derived from its position in the northwest corner of the state.

Statistics
Population: 320
Settled: Named 1775,
incorporated 1870
Median home price:
October 2005-March 2006: $922,000
October 2004-March 2005: $577,000
October 2003-March 2004: $500,000

City Government
Mayor: Chi-Wei Lin
Mayor Pro-tem: George Bowman
City Council: Dean Heyenga, Terry Marlow, Jim Cuthbertson, George Bowman.
The council meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday and fourth Tuesday of the month in City Hall.

City Contacts
City Hall: 409 Trinity St., 677-0223,
fax 677-3759

Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 356, Trinidad 95570
677-1610
visit site

Library
300 Trinity St., Room 10
677-0227

Police
409 Trinity St.
677-0133
Trinidad State Beach.
For those interested in making footprints in a sandy beach, Trinidad offers beautiful secluded beaches and small-town friendliness.

Home to artists, educators, retirees and fishermen, Trinidad has something for everyone. Timber, whales, crab, tide pools and a rich historical background are just a few of Trinidad??s luring attributes.
Archaeological studies have shown that the Tsurai Indians, one of more than 50 groups that make up the Yurok Tribe, have been in the Trinidad area since at least 800 A.D.

It wasn??t until 1595 that Europeans came across Trinidad??s natural harbor, when a Portuguese ship found it by accident. The area was named by Spanish explorer Don Bruno de Heceta in 1775, who dropped anchor nearby on Trinity Sunday, planted a cross and named the area ?¨Trinidad.?Æ

During the gold rush, Trinidad was a bustling base camp for mining operations along the Trinity and Klamath rivers. Gold seekers used the town as a supply port. Goods, gear and miners were sent to the port of Trinidad and lumber used to help build the city of San Francisco was loaded up for the trip back.

Trinidad is the smallest incorporated city in Humboldt County. The city perches on a bluff overlooking the harbor to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Trinidad Head, a large rock outcropping that shelters the harbor, is home to a small U.S. Coast Guard station. The Humboldt State University marine biology laboratory is open to visitors and includes a touch tank and aquarium.

The Scripps Institute of Oceanography maintains a tower on Trinidad Head that is used as a control in measuring air pollution, because Trinidad is considered one of the few places in the world with exceptionally pure air. There are public paths on Trinidad Head, but no vehicles are allowed.