Local Flavor   



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.
Cheesemakers share love of Humboldt
  Every year, the Loleta Cheese factory makes 2.6 million pounds of cheese.
  That’s small by cheesemaking standards, said owner Bob Laffranchi — some companies make 300 million pounds.
  The company makes primarily jack and cheddar cheese. Their products include some organic cheeses.
  “Currently, we’re using all local milk,” Laffranchi said.
  The company has its own cows and buys milk from other local farmers.
  Laffranchi was a Eureka High School agriculture teacher in the 1970s when a student asked how to make cheese. Laffranchi didn’t know, and told the student to research it. Together, they made cheese — and the business grew out of that. The Loleta Cheese Factory made its first batch of cheese on Nov. 11, 1982, Laffranchi said.
  “We’ve been doing it ever since,” he said.
  He said 80 percent of the company’s cheese leaves Humboldt County for other markets. The cheese is in groceries and restaurants locally and delivered to as far away as Healdsburg, Redding and the San Francisco Bay area.
  The company employs 43 people.
  Laffranchi said he enjoys showing the cheese factory to visitors, such as a couple from Texas who stopped by one day in May.
  “I get to meet incredible, wonderful people from all over the world,” he said.
  Cypress Grove Chevre also ships its cheese nationally. The business, based in Arcata, has won awards for its cheese, including 12 awards at last year’s American Cheese Society annual competition.
  Owner Mary Keehn said she owned goats and learned to make cheese as a way to use up extra milk. The company began with just her milking goats and making cheese, and has since grown to more than 40 employees. The company now purchases its milk from other farmers with goats, and focuses instead on just making cheese.
  Asked how much milk they need, Keehn replied, “As much as we can get our hands on.” It’s a busy operation, so much so that the business has to buy milk from out of the area and is always looking for more suppliers, she said.
  She said the business started in McKinleyville. With family in the area, doing business in Humboldt County is important to Keehn.
  “We love it here,” she said.