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.
Suds brewing up a new niche industry
Humboldt is often known for one vice, an illegal kind, but it’s the increasing numbers of a legal industry that may be changing the county’s reputation for the better. Brewers in the county are regularly getting awards for their concoctions, and some of those beers are being distributed and sold around the state. Six Rivers Brewery in McKinleyville has been in operation since 1996 and is currently run by its second owner. Brewmaster Carlos Sanchez said 10 beers are kept on draft at the bar at all times. Four of the draft beers are rotating specialties that coincide with the season, like a Belgian Raspberry Lambic and a European pilsner. Its most popular beers are its India Pale Ale and High Prairie Wheat. A planned switch for the brewery in the next year is the changing of the packaging for beer sold in stores. Eel River Brewing Co. in Fortuna has been in operation since 1995 and brews eight beers. Their most award-winning beer is “Triple Exultation,” according to brewery President Ted Vivatson. The brewery’s most popular beer is its India Pale Ale. Expanding is on the company’s radar for the next year. “To keep up with demand,” Vivatson said. The Mad River Brewery in Blue Lake has been brewing since 1990. Like Six Rivers, Mad River Brewery has rotating specialties as well as the regular beer. Some of the specialties include a barley wine-style ale and a Steelhead Double IPA. Its most popular beer is the Steelhead Extra Pale Ale. Lost Coast Brewery has also been brewing in Humboldt County since 1990. It regularly brews about nine beers and like the other breweries has rotating seasonal titles. Great White, the brewery’s most popular beer, makes up about 51 percent of the total sales for the company. Its “flagship” beer, Downtown Brown, is losing its flagship status to Great White, said Manager Briar Bush. Lost Coast brews can be found as far away as Florida.