Built out of the redwood logs that made it famous, the town of Scotia is one of the few remaining company towns in the United States.

  Scotia is the headquarters of the Pacific Lumber Co.— or Palco, as it is known locally. Scotia has a celebrated and fascinating history that stretches back to 1869 when the town was founded as Forestville. In 1883, Forestville became an official logging camp, and in 1888 the name was changed to reflect the roots of its timber workers that were originally from Nova Scotia.

  The Pacific Lumber Co. was once a giant employer in Humboldt County, but over the past several years financial strains and environmental concerns have taken their toll. At the beginning of 2007, Palco filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and the future of the town of Scotia is uncertain.

  Today the company has a few hundred employees, and an estimated 250 current or former Palco families live in the company-owned homes.

  Despite the negative hits to the company’s reputation, the Pacific Lumber Co. has taken a few steps forward to revitalize the community. Over the past several months, a Fortuna brewery expanded its business into a closed Scotia mill building, and the Scotia Inn has reopened after the inn’s previous leaseholders went out of business.

  The Winema Theater logging museum was recently renovated and is open for public viewing. In 2002 the theater, built in 1920, underwent a $200,000 renovation that included an upgraded sound system and new stage curtains from Hollywood.

  Palco also operates a Fisheries Center that includes the largest indoor aquarium in Humboldt County, complete with North Coast native species. Admission to the Fisheries Center is free. The center is open Monday through Saturday from Memorial Day to Labor Day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the rest of the year.

  For more information about the Pacific Lumber Co. or Scotia, call 764-2222.