Fortuna, California
| Fortuna | |
|---|---|
| City | |
| City of Fortuna | |
Main Street Fortuna in the 1940s
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| Nickname(s): The Friendly City | |
 Location in Humboldt County and the state of California |
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 Fortuna
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| Coordinates: 40°35′53″N 124°09′26″W / 40.59806°N 124.15722°WCoordinates: 40°35′53″N 124°09′26″W / 40.59806°N 124.15722°W | |
| Country |
 United States
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| State |
 California
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| County | Humboldt |
| Incorporated | January 20, 1906 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council/Manager |
| • Mayor | Douglas Strehl |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.845 sq mi (12.549 km2) |
| • Land | 4.845 sq mi (12.549 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 66 ft (20 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 11,926 |
| • Density | 2,500/sq mi (950/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 95540 |
| Area code(s) | 707 |
| FIPS code | 06-25296 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 277520, 2410532 |
| Website | friendlyfortuna |
Fortuna (formerly, Slide, Springville) (Wiyot: Vutsuwitk Da'l, "ashes stay") is a city the northeast shore of the Eel River (approximately 9 miles (14 km) from where it enters the Pacific Ocean), and is on U.S. Route 101 in west-central Humboldt County, California, United States. The population was 11,926 at the 2010 census, up from 10,497 at the 2000 census.
The settlement was originally called "Slide," for Slide Hill, in 1874, named for the slide that was a fixture on the northeast side of the Eel River and the southwest portion of Christian Ridge just to the northwest, near the edge of town. In 1875, the name was changed to Springville during the construction of the Springville Mill, a lumber mill for the nearby redwood forests, named so because of the numerous springs in the area. The mill's owners were Henry Rohner (namesake of neighboring Rohnerville), Alexander Masson, M. N. Weber and G. F. Gushaw. Springville was originally a company town belonging to the mill, and the few people that resided there all worked at the mill. By the late 1870s Springville had grown enough to warrant a post office, but a town called Springville, California (now part of Camarillo, in Ventura County) already existed in the state. The post office was named Slide on May 24, 1876. In 1884 the residents petitioned the state legislature for the name Fortuna, Spanish for "fortune" and Latin for "chance," and by July 3, 1888 the name was changed to Fortuna. The name was chosen when settlers saw the proximity of the forests, the river and its valley, and the Pacific Ocean, as ideal for enjoying a good quality of life, and felt "fortunate" to live there. It is believed that a local minister and real estate agent, desiring to sell lots to newcomers, devised the name as a marketing tool.
Electricity came to Fortuna in 1883 when W. J. Swortzel and George W. Williams (of Swortzel & Williams), owners of the Springville Mill Company, built a $4,000 power plant. Some of the local sawmills were already powered by electricity, and by providing power to the mills, Swortzel and Williams saw the opportunity to also provide inexpensive electric lighting to the townspeople.
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