FORTUNA
The Friendly City!
Early settlers started fishing, farming, and raising livestock in the fertile Eel River Valley in the 1800s. Not long after, the Springville Mill and the Newburg Lumber Company set up shop in Fortuna’s early incarnation, Springville. The company town became a hub of the local timber industry and officially changed its name to Fortuna, meaning “fortune,” in 1888.
In the years following, the completion of a rail line from San Francisco to Eureka boosted Fortuna’s growth, opening it to commerce and a steady stream of loggers, who found good paying jobs and a safe place for their families to live.
Many of Fortuna’s early industries continue to define the city, as fishing, farming, and lumber are still mainstays for the community. Now, the city of Fortuna is one of the fastest growing incorporated areas in Humboldt County. It provides a diversity of goods, entertainment, health care, banking, community facilities, and professional services, and combines a moderate climate with a rural lifestyle for those looking to settle down.
History of Fortuna / Slide/ Springville / Rohnerville; Brief and Abridged
Fortuna's city history - Fortuna became Fortuna in 1888 when the residents selected the name Fortuna (Latin for fortune) for our friendly city because everyone felt so fortunate to live by the beauty of the redwood forest, the ocean, the rich valley and beautiful rivers. We got electricity earlier than most small towns (1883) as it was a boon to the saw mill. The city was incorporated in 1906. The lumber industry was the start of the town and its primary industry. You get a sense of our history by visiting the Depot Museum on Park Street located inside Rohner Park. It's open every day 12:00 pm to 4:30 pm in the summer (Jun 1 to Aug 31); and Thursday through Sunday those same hours in the winter months (September 1 to May 31). This restored railroad depot was constructed around 1889 and re-opened as the local history museum in 1976. The museum features information on the Rohner family (opened the first saw mill here), the railroad, how Fortuna served gold miners, and more. You can do a little genealogy work in the Reference Room. Admission is free and generally visitors stay about an hour.
Today there are approximately 12,000 residents in Fortuna. We’re proud stewards of the vast forests that surround us. We hope you will feel as humbled as we do to stand in front of giant trees that were here when the Roman Empire was at its height.
Read the History of Highway 101 through the Redwoods.
Read about the Fortuna Depot Museum.
Local Products
Eel River Brewing
Craftsmanship is found in brewing beer also. Fortuna boasts about being home to the first certified organic beer. And it's good too -- in fact, it's award winning at the California State Fair, the International Beer Competition and other places where breweries are rated. Stop by the brewery and have lunch or dinner at the Grill where they serve up locally grown Black Angus beef and use other local products like Loleta Cheese, Bien Padre tortillas, Humboldt Bay Coffee, and more. You'll talk about this meal for years to come. Located at 1777 Alamar Way in Fortuna.
Humboldt Distillery
Handcrafted in Humboldt County, where the air is fresher, the greens are greener, the tress are taller and the vodka is smoother. Humboldt is located along California’s Emerald Coast, which is surrounded by the world’s tallest trees and long stretches of undeveloped coastline. This natural beauty is what inspires them to capture the spirit of California in every bottle, for a better product and planet. Tastings and tours are offered by appointment, call 707-725-1700. You can find them at 735 10th Street, right off Main Street in downtown Fortuna.
Humboldt Redwood Co.
At Humboldt Redwood, they grow more redwood than they harvest annually while practicing wildlife habitat conservation that provides clean air, fresh water, and natural habitats for plants and animals. Humboldt Redwood Company, LLC (HRC) was formed in July 2008. Certified to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), Humboldt Redwood works to cultivate a lasting legacy of environmentally responsible forestry practices. The company’s Redwood and Douglas-fir timberland operations encompass 327 square miles (209,300 acres). The company has access to another half million acres through a long-term log purchase agreement with Green Diamond Resource Company. Along with its sister company, Allweather Wood, Humboldt Redwood offers a unique mix of dimensional lumber for timber frame, post-and-beam, industrial, commercial, residential, and outdoor living construction projects.
Holly Yashi
Holly Yashi is celebrating 37 years of jewelry making here in Humboldt County. They have been making quality, hand-crafted jewelry in their redwood coast studio in Northern California since 1981. It began in a garage and is now fifteen thousand square feet of business. Their signature style is colorful and lightweight niobium metal that is still unique and irresistible. Featuring jewelry with Swarovski crystal pearls, Bohemian glass, gold-filled and sterling silver metals, their best sellers and clearance sections are great places to find the perfect earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and jewelry extenders. Holly Yashi's niobium ear wires are hypo-allergenic and truly nickel-free, and all their jewelry is handmade in small, high quality batches, one piece at a time. Remember your Redwood vacation with a fine piece of affordable jewelry!
Chapman’s Gem & Mineral Shop
The Chapmans have traveled to all 50 States and every continent to acquire their collection of gems, minerals, petrified woods, and Native American artifacts. The museum holds the largest known collection of petrified palms, as well as an ultraviolet room for viewing phosphorescent minerals. In the shop, visitors can purchase rocks, gems, shells, art, jewelry, and other collectibles.
