Loleta, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Loleta Swauger and Swauger's Station
census-designated place
Loleta's Main Street on south side of rail tracks
Location of Loleta in Humboldt County, California.
Loleta Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Humboldt County
Area
• Total	2.125 sq mi (5.504 km2)
• Land	2.125 sq mi (5.504 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)  0%
Elevation	46 ft (14 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	783
• Density	368.5/sq mi (142.26/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP Code	95551
Area code(s)	707
GNIS feature IDs	1656137; 2611440

Loleta is a small community in Humboldt County, California. Its name in the Wiyot is Guduwalhat. Loleta is about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) south of Fields Landing. It is also about 15 miles (24 km) south of Eureka. The town sits at an elevation of 46 feet (14 m) above sea level.

In 2010, Loleta had a population of 783 people. Most residents live in the main town area or in the nearby countryside. There are two Native American reservations located just outside of Loleta, near Table Bluff, California. The ZIP Code for Loleta is 95551, and the area code is 707.

History of Loleta

Early Settlement and Farming

People from Europe started settling in the Loleta area in the early 1850s. However, the Wiyot people had lived there for many generations before that.

At first, potato farming was the main type of farming. This continued until the 1870s. After that, the soil became less fertile, and potato prices dropped. So, farmers switched to raising dairy cows.

The town was first called Swauger or Swauger's Station. This name came from a local landowner named Samuel A. Swauger.

Renaming the Town

In 1897, the town's name was changed to Loleta. It was said that the name meant "pleasant place at the end of the tide water" in the Wiyot language. However, some language experts and old stories suggest this might not be entirely accurate. A list of place names from 1918 shows that a trail near Table Bluff was called "lalōekā."

Railroad and Dairy Industry

The Eel River and Eureka Railroad reached Swauger's Station in 1883. This connected the town to Humboldt Bay. The Swauger post office opened in 1888 and changed its name to Loleta in 1898.

The Humboldt Creamery plant opened in Loleta in 1893. It was first called Diamond Springs Creamery. Later, it became part of the Golden State Creamery. Dairy farming is still a very important part of Loleta's economy today.

In 1903, the railroad was reorganized as the San Francisco and Northwestern Railway. This company was part of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. By 1914, the Northwestern Pacific Railroad was completed. This connected Loleta all the way to San Francisco.

People of Loleta (Demographics)

In 2010, Loleta had a population of 783 people. Most of these people (82.1%) were White. About 2.0% were Native American. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 14.6% of the population.

There were 314 households in Loleta. About 30.6% of these households had children under 18 living in them. The average household had about 2.49 people.

The population included people of all ages. About 23.8% were under 18 years old. About 8.7% were 65 years or older. The average age in Loleta was 36.5 years.

Loleta in Movies and TV

Loleta has been a filming location for some popular entertainment.

• The 1982 horror movie Halloween III: Season of the Witch filmed some scenes in Loleta. The "Silver Shamrock Novelties factory" scenes were shot in an old milk bottling plant. This plant was on Loleta Drive near Railroad Avenue.
• An episode of the famous TV show The X-Files also featured Loleta. The episode was called "Drive (The X-Files)" (Season 6, Episode 2). Loleta was shown briefly near the end of the episode.

Economy and Jobs

Even though farming and dairy have been important for Loleta, most people who live there work in nearby cities.

Downtown Loleta used to have a cheese factory, but it closed in 2019. The town also has a grocery store, a meat market, and a post office. There was a bakery, but it closed in 2014.

Closer to U.S. 101, you can find the Loleta Elementary School and two churches. There is also a firefighter's pavilion, which is run by local volunteer firefighters.

The Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria has its main office in Loleta. They also run the Bear River Casino there.

Education in Loleta

Loleta is home to the Loleta Union School District. The Loleta Elementary School is a public school for students from kindergarten through 8th grade.

Famous People from Loleta

• Seth Kinman: He was a pioneer and hunter who worked for Fort Humboldt.
• Morris Graves: He was a famous artist from the Northwest art movement. He lived in Loleta from 1964 until he passed away in 2001. His house was designed by an architect from Seattle named Ibsen Nelson.

See also

In Spanish: Loleta (California) para niños