Metropolitan, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Metropolitan
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Concrete sidewalks at the bend in the road through 21st century dairy pastures identify the former company town of Metropolitan, California.
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 Metropolitan
Location in California
Metropolitan
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Humboldt County |
| Elevation | 72 ft (22 m) |
Metropolitan is a small, quiet place in Humboldt County, California. It's not a big city or town with its own government, but rather a community without official borders. You can find it on a flat area called McDairmid Prairie, right by the Eel River. It's about three miles from a town called Scotia and sits about 72 feet (22 meters) above sea level.
A Look Back at Metropolitan's History
Metropolitan used to be a special kind of place called a company town. This means a company owned most of the homes and businesses there. It was built for the workers of the Metropolitan Redwood Lumber Company. This company started in 1904.
- The town had about 25 homes.
- There was also a hotel and a store for the workers.
- The main job was cutting down redwood trees.
- The company used a railroad to bring logs across the Eel River.
The company cut down all the trees in the area by the 1920s. The sawmill, which cut the logs into lumber, burned down in 1932. After that, most of the worker homes were moved to a nearby town called Rio Dell by 1937.
A big flood on the Eel River in December 1964 caused more changes. The railway bridge and the 62-room hotel were both destroyed by the powerful floodwaters.
