Everything about Crescent City California totally explained
Crescent City is the only incorporated city of
Del Norte County, California and serves as the
county seat. It is named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 4,006, not including the 3,300 prisoners at
Pelican Bay State Prison. Crescent City is also the site of the headquarters of
Redwood National Park.
History
Populations of
Native Americans in the United States are known to have lived in the area for hundreds of years. The first European visitors are thought to have been part of
Jedidiah Smith's 1828 expedition to the area.
Crescent City was incorporated in 1854, and became the county seat of Del Norte County when the county was formed in 1857. Most of the original inhabitants were workers in the nearby mines. As the mining industry waned, it was replaced by logging and fishing industries during the early 20th century. These industries have also experienced recent decline.
In the 1989,
Pelican Bay State Prison was built and joined with the city.
Parts of
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and
Return of the Jedi were filmed in the vicinity.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.3 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.6 km²) of it's land and 0.3 square miles (0.7 km²) of it's water. The total area is 13.59% water.
Crescent City is about 20 miles, or 25 minutes, from the border of
California and
Oregon.
The mouth of
Elk Creek, where it flows into the
Pacific Ocean, is in Crescent City.
Climate
Crescent City is one of the wettest places in California; the annual rainfall is 70 inches(177 cm). The wettest months are from October to March; the wettest month is January with 13.3 inches (33 cm) and driest month is August with less than 0.5 inch(1 cm). The average high and low temperatures in January are 11 °C (53 °F) and 3 °C (39 °F). The average high and low temperatures in August are 19 °C (67 °F) and 10 °C(50 °F). Average number of days below 32F/0C is 15 days.
The highest temperature recorded in Crescent City was, observed on September 24, 1964, June 1, 1970, and October 10, 1991. The lowest temperature on record was on December 21, 1990.
The maximum monthly precipitation was in November 1973. The maximum 24-hour precipitation was on January 9, 1995. The most snowfall in one month and in 24 hours was on January 6, 1972.
Although it has numerous unique features, Crescent City is notable for its susceptibility to tsunamis. According to
Humboldt State University, the city experienced tsunami conditions 17 times between the years 1943 and 1994. Although most of these effects were barely perceptible, one tsunami in particular extensively damaged the city in 1964.
On March 27, 1964, the
Good Friday Earthquake off
Anchorage, Alaska, set in motion local landslide tsunamis, as well as a trans-Pacific one that sped in three hours down the U.S. West Coast to the state of Washington. Destroying docks, boats, cars, coastal dwellings and surging up rivers with the same result, the tsunami continued down the coast.
Within another 1/1-2 hours four waves struck over a two-hour period at Crescent City. Afterwards, 289 buildings and businesses had been destroyed; 1000 cars and 25 large fishing vessels crushed; 12 people were confirmed dead, over 100 were injured, and numbers were missing; 60 blocks had been inundated with 30 city blocks destroyed in total. Although most of the missing were later accounted for, not all were tracked down. Insurance adjusters estimated that the city received more damage from the tsunami on a block-by-block basis than did Anchorage, Alaska, from the initial earthquake.
Heroes abounded. One man swam through the treacherous waters engulfing Crescent City to find a rowboat and shortly saved two drowning people, then rescued six others: his father, mother, fiancée, and three friends. Tragically, he was the only one of his group who survived when the raging ocean overturned their boat and swept them through a long culvert underneath Highway 101, where an iron grate plugged with debris caught everyone.
The tsunami raced down the
U.S. West Coast with more deaths and destruction, but no location was hit as hard as this small town was. Crescent City bore the brunt, due to its offshore geology, position to the earthquake’s strike-line, underwater contours such as the Cobb Seamount, and rivers with their magnetic draws that are positioned to the city. Although houses, buildings, and infrastructure were later rebuilt, years passed before the city recovered from the devastation to lives, property, and its economy.
The city is deemed to be tsunami-ready today. Its preparedness was tested on
June 14,
2005 when an
earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale hit offshore. Reportedly, much of the city was evacuated in a matter of 20 minutes when a tsunami warning was issued, but no waves were reported.
On November 15, 2006, a magnitude
8.3 earthquake struck off the
Kuril Islands in the western Pacific. A tsunami warning was issued but rescinded hours later. However, a surge from that quake did hit the harbor at Crescent City causing damage to three docks and several boats. Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a county state of emergency. Upon that declaration, the area affected was eligible for federal emergency relief funding to repair the damage.
Politics
In the
state legislature Crescent City is located in the 4th
Senate District, represented by
Republican Sam Aanestad, and in the 1st
Assembly District, represented by Democrat
Patty Berg. Federally, Crescent City is located in
California's 1st congressional district, which has a
Cook PVI of D +10 and is represented by Democrat
Mike Thompson.
Demographics
As of the 2003 Population Estimate from the Census Bureau, there are 7,319 people residing in the city. Census data from the year 2000 indicate that the
population density is 2,252.2 people per square mile (868.9/km²). There are 1,754 housing units at an average density of 986.1/sq mi (380.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 78.33%
White, 0.52%
Black or
African American, 6.09%
Native American, 4.62%
Asian, 0.12%
Pacific Islander, 4.27% from
other races, and 6.04% from two or more races. 11.01% of the population are
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There are 1,578 households out of which 35.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.4% are
married couples living together, 20.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% are non-families. 35.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.40 and the average family size is 3.12.
In the city the population is spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.4 males.
The median
income for a household in the city is $20,133, and the median income for a family is $22,058. Males have a median income of $36,667 versus $19,922 for females. The
per capita income for the city is $12,833. 34.6% of the population and 33.7% of families are below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 46.6% of those under the age of 18 and 4.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Transportation
Highway access is provided by
U.S. Route 101 that runs directly through the city, extending to
Brookings, OR to the north and
Eureka to the south.
U.S. Route 199 begins just north of Crescent City and connects northeast to
Grants Pass, OR.
SkyWest conducts passenger flights to and from
Jack McNamara Field Airport. The majority of flights connect to
San Francisco International Airport through
Arcata-Eureka Airport and vice-versa, although connections are also available to
Sacramento and
Portland, Oregon.
Local public transit is provided by
Redwood Coast Transit and by various Taxi companies, which provides access to
Amtrak passenger train (via Amtrak bus) service.
The Crescent City Harbor serves as a commercial fishing boat basin for
Salmon,
Shrimp,
Tuna,
Cod, and
Dungeness Crab commercial fishing vessels. The Harbor is also home to multiple fishing and non-fishing related businesses and harbor governmental offices. The Crescent City Harbor also has several pleasure boat docks.
Attractions and facilities
Crescent City proper
Nearby
St. George Reef Lighthouse
Redwood National and State Parks
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
Smith River National Recreation Area
Trees of Mystery
Pelican Bay State Prison
Del Norte Golf Course
Notable residents
Buck Pierce, professional football player for BC Lions (Canadian Football League)
Derrick Jensen, environmentalist activist and author.
Robert Swanson, first and longest serving Hospital Administrator for Seaside Hospital (approx. 1955-1986). Along with Richard Cooper (BSN,MS) established the first Hospital Intensive Care Unit in the county.
Charles Manson served 7 months at nearby Pelican Bay Prison in 1997.
References & Sources
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Further Information
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