Coordinates: 40°32′50″N 124°08′27″W / 40.54722°N 124.14083°W
| Alton | |
| — Unincorporated community — | |
  Alton
|
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| Coordinates: 40°32′50″N 124°08′27″W / 40.54722°N 124.14083°W | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| County | Humboldt County |
| Elevation [1] | 62 ft (19 m) |
Alton (formerly, Hansen)[2] is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California.[1] It is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south-southeast of Fortuna,[2] at an elevation of 62 feet (19 m).[1] Alton is located along U.S. Route 101 and State Route 36. The ZIP Code is 95562. The community is inside area code 707.
The Hansen post office opened in 1888, changed its name to Alton in 1889, and closed for good in 1865.[2] The name Hansen honors Mads P. Hansen, its first postmaster.[2]
The origin of the name Alton is disputed.[2]
The community was named in 1862 for the town of Alton, Illinois, the hometown of the founder.[3]
Alton was a corruption of its founder's name, Alta Oliver. Oliver laid out the town in 1887.[2]
Politics
In the state legislature Alton is located in the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Pat Wiggins, and in the 1st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Patty Berg. Federally, Alton is located in California's 1st congressional district.
See also
References
- ^ a b c USGS GNIS: Alton, California
- ^ a b c d e f Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Quill Driver Books. p. 9. ISBN 9781884995149.
- ^ Gudde, Erwin; William Bright (2004). California Place Names (Fourth ed. ed.). University of California Press. pp. p. 10. ISBN 0-520-24217-3.
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