One of the last company-owned towns in America, Scotia is the headquarters of Pacific Lumber Company, or Palco as it is known locally. Founded in 1869, the town's earlier name was Forestville, but it was changed to Scotia in 1888, probably because a large number of its timber workers hailed from Nova Scotia.

Palco operates a remanufacturing facility and is building a new mill after closing several mills in the past few years.

The company's logging museum is open to the public from 8am to 4:30pm.

Palco recently renovated the Winema Theater. Built in 1920, the theater underwent a $200,000 renovation in 2002 that included an upgraded sound system and new stage curtains from Hollywood. It is currently used year-round for town meetings, graduation ceremonies and school plays.

Palco operates a Fisheries Center that includes the largest indoor aquarium in Humboldt County, with examples of species native to the North Coast. Recently updated, the center is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. all year. From Memorial Day through Labor Day the center is also open Saturdays.

The Scotia bluffs and the Nanning Creek Bridge are the subjects of several impressive shots in the 1927 movie "The Valley of the Giants." The 1935 film "Timber War" was also filmed largely at Scotia and Palco logging areas.

This information is courtesy of the Eureka Times-Standard.