Editing Point Arena, California (section)

== History ==

The first European to record Point Arena was Spaniard [[Bartolomé Ferrer]] in 1543, who named it ''Cabo de Fortunas'' ("cape of fortunes"). The cape was renamed to ''Punta Delgado'' (narrow point) in 1775 by lieutenant [[Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra]] (commander of the [[schooner]] ''Sonora''), part of a royal expedition chartered by the government of Mexico to map the north coast of [[Alta California]]. Later the point, and the small harbor town south of it, were called ''Barra de Arena'' (i.e. sandbar) and finally ''Punta Arena'' (literally "sand point").

The Punta Arena post office opened in 1858, and was renamed Point Arena in 1889.<ref name=CGN /> The first store at Point Arena opened in 1859.<ref name=CGN /> Point Arena incorporated in 1908.<ref name=CGN />

In 1886, Nellie Welch, an 11-year-old girl, was appointed lead operator and had full charge of the [[telegraph]] office in Point Arena.<ref name="jespen">{{cite book |title=My Sisters Telegraphic: Women in the Telegraph Office, 1846-1950 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bcBUk9LPR0sC&pg=PA60 |first=Thomas C. |last=Jepsen |publisher=Ohio University Press |year=2000 |page=60 |access-date=January 27, 2020|isbn = 9780821413432}}</ref><ref name="abc_clio">{{cite book |title=The Industrial Revolution in America |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QcoM7w3nKfcC&pg=PA105 |first1=Kevin |last1=Hillstrom |first2=Laurie Collier |last2=Hillstrom |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2007 |page=105 |access-date=January 27, 2020|isbn = 9781851097197}}</ref><ref name="telecom_digest">{{cite web |title=19th Century Telegraphers |url=http://telecom-digest.org/archives/history/19th-century-telegraphers |first=Jim |last=Haynes |publisher=[[Telecom Digest]] |date=October 14, 1992 |access-date=January 27, 2020 }}</ref> Operators like [[Western Union]] often hired women because they were cheaper labor than the men.<ref name="telecom_digest" />

The Point Arena Cable Station is located in nearby Manchester. Built in 1956 by [[AT&T Corporation]], the cable station serves as the eastern terminus of several [[Submarine communications cable|undersea cables]], including the [[Japan-US (cable system)|Japan-US Cable Network]] and connections to [[Hawaii]] and Canada.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.privateline.com/cablestation/index.html |title=Cable Station Life |publisher=Privateline.com |access-date=July 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523021821/http://www.privateline.com/cablestation/index.html |archive-date=May 23, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Ocean cable measurements of the tsunami signal from the 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquake|date=April 25, 1992 |doi=10.1007/BF00874376 |bibcode=1995PApGe.144..427T |volume=144 |issue=3–4 |journal=Pure and Applied Geophysics |pages=427–440 |last1=Thomson |first1=D. J. |last2=Lanzerotti |first2=L. J. |last3=MacLennan |first3=C. G. |last4=Medford |first4=L. V. |s2cid=128978523 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thecentraloffice.com/Microwave/NMW/PARNCA/PARNCA01.htm |title=Point Arena Cable Station |publisher=Thecentraloffice.com |access-date=July 16, 2013}}</ref> In 2002, AT&T applied for a permit from the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|EPA]] to connect an existing [[fiber optic]] conduit to the cable station, since further construction would cause incidental damage to the habitat of the endangered Point Arena [[mountain beaver]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-SPECIES/2002/August/Day-26/e21603.htm |title=Incidental Take Permit and Habitat Conservation Plan for AT&T Corporation&#124; Federal Register Environmental Documents &#124; USEPA |publisher=Epa.gov |access-date=July 16, 2013}}</ref>