The name "Scandia" is part of the cultural landscape of Solano County, California. It means "Little Norway," and refers to the Scandinavian pioneers who settled the area around present day Fairfield. In 1852, three Norwegian seafarers - Carl H. Thompson and his brother Dan, and Steve Larsen - purchased a small sailboat in San Francisco and headed up the Sacramento River. Their destination was the goldfields of the Mother Lode region; however they missed the main channel of the river and found themselves in Montezuma Slough which is located a few miles south of present day Travis Air Force Base. They abandoned their boat and walked inland to Calaveras County. (Wichels, 1964)
After two years of work, and finding little gold, the three Norwegians returned to Montezuma Slough, built a small house, and raised sheep and cattle. Gradually other Scandinavians took up farming in the area, and "Little Norway" (Scandia) became the accepted name of the area east and south of Denverton. Today, the Western Railway Museum is located in Denverton (Highway 12, southeast of TAFB.) (Wichels, 1964)
When construction began on the Army airfield that would become Travis AFB, the area was still referred to as Scandia as can be seen in an article in the Solano Republic. The first article on construction was on July 2, 1942, four days before bulldozers broke ground for the new airstrip. The following week, the Republican reported that "the great 1,600 acre areas sic miles east of Fairfield in the Scandia Section is today teaming with activity as men and machines move in to prepare the foundations for a great flying field." (Goerke-Shrode, 2007)
