Humboldt County

Humboldt County boasts a scenic 110-mile coastline, more than 160,000 acres of majestic redwoods and an unspoiled terrain of valleys and rolling hills. Visitors of all ages can enjoy some of the nation’s finest hiking and boating as well as rafting, kayaking, fishing, horseback riding, golfing and other sports for outdoor enthusiasts. In addition, Humboldt County turns back the clock with its rich Victorian architecture, history and antique shops. Truly a treasure, Humboldt County is a land of visual splendor.

The history of Humboldt County is a rich tale with a varied heritage. From Native Americans to immigrants, from Spaniards to settlers, the County’s early foundations remain evident in its architecture, people and mix of cultural offerings. Aside from its majestic ancient coastal redwoods, Humboldt County’s first residents hailed from the Yurok, Karuk, Wiyot, Chilula, Whilkut and Hupa Indian tribes, among others. These people, who settled on the Pacific coast and along the banks of the Trinity and Klamath Rivers, were the first to discover the area’s now renowned salmon and trout fishing, and rich farmlands. The Indians also developed fine artistic skills in woodworking, stoneworking and basketry, setting the stage for Humboldt county’s current thriving art colony. However, this hidden idyll soon was discovered by others eager to share in its bounty.

As early as the 15th century, explorers such as Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and Sir Francis Drake began to sail along the County’s coastline, observing landmarks and harbors and searching for a mythical cross-continental passage. It wasn’t until 1775 that a Spanish vessel, captained by Juan Francisco de Bodega, would brave the unpredictable winds and rocky shoreline to land at Patrick’s Point in Trinidad. Bodega and his men left a crude cross on Trinidad Head to signify their claiming of the country for the King of Spain. In the late 1700’s, Trinidad bay served as a port for fur trading and Chinese trade expeditions. Among the ships that anchored there was the first American ship to land on the Humboldt coast, the Leila Byrd. All the while, captains and their crews, seeking greater access to land trade routes, searched in vain for other sheltered ports.

Humboldt Bay was finally "discovered" in 1806 by an exploration party from the O’Cain; a vessel jointly commissioned by the Winship brothers from Boston and the Russian-American Fur Company. However, the O’Cain’s mission to hunt sea otters soon ended and the ship sailed out of Humboldt Bay, with no one on board documenting the bay’s location on a map. The location of the bay’s entrance hidden among rocky cliffs and sand dunes, once again became a mystery!

The search for Humboldt Bay was renewed during the early years of the California Gold Rush. The discovery of gold in the Trinity region of Northern California in 1848 caused a population explosion in Humboldt county. The explorers, traders and trappers, who had come seeking adventure and wealth, now gave way to miners seeking gold and settlers anxious to claim the rich farmlands. Companies that supplied interior mining settlements began looking for coastal supply ports as alternatives to the slow and expensive overland Sacramento Valley route then in use.

Dr. Josiah Gregg, a supply company merchant, and his party traveled west on foot from the Trinity mines and found Humboldt Bay on December 20, 1849. The next year, a dozen expeditions were mounted from San Francisco to search for the port at Humboldt Bay. On April 9, 1850, the Laura Virginia, captained by Douglas Ottinger, found the entrance to the Bay. A small boat was launched and sailed into the harbor by First Mate H.H. Buhne. These founders christened the Bay "Humboldt" after the popular naturalist and author Baron Alexander von Humboldt. Four days later, Warnersville, the County’s first town, was established on Trinidad Bay. The founding of Humboldt City, and the towns of Union (now Arcata) and Eureka soon followed.

The establishment of these settlements gave rise to hostile relations between the settlers and Native Americans. Small-scale skirmishes gave way to larger engagements, ultimately leading to the building and equipping of Fort Humboldt in 1853. Several famous generals of the Civil War, including Ulysses S. Grant, served at the Fort.

However, not everyone in Humboldt County was a miner or a soldier; other commercial trades were developed during this period including farming, shipping, shipbuilding, fishing and the brewing of steam beer. Logging and the lumber trade soon dominated the area because of the plentiful supply of timber and the great demand for lumber in San Francisco. When Eureka’s charter was granted in 1856, the city boasted seven sawmills that produced two million board feet of lumber every month.

Whether hiking among ancient redwoods, marveling at Indian basketry in a local tribal museum, casting a fishing line into the Klamath River or touring a working lumber mill, visitors to Humboldt County will experience the rich legacy of California’s historic and colorful past.

Del Norte Country

The history of Del Norte County is the history of California, the founding of the West and the story of the United States of America.

For centuries before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, the Yurok and Tolowa peoples lived in harmony with the landscapes and animals of the Redwood Coast. Legendary explorer Jedediah Smith is credited with being the first non-native to enter the Del Norte region. In early 1828, Smith and a band of men began the first-ever overland passage of the rugged northern California coast. It took the men more than a month to struggle through the heavily wooded landscape of what would later become Del Norte County. Over the next 20 years only the hardiest of souls ventured into the primitive country. The gold strike at Sutter's Fort in 1849 brought thousands to the California territory. And it wasn't long before gold strikes on the Klamath and Smith Rivers began the settlement of the county.

The first timber mill was brought by ship to Crescent City in 1853. It produced lumber for local buildings and planks used to construct the county's first wagon roads. For the next 100 years, the mills of Del Norte produced a seemingly endless supply of redwood lumber.

Shipping was also an important industry for the county, but it was not without its perils. More than 50 ships have met their doom along the Del Norte coast. The most tragic wreck occurred on July 30, 1865, when the Brother Jonathan ran aground along St. George Reef. More than 200 people died in what is still California's worst-ever maritime disaster.

Del Norte County is no stranger to Mother Nature's wrath. On March 28, 1964, a giant tsunami struck Crescent City and a 20-foot wall of water destroyed downtown. In December of that same year, a 1,000-year storm flooded the rest of the county, destroying four bridges and hundreds of homes.

The Yurok and Tolowa peoples have called this region home for thousands of years. Today, Native American people play a vital role in the life of Del Norte County. The Yurok people have lived near the Klamath River for centuries. They tell a story of its creation and the abundance of salmon placed here by the Creator. And they tell how when his task was done he went to the rock Oregos to watch the river and take care of it. The legend says as long as this rock stands there will always be a Yurok people. Today the Yurok tribe is the largest in California. With a recently adopted constitution and an elected tribal council, the Yuroks are embarking on a new period in their proud tribal history. When native people were the only residents of this region, there were three distinct Tolowa communities in the region: the He-nag-gi, living along the lower Smith River; the Tolí-o-wa, living around Lake Earl; and the Ta-ta-ten, living in the Crescent City area along Pebble Beach and Point St. George. Today the Tolowa people manage the Smith River Racheria and the Elk Valley Racheria, providing jobs and homes and continuing their tradition of a strong tribal community.

In Del Norte County there are communities where you can live, work, play and enjoy a lifestyle that fulfills your dreams.

Gasquet, located along scenic byway U.S. Highway 199, is the eastern gateway to the wild and scenic Smith River National Recreation Area. Hiouchi is also on Highway 199, at the crossroads of the Smith River National Recreation Area, Redwood National Park and the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Klamath, located in the southern part of the county, is home to the mighty Klamath River.

Crescent City is the county seat. The city has a large harbor, a downtown area, highway frontage and several shopping districts.

They say there is more living matter per square foot in a redwood forest than anywhere else in the world. But the amazing natural diversity of Del Norte County is not just limited to the forests. There are also rivers, seashores, botanical and wilderness areas.

Roosevelt elk are among the largest members of the deer family. Del Norte County has one of the largest bear populations in California. In spring and fall, there are dozens of bear sightings each day. The symbol of our country's strength and freedom, bald eagles, can be seen in several areas of the county. The spotted owl has become a symbol of the struggle to balance the needs of man against the survival of a species. This rare and endangered bird depends on old-growth redwood forests for its survival. The most abundant sea mammals inhabiting the Del Norte Coast are seals and sea lions. Twice a year, pods of gray whales, the massive giants of the sea, travel along the Del Norte coastline. In the spring, they migrate north to live and mate in the waters of Canada and Alaska and in the fall, they head south to feed and give birth in the warm waters of Baja California. Dall porpoise can often be spotted off the coast of Del Norte. Also a local resident is the Pacific white-sided dolphin, the most populous dolphin along the California coast. There are more than four dozen species of seabirds inhabiting Del Norte County. Besides common gulls, killdeer and black oystercatcher, there are also rare and endangered species like the marbled murrelet and brown pelican. The rocky islands of the Del Norte coastline offer nesting zones, feeding habitat and sanctuary to huge flocks of birds that often take wing in dynamic, geometric patterns.

Del Norte's immense and ageless redwoods soar to heights that are unimaginable. John Steinbeck called them "Ambassadors from another time." The old-growth redwood groves of Redwood National and State Parks are so removed from the present that to explore them is to explore the same forests that have existed here for eons. The Redwood National and State Parks are composed of national park land and three state parks: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park; Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. This joint ownership has created a working partnership between the state and federal park agencies, ensuring a strong and enduring park for visitors to enjoy for generations to come.

Geographics

Inhabitants

Population (1994)

Age Demographics (1990 Census)

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