HUMBOLDT COUNTY co.humboldt.ca.us
The county seat is of Humboldt County which was created May 12, 1853, is Eureka. In 1850, Douglas Ottinger and Hans Buhne entered the bay, naming it Humboldt in honor of the great naturalist and world explorer, Baron Alexander von Humboldt.Humboldt County
Cities & Towns
Arcata
Blue Lake
Eureka
Ferndale
Fortuna
Rio Dell
Trinidad
State/County Population Estimates
California 39,548,090
Humboldt County 133,400
Humboldt County California Top 10 Farm Crops Annually
Humboldt County Parks include free admission and free parking in some parks, camping, trails, and beautiful redwood forests to enjoy.
The County
is bound on the north by Del Norte
County; on the east by Siskiyou and
Trinity counties; on the south by
Mendocino County and on the west by the
Pacific Ocean. The County encompasses
2.3 million acres, 80 percent of which
is forestlands, protected redwoods and
recreation areas.
The southern part of the County includes
Alton, Carlotta, Hydesville, Rio Dell
and Scotia; the Avenue of the Giants
communities; Garberville and Redway; the
Eel, Mattole and Van Duzen River
communities; Humboldt Redwoods,
Richardson Grove and Grizzly Creek State
Parks; and the King Range National
Conservation Area.
The northern part of the County includes
the City of Trinidad, Orick; Redwood
National Park; Prairie Creek and
Humboldt Lagoons State Parks; and
several State Beaches.
The eastern part of the County includes
Willow Creek, Hoopa Valley Indian
Reservation, Orleans, and a great deal
of Six Rivers National Forest land.
The southern border of the County is
located 225 miles north of San
Francisco, the closest major
metropolitan city. The County is linked
by Coastal Highway 101 to the rest of
California to the South and the Oregon
Coast to the North. Highway 299 links
the County to Interstate 5 to the east.
The County airport in McKinleyville has
daily flights to San Francisco,
Sacramento, Portland and Seattle.
NO. 146 TRINIDAD HEAD - On
June 11, 1775, Bruno de Hezeta, commandant of an expedition up the
northwest coast, marched with his men and two Franciscan fathers from
the shore of the bay to the summit of Trinidad Head. Here they erected a
cross and took possession in the name of Charles III of Spain.
Location: 1.5 mi W of Hwy 101, Trinidad, USCG Station
NO. 154 FORT HUMBOLDT - By
the early 1850s, newly arrived white settlers had moved into the
Humboldt Bay area, causing conflict with the native inhabitants. To
protect both Indians and settlers, Fort Humboldt was established in 1853
and operated until 1866. It became a focal point in the violent struggle
between two cultures. Many Native Americans were assembled here before
removal to reservations.
Location: 3431 Fort Ave, Eureka
USGS Quadrangle Sheet Name: EUREKA
NO. 164 THE OLD ARROW
TREE - This site is said to have been used by Indians to commemorate
an important peace treaty. In memory of the treaty, each tribe, upon
passing, was supposed to have shot an arrow into the bark.
Location: 0.8 mi E of Korbel County Hwy F5L 100 (P.M. 2.2),
Korbel
NO. 173 CENTERVILLE
BEACH CROSS - On January 6, 1860 the steamer Northerner, northward
bound from San Francisco, struck a hidden rock two miles off Cape
Mendocino, and from there drifted to the Centerville Beach. Thirty-three
passengers and 32 crew members were saved - the cross was erected by the
Ferndale Parlor No. 93, N.D.G.W., in memory of the 17 passengers and 21
crew members who lost their lives in this disaster.
Location: 5 mi W of Ferndale on Centerville Rd (P.M. 0.8)
USGS Quadrangle Sheet Name: FERNDALE
NO. 215 CAMP CURTIS - Camp
Curtis was the headquarters of the Mountain Battalion from 1862 to 1865.
There were many military posts established throughout this area for the
protection of the white settlers. (Army spells Curtis with one s.)
Location: Take Sunset Ave offramp Hwy 101, go N 0.9 mi on L. K.
Wood Blvd frontage Rd, Arcata
NO. 216 TOWN OF
TRINIDAD - Founded April 8, 1850, Trinidad is the oldest town on the
Northern California coast. During the 1850s, it served as a vital supply
link between ships anchored at Trinidad Bay and miners in the Klamath,
Trinity, Salmon River, and Gold Bluff mines. It was the county seat of
Klamath County (now disbanded) from 1851 to 1854, but its population
declined as Eureka and other area port cities developed.
Location: NW corner of Edwards and Hector Sts, Trinidad
NO. 477 CITY
OF EUREKA - Eureka was founded as a town in 1850 and
incorporated as a city in 1874. Located on the remote northwestern coast
of California, Eureka was the region's major port of entry by water in
the 19th century before the construction of good access by land, and
rose to historical prominence as the major social, political, and
economic center of the region. 'Eureka' is a Greek expression and a
popular mining term meaning 'I have found it.'
Location: NW corner, 3rd and E Sts, old town, Eureka
NO. 543 CALIFORNIA'S
FIRST DRILLED OIL WELLS - California's first drilled oil wells that
produced crude to be refined and sold commercially were located on the
North Fork of the Mattole River approximately three miles east of the
historical marker.
The old Union Mattole Oil Company made its first shipment of oil to a San Francisco refinery in June 1865. Many old well heads
remain today.
Location: NE corner Mattole Rd and Front St, Petrolia
NO. 783 JACOBY BUILDING - The
basement and first story of this building were constructed in 1857 for
Agustus Jacoby, and housed various mercantile firms during its early
years as a principal supply point for the Klamath-Trinity mining camp
trade. It served occasionally as a refuge in time of the Indian troubles
from 1858 through 1864. It was acquired by A. Brizard in 1880.
Location: Eighth and H (plaque at NE corner, structure at SE
corner), Arcata
USGS Quadrangle Sheet Name: EUREKA 15
NO. 838 OLD INDIAN
VILLAGE OF TSURAI - Directly below was located the Yurok village of
Tsurai. A prehistoric permanent Indian community, it was first located
and described by Captains Bodega and Heceta, June 9-19, 1775. The houses
were of hand-split redwood planks, designed for defense and protection.
The village was occupied until 1916.
Location: SW corner of Ocean and Edwards Sts, Trinidad
NO. 842 ARCATA AND MAD
RIVER RAIL ROAD COMPANY - Incorporated December 15, 1854, as the
Union Plank Walk, Rail Track, and Wharf Company, the Arcata and Mad
River Rail Road is the oldest line on the north coast. Originally using
a horse-drawn car, the railroad served as a link between Humboldt Bay
and the Trinity River mines. Later, locomotives were added as the line
grew to serve the redwood industry.
Location: 330 Railroad Ave, NW corner Hatchery Rd and Railroad
Ave, Blue Lake
USGS Quadrangle Sheet Name: BLUE LAKE 15
NO. 882 HUMBOLDT HARBOR
HISTORICAL DISTRICT - Captain Jonathan Winship made the first
recorded entry into Humboldt Bay by sea in June 1806, and Josiah Gregg's
party visited the bay in 1849. By 1850 the Laura Virginia Association
had founded Humboldt City, Union (Arcata), Bucksport, and Eureka - in
subsequent years, the bay became a major North Coast lumber port and
shipbuilding center.
Location: Harold Larsen Vista Pt, Humboldt Hill Rd off Hwy 101
(P.M. 73.7), Eureka
NO. 883 FERNDALE - This
pioneer agricultural community, settled in 1852, helped feed the booming
population of mid-century San Francisco. Long known as 'cream city,'
Ferndale made innovative and lasting contributions to the dairy
industry. Local creameries, and the town's role as a transportation and
shipping center in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, fostered
prosperity that produced Ferndale's outstanding Victorian-Gothic
residential and false-front commercial architecture.
Location: Ferndale City Hall Park, intersection of Main and
Herbert Sts, Ferndale