USA > California > Humboldt County > History of Humboldt County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 13
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Pilot Rock is more than three hundred feet across the base and is one hundred and twelve feet above high water. The whole length of the break- water would be about two thousand six hundred feet with an average depth from shore to rock of about seven to eight fathoms.
It was therefore said by those who watched the heavy action of the sea for several years that it would have been a safe harbor in all kinds of storms. There were many arguments brought forward to show that Trini- dad should be the metropolis of the county, and it is interesting at this late day to find that some of the arguments for the harbor of refuge are identi- cal with those which were put forth in those far-away times.
Hydesville, a small place in the southern part of the county, is much older than many people suppose. It sprang into existence in 1858 on a place which was known as Gooseberry or on the Van Duzen forks of Eel river. The town derived its name from a Mr. Hyde, who formerly owned
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the land on which it stands. Pine's Hotel was the first one built and the first general mercantile store in the place was built by Dr. M. Spencer, who conducted it for a number of years. In 1859 there was a wagon and car- riage shop there, also a blacksmith, a saddler, a carpenter, a shoemaker, a livery stable, and one store kept by I. Manheim & Co. There was a school which was taught by W. H. Mills, and had thirty-four pupils. Cooper's mills were turning out twenty-five barrels of flour a day. They were located about three miles distant from Yager creek and propelled by water- power. The town once showed, as these facts indicate, much evidence that it might become something far more important than it is today. After the first few years of flurry and apparent success the town began to lapse into what it is now, a mere trading point.
Rohnerville derived its name from Henry Rohner, who resided near there for many years. In 1859 only one store was kept there, conducted by Rohner & Feigenbaum, and a hotel was erected by Brower & Woodruff. Its population has increased lately and the chances are that it will be a very good town.
Recurring to Arcata it should be said that it was formerly called Union. The name Arcata was given to it in March, 1860. The Times of March 21, 1860, says: "No name could be more appropriate for a village containing such a sociable and fun-loving people than that of Union. Some romantic people about there ran away with the idea that Arcata is a legiti- mate Digger word and means Union. This is not correct. It means a certain place in town where the Diggers were once in the habit of congre- gating, which in our language would be about the same as down there or over yonder. To some, Union may sound as euphonious as if called by any other name, but not so with us. Therefore other people may call it what they like, but we call it Union." Notwithstanding some opposition to the new name it easily stuck fast and became popular. Some of the old- timers insist that Arcata in Indian means a bright or sunny spot.
In 1854 we find that Arcata had about fourteen stores carrying large stocks of goods, besides saddle and harnessmakers, jewelers, gunsmiths, tin- smiths, and several blacksmith and wagon shops, all of which did an active and profitable business. It seems that the first active officers of Arcata were elected in April, 1856, under the order of county judge, incorporating the village. There were four towns on the bay in 1855-Humboldt, Bucksport, Eureka, and Union. The first three boasted of a store each, while the latter had seven large wholesale establishments, with harnessmakers, sad- dlers, etc., as indicated.
In 1856 Arcata was connected with the ship channel by a plank road and a rail track two miles in length, passing over the intervening marsh flat. At the end of the rail track were built a fine wharf and some warehouses. By 1856 Arcata had nine wholesale and retail stores, besides hotels, drug stores; tin, harness and gun shops; churches, etc. The town, unlike many others, was laid out after the Spanish style, with a plaza, around which are the principal business houses. There were two private schools in 1856, one for girls kept by Miss Hart, and the other for "young lads and girls," kept by Miss Webb.
Eureka was originally founded in mining times and received a large floating population. One year it experienced a setback in lumbering and
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other lines of business which made pretty hard times and decreased the population.
Early in 1856 the county seat was moved to Eureka from Arcata and business revived very much the spring thereafter. Ever since that date its course has been steadily onward, until now it is a city approximating fifteen thousand population, with excellent chances ahead of it. The town was incorporated on April 18, 1856, and the first election of officers resulted in a satisfactory manner as follows: Trustees, James T. Ryan, C. F. Ricks, A. F. Rollins, J. M. Eddy, and George Graham. C. F. Ricks was president of the board, and J. M. Eddy was secretary.
It is interesting to know that Eureka contained a large number of saw- mills, general stores, hotels, boarding houses, drug stores, fruit stores, shoe- maker shops, blacksmith shops, livery stables, saloons, wagon and carriage factories, butcher shops, etc., a few years after it was founded. The first church was a rude structure surrounded by logs, stumps, and brush, and it simply had the title of "the church." It was used as the place of public worship for all denominations. It was a hall for the Sons of Temperance, for singing schools, school house, public speaking and various gatherings. It was not very long before a number of other churches and halls were built, and this was soon followed by the establishing of other institutions and houses for conducting business and taking care of the social welfare in general. The Humboldt County Bank, it is interesting to know, was estab- lished in 1873. In the same year John Vance built the city waterworks.
Through many years of isolation and hope deferred Eurekans and Hum- boldters in general have been watching and waiting for the coming of the railroad which is to unite them with the world at large. Eureka has long been the largest city in the United States without a through railroad, but that condition is soon to pass away, as there is no doubt that the North- western Pacific will be in full operation in the year 1915. (This is written in April, 1914.) Not only is this an encouraging sign, but the county has contracted to buy $1,500,000 worth of State Highway bonds, and this alone will guarantee close connection with the world at large. It will open up a wonderful field for tourists from other parts of the state as well as from the east, and will make it easy for those who are producing agricultural and horticultural crops to reach tidewater and the markets of the world. In conjunction with these improvements the jetties will be completed, the bay will be dredged, and the ships of the world, coming through the Panama Canal, will be able to reach the port of Eureka and give this virgin empire an outlet for its wonderful crops, its lumber, and all of those articles of use and beauty which the future is destined to bring forth from this rich country of varied resources.
A writer on the subject has said that the completion of the railroad with terminal rates sure to accompany it, will make Humboldt bay the natural outlet of the vast territory of Northern California and Southern Oregon, also a shipping and manufacturing center of the first rank, for cheap sites, cheap power and cheap transportation can not fail to attract manufacturers in largely increasing numbers.
The trip from San Francisco to Eureka by overland automobile, stage, or otherwise has been declared the most fascinating trip in America by none other than the Rev. William E. Rader, of San Francisco, who has seen many
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of the great drives and roads of the Old as well as the New World. In speaking of the distance of one hundred and fifty odd miles, he says that the entire course leads with few exceptions through nature's unbroken fast- nesses of forest and mountains. He adds that if one of the giant redwoods along this California path were set in Central Park, New York, or along the Thames in London it would attract more attention than the Metropolitan Museum or the Egyptian Obelisk. He adds: "A ride over this road in an automobile is a rare and exciting experience, disclosing picture after picture of natural magnificence, colored with nature's own brush, dipped in a magi- cal combination of atmospheric effect of light and shade. Variety of land- scape, majesty of outline in rock and mountain and vale, stretches of river and creek, unique geological formations, and a variety of wild flower, foliage, and tree life greet the eye at every turn, while now and then a deer crosses the path with a wondering, friendly look, as if it would recognize something akin to itself in the automobile without a rifle." He remarks that the air is like wine, the sky like that which bends over Venice and Florence. The people one meets on the way are of a class which stands for the best in the Far West, for they are men of brawn and brains who have found their way into these mountain wilds, the last of the pioneers- for beyond their habitation rolls Balboa's Pacific Sea. To the far westward lies the Old East-Far Cathay-and they are made one by virtue of the cables, the wireless, and because of the higher affinity of commerce and the brotherhood of the nations.
No wonder, therefore, that the people of Humboldt county and of Eureka expect to attract large numbers of tourists when the highway is completed. If a minister of the Gospel noted as a writer tells the tourist that by trusting in the skill of the stage-driver and the providence of God he would reach his destination without serious troubles over this road of wonders it is well to take his advice. He says that if one would travel by rail and auto one leaves the train at Longvale and takes it again at Mc- Cann's. He says these metal threads are soon to be tied together when the tourist will substitute the train for the machine and all may enjoy scenic rides on the railway. Speaking of his second morning he says: "The next morning at seven o'clock we took the train again and in half an hour reached the end of the road at Longvale, where, in the depths of the forest we made the start in the stage for a ninety mile journey over high precipices and steep grades, around the sharpest turns, across sparkling trout streams, through groves of great trees, descending into the deep shadow of the giant redwoods, where we looked upon trees which stood before Christ was born. This road continued till we reached the Devil's Elbow six or seven hundred feet above Eel river at McCann's, where we descended upon a crooked road with breathless interest, if not fear-possibly the most thrilling and crooked road in all the world."
Thus it will be seen, harking to the present from the olden time, that the hardships and conditions which the pioneers beheld have been swept away and forever. The future is destined to be much like that of other countries which cater to the tourist trade of the world.
Like Switzerland, only ours is smaller, Humboldt county will give em- ployment to thousands of men and women as owners and employes con-
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nected with hotels and resorts close to nature's untrodden wilds. The old order changeth and the past is passing away.
CHAPTER XIV.
Early School and Educational Activity.
Educators and lovers of historical data regret that there are no obtain- able facts regarding educational matters in early Humboldt. It is known, however, that the first school ever organized in the county was at Union, afterwards Arcata, in the year 1852. Those whose memories are still vivid say there were about fifty pupils. Humboldt county was at that time a part of Trinity, and fond parents looked forward with much anxiety to the education of their own offspring, ever anxious that somebody should "teach the young idea how to shoot."
It is reported that in the school year which ended on October 31, 1854- only two years after the establishment of the first school in Humboldt county-there had been three common schools, ordinarily called public schools, in operation in the county, according to the report of the school officers regularly constituted. It appears that there were at that time one hundred and eighty-six children of school age entitled to education from what was known as "the state school money." Mrs. A. E. Roberts, in the district of Union, had taught school nine months, it appears, in the year 1854. In the Eureka district the school was kept for three months during 1853 by a man who is remembered by the old pioneers as an ambitious educator-George W. Gilkey.
Bucksport was by no means neglected, for in the Bucksport district a school had been kept for three months in the year by Miss Louisa Wasgatt. In addition to the public schools at Union there had been a private school kept for part of the year. The Hon. A. J. Huestis was superintendent of schools in the year 1855, and in November, 1855, the Bucksport school district was organized. This included Bucksport, Table Bluff, Pacific, and the Eel river towns.
We read that Maj. E. A. Howard succeeded Mr. Huestis and that dur- ing his administration the formation of new school districts was a matter of frequent discussion and great interest, as was the obtaining of competent school teachers. One of the problems of much interest in that time was, owing to the infrequency and uncertainty of the mails, the forwarding of reports to the state superintendent's office at Sacramento promptly. This was necessary for the reason that if reports did not arrive there in time the county did not receive its proper proportion of the school funds.
Referring to the first school districts, it is found that in 1856 there were only three schools organized under the common law-at Bucksport, at Eureka, and at Arcata. Bucksport was quite prominent and the citizens there built a first-class school house-first-class for the old pioncer days- which answered the purpose of a village church and town hall for certain occasions as well. It is said that the second story was finished by the Masons of the vicinity and that they used it for their meetings. It is
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worth noting that Eureka was not behind at that time and that a school building was finished there at that period. Arcata had not shown so much public spirit in this respect as she has shown in later years, although a school had been kept there once and the number of pupils at one time was greater at Arcata, or Union, than at any of the other posts or villages in the county ; but the year after that Messrs. Jowby and Martin, of the trustee board, bought Henry White's house for $9000, one-half in cash, one-half to be paid in sixty days. The board caused this house to be fitted up tempo- rarily for the purposes of the school, and it was occupied by Mr. Desty for a school house in the year 1857. The next superintendent of schools in the county was Henry H. Severns, who reported in 1860 that the total number of districts in the county was nine; the number of school children in Hum- boldt county was five hundred and two, and the funds were in the aggre- gate $803.04; and the expenditure for all school purposes in the county was $7,036.
We read that the Rev. W. L. Jones succeeded this gentleman as super- intendent of the schools. It is said that he was an energetic and earnest superintendent and did much for the cause of education in those pioneer times when there was great demand for work by the boys and compara- tively little interest in their educational affairs. Some years thereafter Mr. Jones went to Hilo, in the Hawaiian Islands, where he was in charge of a private institution, and where, also, he made a record as a good instructor.
J. B. Brown, at present the pioneer educator of Humboldt county, a prominent Mason and leading teacher, was appointed superintendent of schools when the Rev. Mr. Jones resigned, after which he was elected con- tinuously to the office until he refused to accept the position. Much in favor of Mr. Brown was said in those days because as a superintendent and teacher for more than fourteen years he had successful charge of the schools of Eureka, which prospered under his able supervision, and schools there compared more than favorably with the larger schools of California.
Following Mr. Brown's long and successful service, E. C. Cummings, who was the next superintendent, was engaged for a number of years as teacher in various parts of the county. He proved successful as a super- intendent, but previously to his term of office he had been an active member of the Board of Education and was re-elected to the office thereafter. He had no opposition at the first election, but at the close of his official term he withdrew from the profession of teaching. Perhaps it may be said that no county in the state of California ever developed more than Humboldt did during those times, for the school children increased in number and their parents were very much pleased to help the instructors. Twenty-four school districts then included all of Humboldt county-all she could boast of in those days, but soon thereafter the number grew to fifty-six, and more than eighty teachers were employed to carry on that work. The school affairs of the county were thereafter ably managed by J. B. Casterlin.
During the year 1882 the superintendent apportioned from the state school funds of Humboldt county the sum of $158.50 to each teacher as- signed to the several districts, and an additional sum from the same fund of $7.95 per capita on the average daily attendance as shown by the last annual report preceding the time involved. Ten per cent of the state fund of each
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district was also set apart for library purposes, and there was appropriated from the county school funds $13.50 for each teacher.
In the old days considerable attention was given to debating, so-called rhetorical exercises, spelling, and the idea of thoroughness in the ordinary studies pursued in the ordinary school.
A number of the most prominent men of California-men eminent in the law, the ministry, medicine, and other professions-received their educa- tion during those strenuous days, in Humboldt county.
It was the custom of the old teachers to limit the studies of their charges to a number within the comprehension of a child's mind. The so- called new fangled ideas did not receive much encouragement in those old days, but the fundamentals known as reading, writing, and arithmetic, were given special attention by those in charge of the education of the boys and girls of those distant times, many of whom have become prominent citi- zens of California in later days.
It is impossible within the limits of a brief chapter even to indicate the lines of growth which have taken place in the educational field since the pioneer days of which we speak. Suffice it to say that the school system has been extended throughout the county, that the standard of efficiency in teachers has been increased by reason of normal schools, and that the press, the pulpit, and the public at large have always supported the public school system of the county, believing that the safety of the people de- pends upon the dissemination of knowledge among young men and young women.
High schools have been constructed since those days, and Arcata now has the Humboldt Normal, under the control of Prof. N. B. Van Matre, who was for several years a successful teacher and superintendent of city schools at Eureka. The new normal school has employed a number of eminent educators, and the outlook for educational matters is brighter, and the field is being enlarged, by reason of its activities.
One regrettable occurrence must be referred to briefly in connection with the development of educational affairs in Humboldt within the last few years. We refer to the bitter fight between Arcata and Eureka for the site of the normal school. Arcata won, but not without some bitterness and a number of criminations and recriminations that might well have been omitted, to the betterment of the entire county ; for it is now generally believed that there can be no real prosperity if East shall fight West, North, South, hill, valley or any one part of the county, another.
Eureka is now building (May, 1914) a large and modern high school at a cost of $150,000. Fortuna, Ferndale, and the other towns of the county, as well as the country districts, are enthusiastic for good schools.
CHAPTER XV.
Early Churches in Humboldt County.
Fully ten years before the Civil war, when Humboldt county presented a wild spectacle to a comparatively small number of pioneers, many of whom were very wild themselves, there were churches in the county.
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The doctrines of Christ were being propounded, and the sublime lessons of the Sermon on the Mount were being thundered from pulpits among the forests. Man's spiritual welfare was not neglected, for a band of faithful men and women worshipped at humble shrines which were rudely con- structed, even as they had been taught to worship at the shrines of their fathers. Several old men and women, now residents of Humboldt county, remember the first services and like to dwell on the story of the chimes as they were heard breaking the silence of the wilderness in the far-away days of Humboldt's beginning.
There seems to be little or no doubt that the history of churches in this county begins with a meeting appointed for worship at Bucksport, early in the summer of 1850. The Rev. A. J. Huestis then occupied the pulpit and preached a stirring sermon. The services thereafter were held every Sun- day, with few exceptions, until 1853. Then as a field for missionary work the Methodist Episcopal Conference supplied Humboldt county by the ap- pointment of regular ministers or pastors, of which, at Eureka, the Rev. James Corwin was the first. It is said that the first Sunday school class in Eureka was started by a Rev. Dr. Charles Hinckley, on November 27, 1857. "The school house now standing and still used as such on the corner of G and Third streets," says a writer of 1882, did duty on the occasion of religious exercises and lectures, for all denominations. It has long ago been demolished, however, and the present city hall occupies the site.
It is said that the first Methodist Church building in Eureka was con- structed and dedicated in 1859. For the purpose of calling the worshippers the bell was obtained through the efforts of the Rev. Charles W. Hinckley, the pastor. It was hung at first from the top of a large redwood stump which was not far from where the building stood. It was Mr. Hinckley's custom to ring the bell himself, and also preach the sermon. It is said that he was an eloquent man and that the sounding of the bell was almost always the signal for an influx of most of the citizens of Eureka. To this statement there must be some exceptions, for a number of men preferred gambling, drinking, horse racing, and like sports, to church. The pastor, however, was very popular in the olden day.
The original building was sold and moved from the lot in 1866, thus destroying the interesting landmark-the first church at which services were ever held in Humboldt county. Another church was built and a heavy debt therefor was contracted, which hung over the congregation until 1874, when it was liquidated. The settlement of the debt was due very largely to the strenuous efforts of the Rev. Edward J. Jones, who was pastor and who bent every energy towards the accomplishment of his ambition. During the pastorate of the Rev. Dr. Haswell the building itself was very greatly improved. There were sittings for something like six hundred persons in the gallery and on the main floor. The parsonage, on the adjoining lot, was a modest and unpretentious cottage, well furnished, and it afforded the usual comforts and conveniences of a modern dwelling. The aggregate value of the church property was then $5,500. The first trustees of this church were G. D. Wilson, A. J. Huestis and B. L. Waite. The number of members of the church up to 1882 was something like eighty, but the highest number reached in the times prior to that was one hundred. A very good library was arranged for the church and the Sunday
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school and as early as 1879 there were some three hundred volumes for the use of two hundred and ten scholars.
The Rohnerville Methodist Church was organized in 1852 by Wesley Harrow, who preached near Eel river on a place then owned by Robert Roberts, a prominent churchman of those times. In 1853 the services were conducted chiefly by two local ministers. They were J. Burnell and a Mr. Springfield, whose personal or Christian name has been lost to history. By the year 1854 this church was connected with the Eel River circuit, and James Corwin became the first regular pastor thereof. The charge was fairly prosperous and it was not long before it had fifty members. The pastor who followed, some years later, and had considerable success, was the Rev. H. H. Stevens, who preached frequently to the full capacity of the church, which was one hundred and fifty.
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