USA > California > Humboldt County > History of Humboldt County, California : with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, farms, residences, public buildings, factories, hotels, business houses, schools, churches, etc., from original drawings, including biographical sketches > Part 2
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EXPLANATION OF CHART.
THE SCALE OF THIS MAP, HAS BEEN MUCH SHORTENED FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, IN ORDER TO BRING THE MOST IMPORTANT COAST OPENINGS WITHIN A SHORT SPACE , THE LINES THAT CROSS HORIZONTALLY SHOW THE POINTS WHERE YEARLY AND MONTHLY TEMPERATURE AND RAIN FALL HAVE BEEN ASCERTAINEO, AS EXPLAINED IN TABLE ON ARTICLE ON WIND CURRENTS.
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FREONO
HISTORY
OF
HUMBOLDT COUNTY, CALIFORNIA,
FROM THE EARLY DAYS DOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME.
UTMBOLDT is a county of sinall farms and profitable homesteads, occupied by con- tented and prosperous owners. No soil surpasses the valley lands in product- iveness. It exhibits a degree of health- ful growth in the various industries and in population that will compare favorably with any rural county in the State. The climate is equable and genial. Droughts and failure of crops are unknown.
It is a county of grand scenery; of inountain and valley : hill and plain; tide marsh and sand dune; open prairie and impenetrable thicket and of giant redwoods beautiful in their native grandenr.
It is one of the best watered counties in the State. Along the whole western slope for over one hundred miles, and ex- tending back from ten to thirty miles, lies the great redwood district of the county. This whole vast area is covered by one dense and almost impenetrable forest of giant trees from two to four hundred feet high, and from ten to sixty feet in cir- cumference. East of this timbered section is a tract of open country of great value as a pastoral listrict.
At every available point for shipment stands a saw-mill turning trees into lumher, furnishing employment for labor and investment for capital.
Every little river has its fisheries and canneries, and all the valleys and bottom-lands are covered with productive farms.
The county offers peculiar inducements to tourists and pleas- ure seekers. This section is one of the finest hunting and fish- ing countries to be found. In all parts of the county, save the immediate settlements in the valleys, game of all kinds abounds.
Some of the scenery in this county is unrivaled for beauty and grandenr. Especially is this true of the coast country.
HOW TO REACH THE COUNTY.
It has no railroad facilities connecting it with the balance of the State. There are but two routes by which we can reach this important portion of our State. One is overland by stage, which in summer is a romantic and pleasant ride, but equally tedious and very uncertain in winter.
The route chiefly traveled is by ocean steamer, and is pre- ferred on account of the quicker time made. Steamers leave San Francisco twice a week, and are possessed of good sea-going qualities and comfortable passenger accommodations. The voyage, however, on account of the liability of seasickness, is not an enjoyable one, but the steamer is a wonderful improve- ment on the sail vessels of a few years ago.
A very large portion of the coast carrying trade, formerly done by sailing craft, is now carried on by steamers. They carry both freight and passengers, and make frequent and reg- ular trips. No railroads as yet interfere with the trade of that region.
A VOYAGE UP THE COAST.
Let us take a trip up the coast and in imagination see and examine all the capes, harbors and rivers that form the coast- line along this route. We shall then form some idea of the extent of the sea-coast, and of the facilities for business at the various openings along the shore. The accompanying chart of the route and of the coast-line will assist us in our observa- tions.
The shores of the west coast, against which the waves of the great Pacific Ocean wage continual warfare, though bluff and bold and rocky for the most part, have few indentations in
14
HISTORY OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
which the storm breet mariner may find refuge. Nature otherwise so lavish to us in its gifts in this part of the world, has denied us good harbors, and Congress, which is expected by the great American people to remedy the deficiences of nature, has failed to provide for ns artificial ones. This coast is peculiar in this respect, and there is probably uo part of the world where so long a shore line presents so few available harbors.
EXPERIENCES OF THE TRIP.
The dlaugers to navigation are many, especially on what is usually designated the North Coast, where there is not really a single good harbor affording protection against the storm winds of the winter months until the Strait of Fuca is reached, 700 miles from San Francisco. There are a number of open roadsleads, giving partial shelter from the summer north- west winds, and several bar harbors, all of which are dangerous of access and utterly impracticable in heavy or even moderately bad weather. The outlaying dangers are all marked on the charts of the United States Coast Survey.
'To the ordinary passenger, seldom on the seas, this trip is a serious undertaking and is entered upon with dread of the sea- siekucss. To those who dwell in inland quietude, with habita- tions remote from the sea and out of the sound of the roar of the ocean, it may seem of slight importance; but to the sailor who must buffet about amid the angry waters, with no snug shelter into which he may guide his storm-tossed vessel; to the merchant whose effects are at the merey of the winds and waves, a good harbor is of the utmost importance as will be seen as we proceed up the coast.
The first little place outside the Golden Gate, north of San Francisco, is Bolinas Bay, a small place very little used and that only by the small schooners.
DRAKE'S BAY.
Sir Francis Drake's Bay, behind the prominent beadland of Point Reyes, atfords a very fine protection from the west and northwest winds, but it is exposed to southerly storms. By anchoring in four or five fathoms, close under the north side of the point, a few small vessels lie out a winter gale, but the sca breaks a long way out at such time.
Vessels from the northward all inake Point Reyes wlien eon- ing here. The big bigbt between this point and Point Lobos, with the San Francisco bar running across it, is a difficult place for a sailing vessel to get out of in a soutberly gale. When the coasters come in near enough and fiud the bar bad they have to claw windward to elear Point Reyes if they want sea room, and have heavy hard seas and winds to contend with. If there was a safe harbor at Drake's Bay they could always make that with ease and lie there until the weather moderated. . There is no trade from this bay, although the land in the vicinity is occupied by some of the finest dairies in the State.
TOMALES BAY AND CUFFEY'S COVE.
Tomales Bay is a bar harbor, dangerous of access, as when vessels run under the high land at the entrance, and lose tbe wind, they are in danger of drifting iuto tbe breakers, as has several times happened.
Cuffey's Cove, twelve miles north of Point Arena, is a good northwest harbor, has three chutes and docs considerable trade. This is a great country for potatoes, large quantities being shipped from bere. In the town there are a few stores, a ehnreh, hotels, bar-rooms, etc. A steam railroad brings the lumber from the saw-mills down to the landing. Great quan- tities of railroad ties, bark, wood, posts, etc., are shipped from this point.
MENDOCINO BAY.
Mendocino Bay is a somewhat contracted place and unpleasant from the constant heavy swell. The sea breaks in the center and southern parts of the bay, the anchorage being in the north bight elose behind the point. At this place Big River enters the ocean. Some eoasting schooners have been built on the river and brought over the bar at high water. Vessels load here from a chute, and sometimes in the winter from lighters. The place is only available for a few vessels at a time, and in rough weather the company do not want more than one or two there at a time. Vessels arriving are guided by signals from the shore as to the state of the harbor. If it is rough and there is room for no more vessels the flag at half mast indicates that the last comer must stay outside and wait bis turn. If it is at the mast head he may come in.
The town of Mendocino City, situated at this point, is quite a good-sized village. Tbe moorings are good and beavy. The place is owned by the Mendocino Lumber Company, and if there were any competition many vessels would go. This place has the largest lumber mill on the coast this side of Humboldt.
CASPAR CREEK.
Caspar Creek, a few miles on up the coast, bas quite a little village of some three hundred inhabitants on the hill near its mouth. There is very little water in this creek at any time, but the month only eloses np onee in three or four years. The ereek is about six miles long and empties into the ocean five miles north of Mendocino City. The first mill was erected here in 1862. The harbor is considered as good as any of its class, which is evident from the fact of their shipping lumber from there every month in the year.
This is the only place between Mendocino and Eureka where they land freight safely in winter. The moorings are exam- ined and adjusted every fall with fresh buoys, and are very good ones. The harbor averages seven fathoms in depth, and .there are no blind rocks except those which are visible at low water. The vessels generally beat out, except in calın weather ; but there are three bouys to haul out by.
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15
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COAST.
SHELTER COVE AND POINT DELGADA.
We now reach the firstishipping places in Humboldt County. From Shelter Cove the chief exports are wool, produced in southern Humboldt and northern Mendocino.
The harbor is formed by a reef of rocks jutting out from the coast quite a distance. On the south side of this there is deep water 42 and plenty of sen room making it Dragon Rocks. a good harbor for vessels, and a place of refuge during the prev- alence of northerly gales, but when sontherly winds prevail it is danger- ous for any craft lying at anehor. € Reddings Rock%
The village of Shelter Cove is sit- nated on a bluff overlooking the ocean and consists of only two or three houses, blacksmith, store, etc. It is thirty miles south of Cape Mendocino.
POINT GORDA AND MATTOLE RIVER.
After passing Point Gorda the month of' Mattole River is reached.
There is no harbor here. A few miles up the stream is the pretty little village of Petroha which de- riverl its name from the oil, or petro- leuni which was found in the local- ity. Situated within a short dis- tance of the ocean it is fanned by its cool sea-breezes. Its situation commands some of the finest seenery on the north coast. It is iu the midst of a great dairy region, to be noticed hereafter. The next point of interest on our trip is Cape Men- loeino.
DENSE FOGS ON THE COAST.
The coast is ofteu enveloped in a lense fog so that inany of the points here described cannot be seen even if our vessel should keep near enough to the coast to bring them in range of our vision.
The coast fogs which prevail in summer are great drawbacks to navigation. During the height of the northwest winds the fog comes in, but the breeze by no ineans dispels it. This fog prevails more frequently at some points than others, but pretty much the whole coast is envel- opeil in it. It is more dense in summer than winter.
The fogs are low elonds whose upper surface averages 1,500
feet above the sea, and usually rising to 1,700 or 1,800 feet, with the mountains of the coast line rising like islands above the level of the fog.
It is a noticeable fact that vessels are seldom lost from gales and severe storms but mainly from running ashore in fogs. One feature, however, of winter gales is that after blowing hard from southeast it OREGON LINE ...... will work round to southwest with a large broken swell from the latter direc- tion, and then finish up by heavy putts --- from northwest, kieking up an ugly eross sea, very uncomfortable to small vessels and dangerous to leck-loads.
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WALLACE W. ELLIOTT & CO.
618
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SAN FRANCISCO,
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ROUTE OF STEAMERS FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO EUREKA & CRESCENT CITY
Gold Bluff Gihons Bluff
VOYAGE NOT DANGEROUS.
The voyage, however, is a safe one as the route is well known and well defined Mad R. in the charts, and the only difficulty will COUNTY be from fogs and at the entrance of the harhors where sifting sands form bars. Eel R AB Some of the coasters or small sailing craft F think they know more about the coast than any book can tell them. Many of these do not even have a coast-line chart, much less detailed charts, and M E innch of the navigation is accomplisherl by rule of thumb: "Stand off shore on Pudding Cr. Z 10 Mile # JO a nor'west wind for so long, then come by the wind ou the other tack and stand up the coast for so long, and strike your . R. port." That kind of uavigation is all Navarro R. 2 0 very well sometimes, but the schooner may strike something else before the port, as it occasionally Z --- N happens. A very Wallasız Rıv. frequent cause of FISKS Mili S wrecks in the Suit Point 2 Timpar Cove OF: Ross fall of the year Rule's L'do MARIN Duncan's Ldg BRENICA and winter, is Pt.Torales BODEGA BAY Bodega Head Russian A. the heavy sea PŁ. Reyes which sometimes CONTRA COSTA rolls into the DARLAND DRAKE'S BAY smaller harbors, Duxbury Roel y Naonday Rock. DOLENAS BAY Pc. denite at a time when .""Pt.Lavas FARRALLONES ·· SAN FRANCISCO there is little or no wind, the re- sult of gales off shore. At such times the schooners cannot get out and have to trust to the strength of lines and moorings. If they part the vessels pile up in the rocks. As this happens without much warning, if the moorings are not good the heavy sea coming against the vessel sometimes causes it to break loose, and a wreck is inevitable.
16
HISTORY OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
CAPE MENDOCINO.
The bold mountainous headland of Cape Mendocino forms the western limit of the northwest trend of the California coast froin Point Reyes, the general trend from Cape Mendocino to the Straits of Fuca being northwest. At this cape the range of eoast hills from the south seems to meet a range from the east formed hy ridges of 1,400 feet elevation within a mile of the sea, with peaks from 2,500 to 3,000 feet high, within two miles of the above. The whole face of the country is covered with timber.
A distinguishing feature of this cape is the large roek ealled the Sugar Loaf or Haystack, which is just off the point, and is about 300 feet high.
LIGIIT-HOUSE OF CAPE MENDOCINO.
There is a light-house on the eape. It is flashing white of the first order, illuminating the whole horizon. The light ap- pears for fifteen seconds and is eclipsed fifteen seconds. It is placed on a wrought iron sixteen-sided tower.
About three miles broad off' this eape is Blunt's Reef, a dan- gerous ledge of rocks, bare at all times. In the channel be- tween this reef and the shore are several submerged roeks, some of which show breakers at low water and some not. Al- though Davidson's Coast Pilot mentious this channel as a dan- gerous locality that should be avoided, it is pretty generally used by eoasting steamers and schooner's.
The old steamer Northerner was lost by striking one of these rocks, being beached after striking, at Cape Fortunas, where she went to pieces. In fact there are seattered sunken roeks extending nearly a mile off the coast from Shelter Cove to Cape Mendoeino.
This cape is to the north coast what Point Conception is to the south, as here vessels coming to the southward meet heav- ier winds and rougher weather, The fact has been established by observation of the U. S. Coast Survey that in the vicinity of this cape the sea has been known to break in nine and a half fathours of water; not snow "white water" merely, but bona fide breakers.
Five or six miles north of this is False Mendocino or Cape Fortunas, which presents the same peculiarities as Cape Men- docino, even to the rocky islets off the cape.
Bear River, one of the largest streams of this vieinity, enters the ocean near the cape. It has no harbor.
A DREADED POINT.
1543-This cape, as heretofore stated, was first discovered by Juan R. Cabrillo, February 26, 1543, and called Cabo de Fortunas or Cape of Perils.
This cape was formerly much dreaded by the Spanish navi- gators, on account of the storms usually prevailing in its vicin- ity; but, those fears having passed away, the cape has lost mueh of the respeet with which it was early regarded by mariners.
CAPE VISITED BY VISCAIÑO.
1604-The Fragata, or small vessel belonging to Viseaino's ship, visited this cape in 1604, under command of Aguilar. The historian says :-
" The Fragata parted from the Capitana [Viseaiuo's ship,] and, supposing that she bad gone onward, sailed in pursuit of her. Being in the latitude of 41°, the wind began to blow from the southwest; and the Fragata, being unable to with- stand the waves on her beam, ran before the wind until she found shelter under the land, and anchored near Cape Mendo- eino, behind a great rock, where she remained until the gale had passed over."
The historian says: "When the wind became less violent, they continued their voyage close along the shore; and on the 19th of January, the pilot Antonio Flores, found that they were in the latitude of 43º, where the land formed a eape or point, which was named Cape Blanco. From that point the coast begins to turn to the northwest; and near it was discovered a rapid and abundant river, with ash-trees, willows, brambles, and other trees of Castile, on its banks, whieb they endeavored to enter, but could not, from the foree of the current." ( ?? )
The eoasts north of Mendocino, were not visited by the peo- ple of any civilized nation between the period of Cook's voyage, (1778) and 1787; and the best charts of them were those of the Spaniards, founded on the observations of Heeta and Bo- dega.
EEL RIVER ENTRANCE.
Eel River is the first indentation in the eoast north of the cape where schooners or steamers may enter, and although a schooner went in there as early as 1850, while looking for Hum- boldt Bay, it is only within the past few years that mueh trade has developed there. The Indian name of this river was Weeott.
The steamer Thomas Whitelaw visits the river at regular intervals. There are about eleven feet of water on the bar, but the breakers are short and sharp. A vessel can go in and out here at almost any time that towage is possible on the Humboldt Bar.
The steamer Continental made a number of trips into this river, but was finally lost on the bar at the mouth. The Con- tinental scraped on the bar a number of times on her previous passages, but, the last time when she struek, her smokestack buckled forward and broke off the steam whistle pipe where it connected with the steam drum, and as the steam filled the en- gine room, and as pressure ran down, they lost control of the steamer, and she went ashore.
There are a number of sloughs and branches to the river, which drain a fertile seetion of country, mainly under eultiva . tion. There are salmon eanneries on the river. This impor- tant stream and its industries will receive more attention here- after.
1882
POST OFFICE EUREKA
FRED AXE POST MASTER
RESIDENCE OF FRED AXE, POST MASTER, EUREKA,CAL.
17
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COAST.
HUMBOLDT BAY.
This harbor lies about twenty-one miles above Cape Mendo. cino, and is an important shipping point for lumber, grain, and potatoes. Romul about this bay there is considerable grazing and farming land. The products of this, and of the timber region, give the towns on the bay a large trade with San Fran- cisco. Of the forty-nine vessels built on the coast in 1877 twelve of them were built at Humboldt, all schooners. The bay extends about nine miles north of, and four miles south of the entrance, and varies from three miles to half a mile in width. A large extent of this area, however, is mud flats, bare at low water.
The towus of Eureka, Arcata and Hookton are all on the | bay. Enreka is the principal port, and is about four miles from the heads. Arcata is at the north end of the bay.
THE LARGEST BAY.
This is the largest bay north of San Francisco. The bar at the mouth is a very bad one, and like others undergoes irregu- lar changes, dependent ou the prevalence, direction, and strength of the wind. Vessels are often bar bound here l'or some time, and are generally towed out by the tugs when they go to sea, as the prevailing summer wind blows right in. The channel has shifted so often, that Davidson's Coast Pilot says: "'The best advice we can offer in regard to eutering the harbor, is to wait for the tug."
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