Collection: Books and Periodicals

About This Item:

Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. 141 Rapid progress was made in the redwood lumber industry, which from the first has been the leading one of the county. The first sawlog was cut in 1850, and in 1854 a logging railway, several miles in length, was built, a good substantial iron-laid, well-ballasted road, near Eureka, the first railroad to be built in California, or on the Pacific coast. To show to how great a magnitnde lumbering had already risen, it may be mentioned that in 1854, no less than 20,567,000 feet of lumber was sawed. Shipbuilding also began early, the steamer “ Glide ” having been constructed on the bay in 1854. Humboldt has had a good deal of Indian troubles. From 1852 to 1856 especially there was constant warfare, many settlers and their families being murdered. Nothing that the Indians did, however, equals in atrocity the massacre performed among them in 1860, which seems effectually to have quenched their spirit, for there has been no trouble since. A large rancheria existed on Indian Island, oppusite Eureka. During the night of February 20, some white wretches went across and without warning slaughtered over 150 Indians, bucks, squaws and children, just as they came in the way, few escaping. The Hoopa Indian Reservation was set off by the Government in 1864, and by 1868 the last of the Indians were removed to it. At the present time, however, they are by no means strictly kept to their reservation. Numbers of them employed as laborers, etc., and seemingly steady and intelligent employés, aro to be found about the towns and logging camps. They seem less degraded than the Indians further south. The Hovopa Valley is one of the most beantiful of the county, containing about 38,000 acres of splendid land. This is farmed by the Indians, who have stock, raise some grain, have a flour-mill and seem prospering. It was formerly called Eden Valley. EUREKA, the chief town of the county, isa well built and handsome city. It possesses a very large trade, both local and foreign, many hundred vessels being dispatched every year to foreign ports laden with lumber and lumber manufactures. The cause of its pre-eminence in the first instance was due to its fine shipping facilities, having deep water cluse to its front. In Eureka, and on the islands opposite, are several very large sawmills, which, during lively times, run day and night sawing the gigantic redwood logs. The operation is very interesting, many new devices being adopted for handling the enormous sticks, often over twenty feet in diameter. Eureka possesses also many other manufactures, shingle-mills, sash and door, and furniture factories, foundries, boiler and engine works, etc., such as would be naturally called for in a lumbering region. She has large tanneries also, and near by a cheese factory. A new court-house, completed in 1889, cost $175,000, and is a very fine structure. The Eureka Academy and Business College, founded 1887, possesses handsome buildings in the heart of the town, and is a very prosperous institution. Eureka has also twenty-one public school buildings, many fine churches, and a host of magnificent residences, in which are housed her lumber millionaires, who are many. Eureka is an important ship-building point, several busy yards being located in town and near by. She has gas and electric lighting, has good waterworks and is well sewered. Eureka became an incorporated city April 18, 1856. A United States Land Office is located there, and it is a port of entry, possessing a very large trade. The Governmeut has now in coarse of progress the improvement of the harbor of Humboldt Bay, agitation for this having begun in 1877. In 1878~’79 Captain James B. Eads, the great engineer, gave it a thorough survey and since then work has been progressing steadily. When completed it will have cost several millions, and will make the harbor perfect and safe at all tines and equal to any on the coast. ARCATA is a favorite residence town, being more free from fogs than its larger neighbor. It is a