Fort Humboldt State Historic Park
Encyclopedia
Fort Humboldt State Historic Park is a California
state park located in the southern portion of Eureka
, just off U.S. Route 101
. The North Coast regional headquarters of the California State Parks is located onsite.
in the Trinity River
in Trinity County
in May 1849, the stage was set for conflict between the Native Americans
who lived in northwestern California and the settlers and gold seekers that flooded into the region. Northern California tribes such as the Yurok, Karuk
, Wiyot
, and Hupa
put up heavy resistance which would require serious attention from the U.S. Army.
Fort Humboldt was established on January 30, 1853, by the Army as a buffer between Native Americans, gold-seekers and settlers. It was founded by Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Robert C. Buchanan
of the U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment
. Like Buchanan, many of the soldiers of this unit were veterans of the Mexican–American War
. Starting about 1853, Seth Kinman
was hired as a market hunter to supply elk
meat to the fort. It was placed on a bluff overlooking Humboldt Bay
and Buck's Port, named after David Buck, a member of the Josiah Gregg
exploration party. Fort Humboldt’s location was chosen because of its strategic location overlooking the bay and to provide the only source of supply to the isolated and scattered areas of the region.
In addition to serving to protect the local inhabitants, it was also a supply depot for posts around the California and Oregon
borders such as Fort Gaston
in Hoopa
and Fort Bragg
in northern Mendocino County
.
At its peak, the fort had 14 buildings all of crude plank construction. The fort was laid out in a typical military design with a quad at the center of the post which served as its parade grounds. Along with the two buildings that served as barracks for the enlisted men, there were quarters for the officers, an office, a hospital, a bakery, a storehouse/commissary, a guardhouse, a blacksmith's shop, and a stable.
The period between the fort’s establishment and the beginning of the Civil War
was marked by many skirmishes between the settlers and the local tribes. One of the first major conflicts was the so-called Red Cap War, fought in the area around present-day Weitchpec
and Orleans
. Soldiers from Fort Humboldt were called into action to bring calm back to the area during this conflict. The leaders and soldiers of the fort were often criticized by settlers who sought a more violent response to Indian attacks.
The infamous Indian Island Massacre of the Wiyot
people occurred at the end of this period on February 25, 1860. The fort's commander at this time, Major Gabriel J. Rains
, reported to his commanding officer that "Captain Wright's Company [of vigilante
s] held a meeting at Eel River
and resolved to kill every peaceable Indian - man, woman, and child." (Major Rains was quoted by authors Lynwood Carranco and Estle Beard in their book Genocide and Vendetta: The Round Valley Wars of Northern California, page 129-130.)
The 1860 U.S. census provides us with an interesting snapshot of life on the fort. Among its residents that year were Major Rains, his wife Mary, and their six children (including 2 daughters age 19 and 16). Also living at the fort were Captain Charles Lovell, his wife Margeret, and their four children; Lieutenant Alex Johnson, his wife Elizabeth, and their four children; Lieutenant James Dodwell, his wife Johanna, and their two children; and Lieutenant Edward Johnson, his wife Christiana, and their two children. The fort's physician Lafayette Guild
and his wife Martha occupied the Surgeon's Quarters. In the barracks were 47 soldiers, all apparently living without their spouses.
Among the many well-known soldiers who served at the fort was a young captain, Ulysses S. Grant
, who was there for five months in 1854. Charles S. Lovell would be promoted to major and commanded a brigade during the Second Battle of Bull Run
, Antietam
, and Fredericksburg
. Robert C. Buchanan
became a general during the Civil War. Other famous Civil War generals, George Crook
and Lewis C. Hunt, served here during this period. Gabriel J. Rains
would become a brigadier general in the Confederate Army. Dr. Lafayette Guild
would go on to serve directly under General Robert E. Lee
as the Medical Director for the Army of Northern Virginia
for all its major campaigns.
was well underway, and the resulting national conflict would bring major changes to Fort Humboldt. Federal soldiers were recalled to eastern battlefields and were replaced by units of the California Volunteers. These volunteers were drawn from local settlers who inaugurated a hard-line and violent policy toward the Native peoples.
During the Civil War, Fort Humboldt was the headquarters of the District of Humboldt (also termed the Humboldt Military District
), which was part of the Department of the Pacific
. The District's posts included Fort Bragg
and Fort Wright in northern Mendocino County
, and extending north through Humboldt County
to Fort Gaston
in Hoopa
and Fort Ter-Waw near Klamath
(after the Great Flood of 1862
, moved to Camp Lincoln near Crescent City
). Other posts included Camp Curtis
(in Arcata
), Camp Iaqua, Fort Seward
(in southern Humboldt County), and Camps Baker, Lyon, and Anderson.
heralded more changes to Fort Humboldt. The California Volunteer units were disbanded in 1865, and U.S. regular troops returned to the fort from battlefields in the east. Six months after Appomattox
, the first Regular Army unit to return to Fort Humboldt was Company E, 9th Infantry Regiment, on November 8, 1865 (Strobridge, Regulars in the Redwoods, page 255). Company E was one officer and 49 enlisted men.
By 1866, all forces, except one company of artillery, were withdrawn from Fort Humboldt. This unit was Company E, 2nd Artillery Regiment, led by Major Andrew W. Bowman, the first Regular Army commander at Fort Humboldt since Captain Lovell in 1861 (Strobridge, Regulars in the Redwoods, page 257). The fort becomes a sub-depot maintained primarily to provide supplies to Fort Gaston
in Hoopa. Property belonging to the Quartermaster was auctioned on April 25, 1867. Items sold included 120 cords of wood, 2 boats with oars and sails, a heavy wagon, and an ambulance wagon.
On September 14, 1867, the last unit was withdrawn from Fort Humboldt and the post was abandoned, although the Humboldt County journalist Andrew Genzoli recorded that "January 1867 was the last Monthly Post Return for Fort Humboldt. Sergeant Antoine Schoneberger, Ordnance Sergeant, was on duty during the period 1866-1870."
The Humboldt Times reported the sale of other government property on August 10, 1870, including 32 buildings ($655) and 13 mules ($602).
In May 1894, the remains of the U.S. soldiers buried near the site of Fort Humboldt were relocated to the Grand Army of the Republic
plot in the Myrtle Grove cemetery in Eureka
.
The old cavalry barn was destroyed by fire on October 21, 1895.
On February 7, 1925, the Daughters of the American Revolution
placed a bronze plaque which reads - "Fort Humboldt. Occupied by U.S. troops from 1853 to 1865 [sic]. General U. S. Grant was stationed here in 1853." The plaque is still at the park, though hidden by trees. The tablet is bronze mounted on a huge rock blasted from Medicine Rock near Trinidad
. The original plaque was stolen and later replaced by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
In 1929, the "Fort Humboldt Post" of the American Legion
spent several days restoring fort buildings.
The first wireless radio station in Humboldt County
was located at Fort Humboldt. The United Wireless Telegraph Company
began operating the station around 1900 with the call sign "PM Eureka." This was many years before Humboldt County had a "wired" telegraph which ran south to Petaluma
. The Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company took over from 1911 to 1917, changing the call sign to "KPM". Also during this era the hospital building received some restoration.
Upon Cooper's death in 1928, his wife gave the land to the city of Eureka
.
in Washington, D.C.
for plans and specifications of the fort, and began restoration of the area and development of a museum. The job turned out to be larger than they could do, and soon the Works Progress Administration
was worked into the project.
Fort Humboldt was registered as a California State Historical Landmark, Number 154, on January 11, 1935.
Also during the 1930s, the "Days of General Grant" was a four-day celebration centering on the Fourth of July. Local businesses went all-out making storefronts look like pioneer days. The male citizens grew beards, and both men and women dressed in 19th century clothing. The celebration repeated four or five years in a row. Prior to the fourth annual celebration in 1939, the Humboldt Standard newspaper wrote that "it is an event which holds promise of becoming one of the lasting pioneer pageants of the West, comparable in importance to the Salinas Rodeo, the Pendleton Roundup, and the Portland Rose Festival
."
By the 1940s, the fort had become a City of Eureka
museum devoted to General Grant and local memorabilia. At some point, statues of General Grant and General Robert E. Lee (which were apparently made of wood) were placed in the park and were still there in 1947 as can be seen in the Shuster aerial photographs from that year.
In 1952 Robert Madsen was elected mayor of Eureka, and during his administration more headway was made toward actual restoration of the fort, as the city council showed a great deal of interest in the project. Through informal meetings with the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, it was decided to approach the State Division of Beaches and Parks to see if they were interested.
In the summer of 1952 representatives of the State attended a luncheon meeting held in Eureka and there stated they were interested in setting the fort up as a state monument. They explained that they would eventually make an authentic restoration.
In 1955, the area was deeded to the State of California with the understanding that the state would reconstruct the historic buildings and interpret the settlement of the northern California coast. Ranger C. D. Thompson was the first Monument Supervisor and began living at the fort in 1956. He first remodeled the old building into an office for District One of the Division of Beaches and Parks. The office was headquarters for the District Supervisor, whose staff consisted of the Assistant District Supervisor, a secretary, the Ranger-Monument Supervisor, district carpenter foreman, district accounting technician, and possibly a landscape architect and typist.
An archeological survey was conducted during the late 1950s by Donald Jewell and John Clemmer. The Timber Heritage Association's web site states that the present logging display at the park was established in 1962.
Fort Humboldt was designated a State Historic Park in 1963. The park seems to have been added to the National Register of Historical Places, Site #70000927, in 1970 but this hasn't been confirmed. Some restoration ensued, with the hospital the sole remaining building of the original construction. The General Plan, created in 1978, developed by California State Parks, calls for a re-creation of the entire fort complex. Although the Surgeon's Quarters was re-created in 1985, this General Plan has been slow to be implemented. Several archeological digs were also conducted during this period and a bronze plaque stating that the fort is a California State Historic Landmark, Number 154, was placed near the parking lot about 1980. In 1986, exhibits were installed in the hospital to tell the story of the fort and the intercultural conflicts.
in 1998. In 2000, students from the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program planted a historic garden next to the hospital which contains medicinal, edible, and ornamental plants typically found in a 19th century garden. This garden received a "Keep Eureka Beautiful" Award of Merit in 2001.
The park marked Fort Humboldt's 150th anniversary in January 2003. A color guard from Eureka High School's Naval Junior ROTC hoisted a replica American flag with 36 stars. The original flag that was first raised over the fort in 1853 was also on display. This flag was kept by the soldier (Private Joseph Snedden) who helped raise it. Snedden became a Humboldt County resident after he left the Army and eventually gave the flag to Mrs. Vera O'Conner-Berry. She, in turn, gave the flag to the Redwood Forest Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
in 1923. This organization started a preservation project in 1990s to stabilize the flag. The flag is now kept by the Regent of the Redwood Forest Chapter.
In October 2008, permanent interpretive panels went on display in the nearby Bayshore Mall's food court. These eight panels, part of a collaborative project between California State Parks and the North Coast Redwood Interpretive Association, explore the early frontier life of Fort Humboldt and Buck's Port where the mall now sits.
Though not directly related to the military history of the site, fully operational trains that operated on local standard gauge railroads in the early days of logging are present on the site. The logging equipment exhibit includes a Donkey engine. Invented in the 1880s by John Dolbeer
of the local Dolbeer and Carson Lumber Company, the machine is included among other logging equipment showcasing advances over the 150 years of local logging history.
Of particular note are the prominent views of Humboldt Bay
, the Samoa peninsula, and portions of Eureka from the bluff occupied by the park and structures.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
state park located in the southern portion of Eureka
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
, just off U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...
. The North Coast regional headquarters of the California State Parks is located onsite.
Early years, 1853–1860
With the discovery of goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in the Trinity River
Trinity River (California)
The Trinity River is the longest tributary of the Klamath River, approximately long, in northwestern California in the United States. It drains an area of the Coast Ranges, including the southern Klamath Mountains, northwest of the Sacramento Valley...
in Trinity County
Trinity County, California
Trinity County is a large, rugged and mountainous, heavily forested county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of California, along the Trinity River and within the Salmon/Klamath Mountains. It covers an area of over two million acres , and as of the 2010 census its population...
in May 1849, the stage was set for conflict between the Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
who lived in northwestern California and the settlers and gold seekers that flooded into the region. Northern California tribes such as the Yurok, Karuk
Karuk
Karuk is an indigenous people of California in the United States.The tribal headquarters, located off State Route 96, is in the town of Happy Camp, California. Currently the tribe has three tribal board meeting places, in Yreka, Happy Camp, and Orleans...
, Wiyot
Wiyot people
The Wiyot people are a native people of the Humboldt Bay, California and nearby environs.-History:The Wiyot and Yurok are the farthest southwest people whose language has Algic roots; Wiyot and Yurok are distantly related to the Algonquian languages...
, and Hupa
Hupa
Hupa, also spelled Hoopa, are a Native American tribe in northwestern California. Their autonym is Natinixwe, also spelled Natinookwa, meaning "People of the Place Where the Trails Return." The majority of the tribe is enrolled in the federally recognized Hoopa Valley Tribe; however, some Hupa are...
put up heavy resistance which would require serious attention from the U.S. Army.
Fort Humboldt was established on January 30, 1853, by the Army as a buffer between Native Americans, gold-seekers and settlers. It was founded by Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Robert C. Buchanan
Robert C. Buchanan
Robert Christie Buchanan was an American military officer who served in the Mexican War and then was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
of the U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment
U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment
The U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. It has served the United States for approximately two hundred years.-Origins:...
. Like Buchanan, many of the soldiers of this unit were veterans of the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
. Starting about 1853, Seth Kinman
Seth Kinman
Seth Kinman was an early settler of Humboldt County, California, a hunter based in Fort Humboldt, a famous chair maker, and a nationally recognized entertainer. He stood over tall and was known for his hunting prowess and his brutality toward bears and Indians...
was hired as a market hunter to supply elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
meat to the fort. It was placed on a bluff overlooking Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay is a natural bay and a multi-basin, bar-built coastal lagoon located on the rugged North Coast of California, United States entirely within Humboldt County. The regional center and county seat of Eureka and the college town of Arcata adjoin the bay, which is the second largest enclosed...
and Buck's Port, named after David Buck, a member of the Josiah Gregg
Josiah Gregg
Josiah Gregg was a merchant, explorer, naturalist, and author of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico regions. He is most famous for his book Commerce of the Prairies.-Early years:...
exploration party. Fort Humboldt’s location was chosen because of its strategic location overlooking the bay and to provide the only source of supply to the isolated and scattered areas of the region.
In addition to serving to protect the local inhabitants, it was also a supply depot for posts around the California and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
borders such as Fort Gaston
Fort Gaston
Fort Gaston was founded on December 4, 1859, in the redwood forests of the Hoopa Valley, in Northern California, on the west bank of the Trinity River, 14 miles from where the Trinity flows into the Klamath River. It was located in what is now the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation...
in Hoopa
Hoopa, California
Hoopa is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located south of Weitchpec, at an elevation of 328 feet . The ZIP Code is 95546....
and Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg, California
Fort Bragg is a city located in coastal Mendocino County, California along State Route 1, the major north-south highway along the Pacific Coast. Fort Bragg is located west of Willits, at an elevation of 85 feet...
in northern Mendocino County
Mendocino County, California
Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and west of the Central Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841, up from 86,265 at the 2000 census...
.
At its peak, the fort had 14 buildings all of crude plank construction. The fort was laid out in a typical military design with a quad at the center of the post which served as its parade grounds. Along with the two buildings that served as barracks for the enlisted men, there were quarters for the officers, an office, a hospital, a bakery, a storehouse/commissary, a guardhouse, a blacksmith's shop, and a stable.
The period between the fort’s establishment and the beginning of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
was marked by many skirmishes between the settlers and the local tribes. One of the first major conflicts was the so-called Red Cap War, fought in the area around present-day Weitchpec
Weitchpec, California
Weitchpec is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California, United States. It is located northeast of Eureka, at an elevation of 361 feet...
and Orleans
Orleans, California
Orleans , Karuk name Panamnik, is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located northeast of Weitchpec, at an elevation of 404 feet...
. Soldiers from Fort Humboldt were called into action to bring calm back to the area during this conflict. The leaders and soldiers of the fort were often criticized by settlers who sought a more violent response to Indian attacks.
The infamous Indian Island Massacre of the Wiyot
Wiyot people
The Wiyot people are a native people of the Humboldt Bay, California and nearby environs.-History:The Wiyot and Yurok are the farthest southwest people whose language has Algic roots; Wiyot and Yurok are distantly related to the Algonquian languages...
people occurred at the end of this period on February 25, 1860. The fort's commander at this time, Major Gabriel J. Rains
Gabriel J. Rains
Gabriel James Rains was a career United States Army officer and a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, reported to his commanding officer that "Captain Wright's Company [of vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
s] held a meeting at Eel River
Eel River (California)
The Eel River is a major river system of the northern Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. Approximately 200 miles long, it drains a rugged area in the California Coast Ranges between the Sacramento Valley and the ocean. For most of its course, the river flows northwest, parallel to the...
and resolved to kill every peaceable Indian - man, woman, and child." (Major Rains was quoted by authors Lynwood Carranco and Estle Beard in their book Genocide and Vendetta: The Round Valley Wars of Northern California, page 129-130.)
The 1860 U.S. census provides us with an interesting snapshot of life on the fort. Among its residents that year were Major Rains, his wife Mary, and their six children (including 2 daughters age 19 and 16). Also living at the fort were Captain Charles Lovell, his wife Margeret, and their four children; Lieutenant Alex Johnson, his wife Elizabeth, and their four children; Lieutenant James Dodwell, his wife Johanna, and their two children; and Lieutenant Edward Johnson, his wife Christiana, and their two children. The fort's physician Lafayette Guild
Lafayette Guild
LaFayette Guild was a surgeon in the antebellum United States Army, a noted pioneer in the study of yellow fever, and then a leading medical administrator in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He served directly under General Robert E...
and his wife Martha occupied the Surgeon's Quarters. In the barracks were 47 soldiers, all apparently living without their spouses.
Among the many well-known soldiers who served at the fort was a young captain, Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, who was there for five months in 1854. Charles S. Lovell would be promoted to major and commanded a brigade during the Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
, Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
, and Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
. Robert C. Buchanan
Robert C. Buchanan
Robert Christie Buchanan was an American military officer who served in the Mexican War and then was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
became a general during the Civil War. Other famous Civil War generals, George Crook
George Crook
George R. Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
and Lewis C. Hunt, served here during this period. Gabriel J. Rains
Gabriel J. Rains
Gabriel James Rains was a career United States Army officer and a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
would become a brigadier general in the Confederate Army. Dr. Lafayette Guild
Lafayette Guild
LaFayette Guild was a surgeon in the antebellum United States Army, a noted pioneer in the study of yellow fever, and then a leading medical administrator in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He served directly under General Robert E...
would go on to serve directly under General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
as the Medical Director for the Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
for all its major campaigns.
Civil War years, 1861–1865
By the summer of 1861 the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
was well underway, and the resulting national conflict would bring major changes to Fort Humboldt. Federal soldiers were recalled to eastern battlefields and were replaced by units of the California Volunteers. These volunteers were drawn from local settlers who inaugurated a hard-line and violent policy toward the Native peoples.
During the Civil War, Fort Humboldt was the headquarters of the District of Humboldt (also termed the Humboldt Military District
Humboldt Military District
During the American Civil War, Army reorganization created the Department of the Pacific on January 15, 1861. On December 12, 1861, the District of Humboldt was created, consisting of the counties of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Trinity, Humboldt, Klamath, and Del Norte in Northern California...
), which was part of the Department of the Pacific
Department of the Pacific
The Department of the Pacific was a major command of the United States Army during the 19th century.-Formation:The Department of the Pacific was first organized on October 31, 1853, at San Francisco, California, taking over from the previous Pacific Division. The department reported directly to...
. The District's posts included Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg, California
Fort Bragg is a city located in coastal Mendocino County, California along State Route 1, the major north-south highway along the Pacific Coast. Fort Bragg is located west of Willits, at an elevation of 85 feet...
and Fort Wright in northern Mendocino County
Mendocino County, California
Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and west of the Central Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841, up from 86,265 at the 2000 census...
, and extending north through Humboldt County
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
to Fort Gaston
Fort Gaston
Fort Gaston was founded on December 4, 1859, in the redwood forests of the Hoopa Valley, in Northern California, on the west bank of the Trinity River, 14 miles from where the Trinity flows into the Klamath River. It was located in what is now the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation...
in Hoopa
Hoopa, California
Hoopa is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located south of Weitchpec, at an elevation of 328 feet . The ZIP Code is 95546....
and Fort Ter-Waw near Klamath
Klamath, California
Klamath is an unincorporated, rural, census-designated place in Del Norte County, California, situated on US Route 101 inland from the mouth of the Klamath River. The population was 779 at the 2010 census, up from 651 at the 2000 census...
(after the Great Flood of 1862
Great Flood of 1862
The Great Flood of 1862 or Noachian Deluge was the largest flood in the recorded history of Oregon, Nevada and California, occurring from December 1861 to January 1862. It was preceded by weeks of continuous rains that began in Oregon in November 1861 and continued into January 1862...
, moved to Camp Lincoln near Crescent City
Crescent City, California
Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...
). Other posts included Camp Curtis
Camp Curtis
Camp Curtis, California State Historic Landmark #215, was located about one mile north of Arcata, California, and served as the headquarters and garrison of the 1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers from 1862 to 1865....
(in Arcata
Arcata, California
-Demographics:-2010 Census data:The 2010 United States Census reported that Arcata had a population of 17,231. The population density was 1,567.4 people per square mile...
), Camp Iaqua, Fort Seward
Fort Seward, California
Fort Seward is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located on the Eel River north-northwest of Alderpoint, at an elevation of 328 feet ....
(in southern Humboldt County), and Camps Baker, Lyon, and Anderson.
Final years and abandonment, 1865–1867
The end of the great Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
heralded more changes to Fort Humboldt. The California Volunteer units were disbanded in 1865, and U.S. regular troops returned to the fort from battlefields in the east. Six months after Appomattox
Appomattox Campaign
The Appomattox Campaign was a series of battles fought March 29 – April 9, 1865, in Virginia that culminated in the surrender of Confederate General Robert E...
, the first Regular Army unit to return to Fort Humboldt was Company E, 9th Infantry Regiment, on November 8, 1865 (Strobridge, Regulars in the Redwoods, page 255). Company E was one officer and 49 enlisted men.
By 1866, all forces, except one company of artillery, were withdrawn from Fort Humboldt. This unit was Company E, 2nd Artillery Regiment, led by Major Andrew W. Bowman, the first Regular Army commander at Fort Humboldt since Captain Lovell in 1861 (Strobridge, Regulars in the Redwoods, page 257). The fort becomes a sub-depot maintained primarily to provide supplies to Fort Gaston
Fort Gaston
Fort Gaston was founded on December 4, 1859, in the redwood forests of the Hoopa Valley, in Northern California, on the west bank of the Trinity River, 14 miles from where the Trinity flows into the Klamath River. It was located in what is now the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation...
in Hoopa. Property belonging to the Quartermaster was auctioned on April 25, 1867. Items sold included 120 cords of wood, 2 boats with oars and sails, a heavy wagon, and an ambulance wagon.
On September 14, 1867, the last unit was withdrawn from Fort Humboldt and the post was abandoned, although the Humboldt County journalist Andrew Genzoli recorded that "January 1867 was the last Monthly Post Return for Fort Humboldt. Sergeant Antoine Schoneberger, Ordnance Sergeant, was on duty during the period 1866-1870."
The Humboldt Times reported the sale of other government property on August 10, 1870, including 32 buildings ($655) and 13 mules ($602).
Commanding officers
- Lieutenant Colonel Robert C. BuchananRobert C. BuchananRobert Christie Buchanan was an American military officer who served in the Mexican War and then was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
, 4th Infantry Regiment, January 1853-February 1856 - 1st Lieutenant Francis H. Bates, 4th Infantry Regiment, February–June 1856
- Major Gabriel J. RainsGabriel J. RainsGabriel James Rains was a career United States Army officer and a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, 4th Infantry Regiment, June 1856-July 1860 - Captain Charles Swain Lovell, 6th Infantry Regiment, July 1860-September 1861
- Colonel Francis J. LippittFrancis J. LippittFrancis J. Lippitt, a lawyer and veteran of the Mexican American War and Colonel and Brigadier General in the American Civil War.-Early Life:He was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1812...
, 2nd Infantry Regiment, California Volunteers2nd Regiment California Volunteer InfantryThe 2nd Regiment California Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent its entire term of service in the western United States. Organized at San Francisco and Carson City September 2, 1861, to December 30, 1862 and attached to Department...
, January 9, 1862–July 13, 1863 - Colonel Stephen G. Whipple, 1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers was an infantry battalion in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent its entire term of service in the western United States, attached to the Department of the Pacific...
, July 13, 1863–February 6, 1864 - Colonel Henry M. BlackHenry M. BlackHenry M. Black was a United States Army officer who served as Commandant of Cadets at the United States Military Academy.-Early career:...
, 6th Infantry Regiment, California Volunteers6th Regiment California Volunteer InfantryThe 6th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent its entire term of service in the western United States attached to the Department of the Pacific. The Regiment was organized at Benicia Barracks, San Francisco on...
, February 6, 1864–June 1864 - Colonel Stephen G. Whipple, 1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers, June 1864–July 27, 1865
- Major Andrew W. Bowman, Company E, 2nd Artillery Regiment, 1866
Cemetery
Ten soldiers are known to have been buried at Fort Humboldt:- John Blummer; C Co, 1st Battalion Mountaineers
- John Briel; 1840–1866; E Co, 2nd U.S. Artillery
- Patrick Carroll; 1838–1879; F Co, 4th California Infantry
- R.F. Clark,
- Thomas R. Evans; died 1865; A Co, 1st Battalion Mountaineers
- J.D. Haskins,
- John Henkin; 1834–1864
- Moses Hutchings; 1827–1865; F Co, 4th California Infantry
- Wilson Alexander Shaw; 1814–1864; A Co, 1st Battalion Mountaineers
- Cecil E. Winters; 1st Battalion Mountaineers
In May 1894, the remains of the U.S. soldiers buried near the site of Fort Humboldt were relocated to the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
plot in the Myrtle Grove cemetery in Eureka
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
.
Cooper period, 1893–1928
After abandonment by the military, the lands were transferred to the Department of the Interior on April 6, 1870, and the fort fell into ruin. In 1893, the land and its one remaining building were sold to W. S. Cooper. Cooper reportedly subdivided the property as soon as he acquired it, naming the new subdivision Fort Humboldt Heights. Cooper's daughter reported that on two occasions her father partially restored the remaining building as he realized their future importance.The old cavalry barn was destroyed by fire on October 21, 1895.
On February 7, 1925, the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
placed a bronze plaque which reads - "Fort Humboldt. Occupied by U.S. troops from 1853 to 1865 [sic]. General U. S. Grant was stationed here in 1853." The plaque is still at the park, though hidden by trees. The tablet is bronze mounted on a huge rock blasted from Medicine Rock near Trinidad
Trinidad, California
Trinidad is a seaside city in Humboldt County, located on the Pacific Ocean north of the Arcata-Eureka Airport and north of the college town of Arcata...
. The original plaque was stolen and later replaced by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
In 1929, the "Fort Humboldt Post" of the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
spent several days restoring fort buildings.
The first wireless radio station in Humboldt County
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
was located at Fort Humboldt. The United Wireless Telegraph Company
United Wireless Telegraph Company
The United Wireless Telegraph Company was the largest radio communications company in the United States, beginning with its late-1906 formation, until its bankruptcy and takeover by Marconi interests in mid-1912. Although at the time of its demise the company was operating around 70 land and 400...
began operating the station around 1900 with the call sign "PM Eureka." This was many years before Humboldt County had a "wired" telegraph which ran south to Petaluma
Petaluma, California
Petaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. In the 2010 Census the population was 57,941.Located in Petaluma is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San...
. The Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company took over from 1911 to 1917, changing the call sign to "KPM". Also during this era the hospital building received some restoration.
Upon Cooper's death in 1928, his wife gave the land to the city of Eureka
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
.
Restoration
In the 1930s, local veteran organizations became interested in restoration of the fort. They took pictures, sent to the National ArchivesNational Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
for plans and specifications of the fort, and began restoration of the area and development of a museum. The job turned out to be larger than they could do, and soon the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
was worked into the project.
Fort Humboldt was registered as a California State Historical Landmark, Number 154, on January 11, 1935.
Also during the 1930s, the "Days of General Grant" was a four-day celebration centering on the Fourth of July. Local businesses went all-out making storefronts look like pioneer days. The male citizens grew beards, and both men and women dressed in 19th century clothing. The celebration repeated four or five years in a row. Prior to the fourth annual celebration in 1939, the Humboldt Standard newspaper wrote that "it is an event which holds promise of becoming one of the lasting pioneer pageants of the West, comparable in importance to the Salinas Rodeo, the Pendleton Roundup, and the Portland Rose Festival
Portland Rose Festival
The Portland Rose Festival is an annual civic festival held during the month of June in Portland, Oregon. It is organized by the volunteer non-profit Portland Rose Festival Association with the purpose of promoting the Portland region...
."
By the 1940s, the fort had become a City of Eureka
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
museum devoted to General Grant and local memorabilia. At some point, statues of General Grant and General Robert E. Lee (which were apparently made of wood) were placed in the park and were still there in 1947 as can be seen in the Shuster aerial photographs from that year.
In 1952 Robert Madsen was elected mayor of Eureka, and during his administration more headway was made toward actual restoration of the fort, as the city council showed a great deal of interest in the project. Through informal meetings with the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, it was decided to approach the State Division of Beaches and Parks to see if they were interested.
In the summer of 1952 representatives of the State attended a luncheon meeting held in Eureka and there stated they were interested in setting the fort up as a state monument. They explained that they would eventually make an authentic restoration.
In 1955, the area was deeded to the State of California with the understanding that the state would reconstruct the historic buildings and interpret the settlement of the northern California coast. Ranger C. D. Thompson was the first Monument Supervisor and began living at the fort in 1956. He first remodeled the old building into an office for District One of the Division of Beaches and Parks. The office was headquarters for the District Supervisor, whose staff consisted of the Assistant District Supervisor, a secretary, the Ranger-Monument Supervisor, district carpenter foreman, district accounting technician, and possibly a landscape architect and typist.
An archeological survey was conducted during the late 1950s by Donald Jewell and John Clemmer. The Timber Heritage Association's web site states that the present logging display at the park was established in 1962.
Fort Humboldt was designated a State Historic Park in 1963. The park seems to have been added to the National Register of Historical Places, Site #70000927, in 1970 but this hasn't been confirmed. Some restoration ensued, with the hospital the sole remaining building of the original construction. The General Plan, created in 1978, developed by California State Parks, calls for a re-creation of the entire fort complex. Although the Surgeon's Quarters was re-created in 1985, this General Plan has been slow to be implemented. Several archeological digs were also conducted during this period and a bronze plaque stating that the fort is a California State Historic Landmark, Number 154, was placed near the parking lot about 1980. In 1986, exhibits were installed in the hospital to tell the story of the fort and the intercultural conflicts.
Late 20th century and a new millennium
In more recent years, several Civil War re-enactments were held at the fort in the 1990s, but were moved to FortunaFortuna, California
Fortuna is a city in western-central Humboldt County, California, United States. The population was 11,926 at the 2010 census, up from 10,497 at the 2000 census. The city lies on the northeast shore of the Eel River , and is on U.S...
in 1998. In 2000, students from the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program planted a historic garden next to the hospital which contains medicinal, edible, and ornamental plants typically found in a 19th century garden. This garden received a "Keep Eureka Beautiful" Award of Merit in 2001.
The park marked Fort Humboldt's 150th anniversary in January 2003. A color guard from Eureka High School's Naval Junior ROTC hoisted a replica American flag with 36 stars. The original flag that was first raised over the fort in 1853 was also on display. This flag was kept by the soldier (Private Joseph Snedden) who helped raise it. Snedden became a Humboldt County resident after he left the Army and eventually gave the flag to Mrs. Vera O'Conner-Berry. She, in turn, gave the flag to the Redwood Forest Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
in 1923. This organization started a preservation project in 1990s to stabilize the flag. The flag is now kept by the Regent of the Redwood Forest Chapter.
In October 2008, permanent interpretive panels went on display in the nearby Bayshore Mall's food court. These eight panels, part of a collaborative project between California State Parks and the North Coast Redwood Interpretive Association, explore the early frontier life of Fort Humboldt and Buck's Port where the mall now sits.
2009 state budget crisis
Fort Humboldt is on the list of state parks slated for closure due to the state's budget crisis.Collections
In addition to various displays of the trappings of military service and a vintage mountain howitzer cannon, the hospital building houses artifacts and particularly rousing accounts (including extensive signage) of the Native American experience of European settlers. A culturally and historically correct dugout canoe constructed of the heart of a redwood tree is on display.Though not directly related to the military history of the site, fully operational trains that operated on local standard gauge railroads in the early days of logging are present on the site. The logging equipment exhibit includes a Donkey engine. Invented in the 1880s by John Dolbeer
John Dolbeer
John Dolbeer was a partner in the Dolbeer & Carson Lumber Co., one of the early major Humboldt County, California lumber operations in based in Eureka. While in that business, he invented the logging engine, more commonly known as the steam donkey or donkey engine...
of the local Dolbeer and Carson Lumber Company, the machine is included among other logging equipment showcasing advances over the 150 years of local logging history.
Visitor information
Fort Humboldt is open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and the property includes the regional headquarters for the California State Parks system. Permanent displays are augmented by special events during the year.Of particular note are the prominent views of Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay is a natural bay and a multi-basin, bar-built coastal lagoon located on the rugged North Coast of California, United States entirely within Humboldt County. The regional center and county seat of Eureka and the college town of Arcata adjoin the bay, which is the second largest enclosed...
, the Samoa peninsula, and portions of Eureka from the bluff occupied by the park and structures.
External links
- Fort Humboldt State Historic Park official website
- Historic California Posts: Fort Humboldt
- Fort Humboldt State Historic Park Resource Management Plan
- Fort Humboldt - California's Golden Parks #120, a video documentary from Huell HowserHuell HowserHuell Burnley Howser is an American television personality best known for California's Gold, his travel show for the Los Angeles based KCET.-Early career:...
Productions. - Fort Humboldt SHP Brochure
- Timber Heritage Association