Browse Exhibits (4 total)
Life in Humboldt County
"...Northern California where ... treess are perfectly straight & are approximately 300 feet tall and are 2000 or more years old. It is the most beautiful place I remember being in."
- Anonymous
Humboldt County was - and still is - home to the Yurok, Wiyot, and Hoopa Native Americans (as well as many other Tribes), and has long attracted settlers, travelers, and European Americans for its natural beauty. Mostly a rural area, its defining feature was its many acres of California Redwood trees, which are still greatly present today.
This area also had industries in logging and whaling, as well as military bases such as Fort Humboldt, in which Ulysses S. Grant served as a commanding officer. Beginning in the early 20th century this area also witnessed a migration to its Humboldt Normal College, which came to be known as Humboldt State Teacher's College in the 1920s. The college was mostly erected in response to a need for teachers in rural areas.
Within Humboldt County are several historical landmarks and places of interest, such as the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse and downtown Eureka. Humboldt is one of the oldest counties in the state, and has been attracting people since the 19th century. For instance, the city of Trinidad has been listed by the California State Parks Office of Historic Preservation as a place of historical interest. It is the oldest known town on the California Northern Coast.
Hungry for Humboldt
The way to most cultures is through their food, not in the least becuase it appeals to so many sense at once. The taste, smell, appearance, and methodology of cooking are all deeply connected to culture and community, and Humboldt County is a prime example of this inescapable bond. As chronic consumers of food products, people have been endlessly fascinated with how food is grown, collected, prepared, and (most enjoyably) eaten. This exhibit focuses on the historical record of food in Humboldt County as it exists through the Humboldt State University Library Special Collections. From coffee shops to bakeries to pasta palaces, this exhibit guides the audience through a timeline of dining tables in Humboldt County.
Sit back, scroll through, and try not to salivate!
Transportation in Humboldt County
To this day, travel to and from Humboldt County can be desribed at the very least as time consuming. Most make the trip through paved roads and even by airways. Even with modern transportation, the trip to the secluded Redwood Coast is a daunting task, and takes up a substantial chunk of anyone's day.
A century ago, a trip behind the Redwood Curtain was much more complicated. Not only were folks limited in the ways to make the trip, but a safe trip was not always a guarantee. Technology of the time enabled folks to make the trip mainly two ways: waterways (ships) and overland routes (railroads and automobiles).
Through a historical lense, this exhibit examines the avenues available to folks embarking on the trip to Humboldt County and the impact to the region 100 years ago.
Federal Klamath and Salmon River Project
This exhibit is a tribute to the Klamath River, and how it gives people another reason to visit Humboldt County. These pictures are from the Fairbanks album, and show the construction of roads, bridges, and other restoration projects around the Salmon and Klamath Rivers, so as to make those rivers accessible to the public. My goal is to provide my audience (The Fairbank's photos) an appreciation of the work and planning that went in to making the Klamath and Salmon Rivers inviting to the modern public. These pictures are also meant to inspire a nostalgic feeling and to have the audience relate to these areas as if it was their history, because it is (if you decide to call this place home - for however long - you are "Homeboldt")!