Connecting to the World through Rails

Connecting to the World

Much like the rest of the Nation, Humboldt County's experiment with the railways and steam-powered trains ultimately lead to the region to be connected to the rest of the . The import and export of both cargo and people enabled the region to flourish.

Initially, rail tracks were set in the mid 1850s were local and used to transport lumber to the coast, and established a link between the bay and river mines.

On October 23, 1914 the region was linked to the San Francisco Bay Area for the first time with the completion of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP). This marked the official connection to the outside world.

Impact on Humboldt County

The Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP) that took over in the mid 1910s had jurisdiction over both freight and passenger duties. The trip from San Francisco to Eureka was 283 miles, and, given the technology of the time, took close to a day to make the trip. 

Humboldt County's railway system connected Eureka to Arcata and stretched up north to Trinidad, enabling easy access to three of the biggests hubs in the county.