“The ship wherein Theseus and the youth of Athens returned from Crete had 30 oars and was preserved by the Athenians down even to the time of Demetrius Phalereus, for they took away the old planks as they decayed, putting in new and stronger timber in their places. [Philosophers argued,] one side holding that the […]
local history
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Josiah Gregg in California
“Here commenced an expedition, the marked and prominent features of which were constant and unmitigated toil, hardship, privation, and suffering.” From the journal of Lewis Keysor Wood, published in the Humboldt Times, April, 1856 Picking up where we left off last week (“Josiah Gregg: Prairie Years,” April 21): After two decades of prairie living in […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Josiah Gregg: PrairieYears
“[In 1839] An unconquerable propensity to return to prairie life inclined me to embark in a fresh enterprise.” Commerce of the Prairies, Josiah Gregg, published in 1844 A large brass plaque outside Eureka City Hall celebrates the Josiah Gregg overland expedition, which “discovered” Humboldt Bay in late December of 1849. Two months later, 43-year-old Gregg […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Samoa Sidestep
On Samoa Road there is a mile marker that always puts a smile on my face: Hum Co 0. The zero line is across the street from a not-so-secret trail, opposite the Samoa Boat Ramp and campground. A quiet path to the beach is sandwiched between dune restoration, a U.S. Coast Guard station and trails […]
Posted inNews
Minor Scares
Arcata’s Minor Theatre opened way back in 1914, so long ago that’s it never been established if it was the first one in the nation built primarily as a cinema, but it was sure close. It’s never been made clear whether Harry Houdini performed there in the 1920s but the lore is more fun if […]
Posted inNews
Who Haunts the Stairways of the Historic Eagle House?
Have you been in an old house or historic building and heard footsteps on the stairs? You hear the distinct creak of footfalls on each step and you’re certain that some living person must be there. And then … . You see no one. Maybe you even realize you’re alone in the house. Or, at […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Oberon Grill’s Cameo on Most Terrifying
If you haven’t heard, Oberon Grill, or at least the storied building and former brothel in which it’s housed, is said to be all kinds of haunted. Its tales of turning chandeliers and a woman in Victorian dress appearing are solid goosebump material and highlights of the Old Town Haunted History Ghost Tour. And if […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
The Eel River Jockey Club
In my last column I mentioned Rohnerville was once a hub of Southern Humboldt. I did not mean to imply that it still was in the 1960s but certainly it was 100 years earlier. Rohnerville is currently an unincorporated area about 2 miles southwest of Fortuna. The town was originally called Eel River. The Eel […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
The Spirit of a Place
“You’re playing hooky today,” Jerry Rohde’s mom informed him one autumn morning when he was 12. They piled into her 1954 Ford sedan and headed into the San Bernardino Mountains to explore a historic Wild West village she visited when she was a girl. Set in a pine forest surrounded by steep cliffs and rocky […]
Posted inShopping
Hit the Books
The 50-year-old independent institution of Northtown Books (957 H St., Arcata, 822-2834), with its flier-filled window, is the oldest bookstore in the county. Along with a curated selection of fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, guides and magazines, the shop has a section dedicated to Humboldt history and culture. Peek at those fliers and you just might […]
Posted inNews
Local History… Biker Dude Style
A camera crew made its way through Old Town Eureka today, filming American Ride, a television show that showcases local history. Brooke Redmon, the show’s production manager, said the premise of program is basically to follow Stan Ellsworth, “a big, burly, biker dude” who happens to be a former high school history teacher, as he rides […]