Fort Humboldt State Historic Park
Fort Humboldt State Historic Park is a California state park, located in Eureka, California, United States. Its displays interpret the former U.S. Army fort, which was staffed from 1853 to 1870, the interactions between European Americans and Native Americans in roughly the same period, logging equipment and local narrow gauge railroad history of the region. Within the collection, there are trains, logging equipment, including a fully functional Steam Donkey engine, and an authentic Native American dug-out canoe. The Fort overlooks Humboldt Bay from atop a bluff. The North Coast regional headquarters of the California State Parks system is located onsite.
History
Early years, 1853–1860
With the discovery of gold 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. After repeated depredations by white settlers, Northern California tribes such as the Yurok, Karuk, Wiyot, and Hupa retaliated and the Army was sent to attempt to restore order.Fort Humboldt was established on January 30, 1853, by the Army as a buffer between Native Americans, gold-seekers and settlers under the command of 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. Fort Humboldt was sited on a strategic location on the bluff overlooking Humboldt Bay and Bucksport, a town named after David Buck, a member of the Josiah Gregg exploration party.
In addition to protecting 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 American 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 Native American attacks.
The infamous Indian Island Massacre of the Wiyot people occurred at the end of this period on 25 February 1860. The fort's commander at this time, Major Gabriel J. Rains, reported to his commanding officer that "Captain Wright's Company held a meeting at Eel River and resolved to kill every peaceable Indian – man, woman, and child." After the massacre, Rains sheltered over 300 Indians at the Fort, and provided them with an armed escort to Klamath.
Life on the Fort
The 1860 U.S. census provides a snapshot of life on the fort. Among its residents that year were Major Gabriel Rains, his wife Mary, their six children a servant and an indentured Native American girl. Rains was Commander of the fort from 1856 until 1860 was used from 1854 to 1857 by Dr. Josiah Simpson, best-known of the surgeons, due to his wife Harriet's letters written to family members. They had two children at the time. The Simpsons often held parties for the officers and their families. The cold, damp weather resulted in Mrs. Simpson moving into the front parlor where she cooked, slept and played the melodeon, a simple form of pump organ, near the warmth of the fireplace.Civil War years, 1861–1865
By the summer of 1861 the American Civil War 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, 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. Other posts included Camp Curtis, Camp Iaqua, Fort Seward, and Camps Baker, Lyon, and Anderson.
In 1863, a second hospital was built and is the only original building on the site today.
Final years and abandonment, 1865–1867
The end of the Civil War brought 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 the surrender at Appomattox, the first Regular Army unit to return to Fort Humboldt was Company E, 9th Infantry Regiment, on November 8, 1865. Company E was one officer and 49 enlisted men.The fort was staffed by 178 soldiers in October 1866. A month later, all forces, except one small detachment of soldiers, were withdrawn from Fort Humboldt. The fort became 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 and 13 mules.
Commanding officers
- Lieutenant Colonel Robert C. Buchanan, 4th Infantry Regiment, January 1853–February 1856
- 1st Lieutenant Francis H. Bates, 4th Infantry Regiment, February–June 1856
- Major Gabriel J. Rains, 4th Infantry Regiment, June 1856–July 1860
- Captain , 6th Infantry Regiment, July 1860–September 1861
- Colonel Francis J. Lippitt, 2nd Infantry Regiment, California Volunteers, January 9, 1862 – July 13, 1863
- Colonel Stephen G. Whipple, 1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers, July 13, 1863 – February 6, 1864
- Colonel Henry M. Black, 6th Infantry Regiment, California Volunteers, February 6, 1864–June 1864
- Colonel Stephen G. Whipple, 1st Battalion California Volunteer Mountaineers, June 1864–June 14, 1865
- Major John C. Schmidt, 2nd Infantry Regiment, California Volunteers, June 15, 1865 – March 28, 1866
- Major Andrew W. Bowman, 9th Infantry Regiment, March 26, 1866–November 1866
- 1st Lieutenant J. Hewitt Smith, Company E, 2nd Artillery Regiment, November 1866–????
Cemetery
- 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
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. However, units of the California National Guard used the area one final time in August 1893. One hundred thirty-five soldiers from the Second Artillery Regiment, California National Guard, arrived in the Steamer Pomona on August 17, and marched through Eureka to Fort Humboldt.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 its future importance.
In 1894 a sentry box from Fort Humboldt was exhibited at a fair in San Francisco. According to a newspaper article, "Among the Humboldt exhibits there is one which stirs the heart of every patriot and awakens memories of the nation's great captain. It is the original sentry-box of Fort Humboldt, here General Grant did duty when he was there."
The cavalry barn was razed 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. 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 was 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.