Humboldt County
The County Seat for Humboldt
County is Eureka. The County
population is about 123,000.
Eureka is on the North Coast
Region in Humboldt County
approximately 200 miles
north of San Francisco along
Highway 101, just north of
Humboldt Bay. Humboldt State
University is located in
Arcata.
Del Norte County
The County Seat of Del Norte
is Crescent City. The County
population is about 27,000.
Located on the far Northern
California coast, about 9-10
hours north of San Francisco
by car. Crescent City
derives its name from the
crescent-shaped beach that
defines its harbor. Highway
101 passes through the city
on its way to the Oregon
Coast. Highway 199 follows
the Smith River inland
towards Oregon's Illinois
Valley to the north-east and
the southern Oregon
interior.
Prayer Focus for
Humboldt/Del Norte Counties:
Pray Luke 4:18,19 over this
area!
The Unity in the Church
would continue and increase,
pastors and intercessors
from many churches working
together,
interdenominational prayer
meetings would continue and
increase. Continued healings
of body, soul, and spirit
for the many in need of
healing on the North Coast.
The tyranny of abuse would
be broken: especially sexual
abuse, domestic violence and
spiritual abuse. The Church
would not be afraid to
confront these things in the
natural and in the spiritual
and would take their place
with You for justice in
these areas.
Reconciliation between the
Church and the First Nations
people would continue and
there would be a great
Harvest as a result.
Repentance to go deeper: The
repentance for all sin done
by all people through the
ages here would begin in the
Church and create an
atmosphere for a great
Revival on the North Coast.
Infusion of Jesus into
Social Agencies: The many
non profit and social
agencies on the North Coast
would receive Jesus as the
great Comforter and Provider
and the work of these
agencies would follow God's
agenda for prosperity and
health of body, soul, and
spirit of the people.
A Breaking of Generational
Poverty: There would be a
breakthrough for many and a
setting free of generational
poverty.
Call forth Righteousness in
the Justice System:
Righteous judges, police
departments, sheriff and
other justice workers would
rise up on the North Coast
and true justice would be
restored.
Continued Prayer
mobilization in all the
cities
Blessing upon the all
industry and commerce for
the fear of God to attend
the tourism industry and for
godly leaders in
governmental offices.
Revival for the Churches and
a Spiritual Awakening to
Christ in the cities.
Decrease in unemployment and
the creation of new jobs.
Pray for a release of
entrepreneurial energy that
leads to the creation of new
businesses that are
sustainable.
Pray for Christian marriages
to be a witness of life in
Christ. Pray for marriage to
be affirmed and protected in
these Counties.
Passion for Prayer: Pray God
will raise up prayer leaders
in these counties.
Pray for God to break the
power of
witchcraft/occultism: Ask
God to break the strongholds
of occultism/witchcraft
through a revelation of His
love & salvation to those
involved in occult
practices, witchcraft, and
those involved in Buddhism.
Leaders have told me there
are many in the foothills
involved in Wicca which is a
form of witchcraft.
History of the Redwood
Coast
As early as the 15th
century, explorers such as
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and
Sir Francis Drake began to
sail along the County’s
coastline, observing
landmarks and harbors and
searching for a mythical
cross-continental passage.
It wasn’t until 1775 that a
Spanish vessel, captained by
Juan Francisco de Bodega,
would brave the
unpredictable winds and
rocky shoreline to land at
Patrick’s Point in Trinidad.
Bodega and his men left a
crude cross on Trinidad Head
to signify their claiming of
the country for the King of
Spain. In the late 1700’s,
Trinidad bay served as a
port for fur trading and
Chinese trade expeditions.
Among the ships that
anchored there was the first
American ship to land on the
Humboldt coast, the Leila
Byrd. All the while,
captains and their crews,
seeking greater access to
land trade routes, searched
in vain for other sheltered
ports.
Humboldt Bay was finally
“discovered” in 1806 by an
exploration party from the
O’Cain; a vessel jointly
commissioned by the Winship
brothers from Boston and the
Russian-American Fur
Company. However, the
O’Cain’s mission to hunt sea
otters soon ended and the
ship sailed out of Humboldt
Bay, with no one on board
documenting the bay’s
location on a map. The
location of the bay’s
entrance hidden among rocky
cliffs and sand dunes, once
again became a mystery!
The search for Humboldt Bay
was renewed during the early
years of the California Gold
Rush. The discovery of gold
in the Trinity region of
Northern California in 1848
caused a population
explosion in Humboldt
county. The explorers,
traders and trappers, who
had come seeking adventure
and wealth, now gave way to
miners seeking gold and
settlers anxious to claim
the rich farmlands.
Companies that supplied
interior mining settlements
began looking for coastal
supply ports as alternatives
to the slow and expensive
overland Sacramento Valley
route then in use.
Dr. Josiah Gregg, a supply
company merchant, and his
party traveled west on foot
from the Trinity mines and
found Humboldt Bay on
December 20, 1849. The next
year, a dozen expeditions
were mounted from San
Francisco to search for the
port at Humboldt Bay. On
April 9, 1850, the Laura
Virginia, captained by
Douglas Ottinger, found the
entrance to the Bay. A small
boat was launched and sailed
into the harbor by First
Mate H.H. Buhne. These
founders christened the Bay
“Humboldt” after the popular
naturalist and author Baron
Alexander von Humboldt. Four
days later, Warnersville,
the County’s first town, was
established on Trinidad Bay.
The founding of Humboldt
City, and the towns of Union
(now Arcata) and Eureka soon
followed.
The establishment of these
settlements gave rise to
hostile relations between
the settlers and Native
Americans. Small-scale
skirmishes gave way to
larger engagements,
ultimately leading to the
building and equipping of
Fort Humboldt in 1853.
Several famous generals of
the Civil War, including
Ulysses S. Grant, served at
the Fort.
However, not everyone in
Humboldt County was a miner
or a soldier; other
commercial trades were
developed during this period
including farming, shipping,
shipbuilding, fishing and
the brewing of steam beer.
Logging and the lumber trade
soon dominated the area
because of the plentiful
supply of timber and the
great demand for lumber in
San Francisco. When Eureka’s
charter was granted in 1856,
the city boasted seven
sawmills that produced two
million board feet of lumber
every month.
Whether hiking among ancient
redwoods, marveling at
Indian basketry in a local
tribal museum, casting a
fishing line into the
Klamath River or touring a
working lumber mill,
visitors to Humboldt County
will experience the rich
legacy of California’s
historic and colorful past.
Redwood Coast Timeline
1700 - Late 1700’s. Trinidad
Bay serves as a port for fur
trading and Chinese trade
expeditions.
1775 - A Spanish vessel
captained by Juan Francisco
de Bodega lands at Patrick's
Point in Trinidad.
1806 - O'Cain enters
Humboldt Bay. The
description and map of the
Bay are now on file in
Leningrad. The bay receives
the name, "Bay of Indians."
1848 - The discovery of gold
in the Trinity region causes
a population explosion in
Humboldt County.
1849 - Dr. Josiah Gregg
leaves Rich Bar to go west
to find Humboldt Bay.
December 20: Humboldt Bay
rediscovered.
1850 - A dozen expeditions
start from San Francisco to
search for the port at
Humboldt Bay. April 9: the
Laura Virginia, captained by
Douglas Ottinger, finds the
entrance to the Bay.
1853 - Fort Humboldt is
established.
1853 - State legislature
approves an act to divide
Trinity County into two
parts. West portion,
Humboldt; east portion,
Trinity.
1854 - E. D. Coleman
establishes The Humboldt
Times. Allen & Co. builds
first steamer, on Humboldt
Bay. Eureka & Union
Transportation Company
founded. Steamer Glide
serves Eureka and Arcata
commerce.
1855- Discovery of a new
trail to the gold fields in
Denny via China Flat (Willow
Creek) saves 3 days travel.
1856 - Eureka's charter
granted. The city boasts
nine sawmills that produce
two million feet of lumber
every month. December 20.-
Humboldt Light on North Spit
of Humboldt Bay, is lit.
First on north coast.
1858 - Bret Harte goes to
work for Editor Stephen G.
Whipple of the Northern
Californian, the second
newspaper on Humboldt Bay.
1860 - Indian Island (Gunther)
massacre occurs at same time
Indians are slain at South
Spit and in Eel River
Valley. Gold Bluffs mining
excitement creates a new
"rush."
1861 - Indian war enters
fierce new peak which lasts
until late 1864.
1871 - Mt. St. Joseph
College established near
Rohnerville, overlooking
Alton and Eel River Valley.
1884 - William Carson begins
building his mansion.
1906 - April. Earthquake
rocks and damages Eureka and
Humboldt County.
1911 - Fernbridge
construction at Ferndale is
completed. Considered at the
time to be the world's
largest all-concrete span.
1914 - Northwestern Pacific
Railroad completed from
Eureka to San Rafael.
1918 - Dayton Murray pilots
first airplane flight from
San Francisco to Eureka.
1941 - Tanker Emidio sunk by
Japanese submarine off Cape
Mendocino. First enemy
action near U.S. mainland by
Japanese.
1955 - Earthquake and Floods
hit the North Coast.
1964 - The Great Eel River
Valley Flood isolating many
communities.
1970 - Name of Gunther
Island changed back to
Indian Island by order of
Eureka City Council.
2004 - City of Eureka cedes
large portion of Indian
Island back to Wiyot people.
Humboldt County
