Fort Humboldt is situated on a bluff overlooking Humboldt Bay. This remote military post was established in 1853 to assist in conflict resolution between Native Americans and gold-seekers and settlers who had begun flooding into the area after the discovery of gold in the northern mines.

View of Fort Humboldt SHP buildingsLater, Fort Humboldt would become the headquarters for the Humboldt Military District, which included Forts Bragg and Wright in northern Mendocino County, extending north through Humboldt County to Fort Ter-Waw in Klamath and Camp Lincoln near present-day Crescent City.

Fort Humboldt SHP Howitzer CanonIt was during its first few years that Fort Humboldt was home to one of its most famous residents, the young Captain Ulysses S. Grant. After being decorated for bravery in the Mexican-American war, he was posted to several locations including Fort Vancouver in the Pacific Northwest. The isolation of Fort Humboldt did not appeal to Grant, and after serving as commanding officer of Company F for six months, resigned his commission.

Fort Humboldt SHP HospitalFort Humboldt was formally abandoned in 1870 and rapidly fell into decay. Today, only the hospital building remains of the original fourteen structures. It is now an historical museum dedicated to telling the story of the Fort and the Native American groups, including the Wiyot, Hoopa and Yurok of this region. In the 1980's the Surgeon’s Quarters was reconstructed and there are plans for its establishment as a period house museum. In 2001 an historic herb and vegetable garden was recreated adjacent to the Hospital.

Fort Humboldt SHP Logging ArtifactsThe park also includes a Logging Museum and open air displays of historic 19th-mid 20th century logging equipment including the Dolbeer Steam Donkey; “Lucy,” the Bear Harbor Lumber Company’s Gypsy Locomotive #1; and the Elk River Mill and Lumber Company’s #1 “Falk” locomotive.

Fort Humboldt State Historic Park

Travel through history on The Mother Road at Route 66 State Park. Route 66 captured Americans’ imagination and exposed millions of citizens to small towns across the country. Sample a slice of that at Route 66 State Park’s visitor center, which has displays showcasing the road. The visitor center is the former Bridgehead Inn, a 1935 roadhouse that sat on the original Route 66. The park’s location, close to metro St. Louis, provides visitors with a quick getaway to nature. More than 40 types of birds have been identified in the park, and picnic sites and trails are sprinkled throughout the park.



State Parks Tagged With: Eureka