Odd, Old News: A Carriage Ride Down the Coast in 1892

Two Horses Drawing a Carriage. [Photo courtesy of HSU Library Humboldt Room Special Collections, HCC Collection]

Odd Old News returns this week to the 19th century to view a time when Humboldt County was connected to counties south only by a few wagon and stage routes. The early 1870’s “road fever” newspapers debates over prospective routes had led to the selection and construction of a coastal route through the Mattole, a road up the South Fork of the Eel River, and an overland Mail Ridge route.

The early 1890’s were characterized by “railroad fever”. Extracting the timber wealth of the North Coast was going to require infrastructure to access and transport lumber mill products that was beyond the capacity of the temperamental coastline wharfs. Wealthy business interests were plotting, and newsmen were excited to report every possible railroad construction plan under consideration. Surveyors were busy in many old growth watersheds, and at this time Garberville seemed likely to get a railroad line.

Riding a two horse carriage, a correspondent named “OUTING” shares his 300 mile trip from Eureka to Ft Bragg and back, with descriptions of a number of the small towns and stops along the way.

After passing through Scotia, OUTING’S travelogue takes us on the wagon road up the South Fork of the Eel River, turning west at Garberville and proceeding down the coast to Ft. Bragg, sharing glimpses of towns along the way.

By 1892, Ft. Bragg’s 1st mayor C. R. Johnson’s Fort Bragg Redwood Company had merged with other timber companies to create the Union Lumber Company. After the Pudding Creek redwood timber stock had been logged out, the Pudding Creek track was connected to the Noyo River watershed by the Ft. Bragg Railroad Company using Chinese labor to construct a 1129 foot long tunnel at Glenn Bair. This allowed the Union Lumber Company, which controlled about 100,000 acres of timberlands in 1893, to extend the railroad line ten miles up the Noyo, and conduct surveys to continue the line to Willits. As well as increasing access to timber holdings, it was thought that they would acquire rights to the Covelo coal fields and continue to construct a railroad eastward from Willits (San Francisco Call, 12/31/1893). This plan did not come to fruition, Willits became the eastern terminus of this rail line in 1911.

OUTING’S return journey north up the coast took a different route, this time traveling through the Mattole to Petrolia, and on home to Eureka. Remarkably, his sunny account described none of the customary rigors of dirt road travel on Humboldt and Mendocino County roads in a horse-drawn carriage in 1892. To the…..

JOURNEY DOWN THE COAST
The Hills and Valleys of Humboldt and Mendocino
Humboldt Times
September 16, 1892

To those of us who came to Humboldt in the early fifties [the 1850’s], the present facilities for communicating with the outer world on the landward side afford a pleasing contrast with the blind trail upon whose winding way a pack train, with attendants in the saddle or on foot, was the only method for freighting or travel. No wagon road crossed the border in those days, and of course the sea, with its infrequent and uncertain ships, was the main dependence. But the progress of improvement in the matter of roads has been far too slow; for it is high time that Humboldt county, with its natural and acquired wealth, were connected with neighboring counties north, east and south by good turnpikes, and by railroads with the business centers of our country. However, and still hoping for these, it is something to say that in the dry season, even now a carriage trip south can be made with a tolerable degree of comfort and safety.

To prove this by trial, a couple of Eurekans left home the other day with a two horse rig at one o’clock pm, and, driving 31 miles up the beautiful valley of Eel river, reached Scotia five hours later. This is the center of the extensive manufacturing operations of the Pacific Lumber Company, and thus far this alone makes the town. Everyone acquainted with John Sinclair, the superintendent, knows that he is all business from the word “Go,” and that he could keep a hotel or run a livery stable as well as the best, but at present these establishments are merely incidental to the main object, as they do not depend upon the traveling public for their support. A commodious school house adorns the town and the record is gladly made that this building has received some attention from the painters’ brush, for with this exception, and a few facings here and there about the mill, Scotia turns her cheek to the world perfectly innocent of paint or powder.

Across the river and nearly opposite Scotia, on a beautiful site is Rio Dell, and in the not distant future this place, as well as its rival neighbor, is destined to become a village of importance. Down the river are Alton, Hydesville, Rohnerville, Fortuna, and Ferndale, and the fertile valley of Eel river in which they are situated, with its accessories, presents advantages that cannot fail in due time to make all of them thriving business points. The railroad already connects them with Eureka, and it must eventually push on up the river and over or through the divide between the head waters of Eel and Russian rivers, down the latter and form connection with the S F & N P at Ukiah.

From Scotia our next objective point is Myers’ on the South Fork, giving us a morning ride of twenty seven miles, and a keen relish for the appetizing dinner we find here. Myers’ is a Road stopping place for temporary or longer sojourn; delightful climate, abundance of delicious peaches and other fruits, suitable accommodations and an air of comfort pervading the premises.

Toward evening we continue on up South Fork through a country combining about as many pleasing things as even California herself, with all her wealth of Nature’s richest gifts, can elsewhere produce. At 7:30 we arrive at Rocky Glen [Rocky Glen Creek is slightly south of where the modern day Chimney Tree restaurant is located], owned and kept by Mrs. Robinson, with whom as our hostess we enjoyed a restful stay till morning. For everything desirable at a wayside inn, commend us to one presided over by a good hearted, competent woman. Eurekans who desire to change for awhile to a dry, warm climate, with a hotel furnishing all the comforts of a good, quiet home, are advised to go to Rocky Glen. Neither at this place nor Myers’, ten miles distant, are intoxicating beverages furnished, so far as we observed.

Four miles further up the beautiful stream we come to Camp Solitude, the quiet country place of Captain Buhne, where the veteran pilot takes his otium cum dignitate free from fear of disturbance by stormy seas or howling blasts. None of us who knew the brave mariner in the early years when he was accustomed to scan the ocean between Cape Mendocino and Trinidad Head for vessels inward bound, will envy him wealth and snug harbor ashore during his declining days.

Garberville, one of the most widely known stopping places in southern Humboldt, is reached in five miles. In the new mapping Garberville stands a chance to be put down as one of the principal railroad stations. Another place, nine miles from Garberville on the road we travel is Briceland, which all appearances would point out as a most salubrious spot, but, strange to say, two fatal cases of typhoid fever had occurred there within a month. These however, probably resulted more from neglect of proper sanitary conditions than from natural causes.

Bearing away in a more southwesterly course we cross the ridge between the South Fork of Eel River and the Mattole and descend into the valley of the White Thorn, which takes its name from the abundance of the shrub bearing that name in the locality. William Cruickshank is postmaster at Thorn and also entertains travelers, securing the good will of his guests by good fare and polite attention. Distance from Briceland eleven miles.

Soon after leaving Thorn we cross the 40th parallel and strike the coast road between Shelter Cove and Bear Harbor, the latter being the most northerly shipping point in Mendocino county. It is now owned and operated by a company, the leading members of winch are James Hunter and C. Stewart, who formerly built a mill at Ten Mile river, and subsequently removing to Fort Bragg commenced the manufacture of lumber at that place. The principal shipping at Bear Harbor is tanbark, railroad ties and fence posts, but a sawmill will no doubt soon be erected there. Our next halting place for the night 26 miles from Thorn—was Usal, where the direct coast road first touches the ocean beach south of Petrolia. Here is a large mill, owned by a Michigan company, and the foundations laid for working the timber of that region on an extensive scale.

As we pass on down the coast at intervals of a few miles we come to Rockport, DeHaven, and Westport, at all of which are sawmills, and besides the manufacture of lumber a heavy business is carried on in the shipment of bark, ties and posts. Five miles below Westport is the now nearly deserted village of Kibesillah, but formerly a place of some note. Here resided the late E J Whipple, the first settler of Ten Mile river township, and who up to the time off his death, was extensively engaged in farming and stock raising.

Fort Bragg—38 miles south of Usal and 150 from Eureka—that in the last six years has sprung out of the ruins of an abandoned military post into a town of 1800 people, with four church edifices, a sightly and commodious school house, newspaper office, bank, hotels, stores and shops, handsome dwellings, ten or a dozen religious and fraternal associations, with three large halls in addition to the churches for their accommodation, is next to Eureka, the leading shipping point between San Francisco and the Columbia river. The Fort Bragg Redwood Company gives employment to 700 men, has all the capital needed and does not hesitate to freely use it in the development of the large business enterprise undertaken here. The company is represented in the management by the brothers, C R and T L Johnson, the former in San Francisco and the latter at Fort Bragg. These gentlemen were trained from childhood in the pine lumber manufacturing business of Michigan and Wisconsin, under the direction of their father, who is still a veteran lumber dealer on Green Bay, and with their experience and counsel of the senior members of the company, they are making the business on the coast give a good account of itself. In addition to the mills of large capacity the facilities for handling logs and shipping the product are made adequate to keep them fully employed. Already several miles of railroad penetrate the forest, and in the extension a tunnel nearly 1200 feet in length has just been completed, at a cost of $40,000. Eureka must look to her laurels or the news will blazon forth some fine morning that her bright young neighbor has formed connection with the railroad systems of the continent, while her citizens were talking about it. Fort Bragg has in its natural features a pleasant site for a city, a dry soil, easy drainage, and the glorious combination of climates found nowhere else in such perfection as in California. That a good class of people is attracted there to make permanent homes goes without saying,’ and it is confidently expected that the present population will he quadrupled before the age of the town shall be doubled.

The route via Scotia, Garberville, Briceland, etc, is frequently called the “coast road,” probably to distinguish it from the overland mail route via Hydesville, Blocksburg. etc, and because it leads toward the coast in northern Mendocino county, where as it would seem that the coast road proper is that nearest the coast via Ferndale, Petrolia, Upper Mattole and Frank McKee’s place, near Shelter Cove. On the return to Eureka we took the latter route, and did not regret the change, the roads being as good and with much less dust, the weather cooler and the distance somewhat shorter. Though the two routes differ materially in some features, the one nearest the ocean is not less interesting than that more inland. Parties making the trip for the first time should go by one and return the other way. No more satisfactory journey of 300 miles by private conveyance can be made in northern California, than the one above outlined. OUTING . Sept 13, 1892.

Earlier Odd and Old News:

There are many, but here are the most recent:

• The Early History of the Save the Redwoods Movement
• Mammoth Beets And The Sugar Beet Industry That Never Took Root In Humboldt County
• When Empress the Elephant Came to Humboldt County
• No Such Thing As Impassable Roads For Fool-Proof Modern Motor Cars
• A Parent’s Worst Fear Stories of a Century Ago
• The Wreck of the Steamer ‘Active’ North of Shelter Cove
• Early Adventures in Automotive Travel
• A Trip Up the Coast to Crescent City
• ‘Dope Evil Plainly Growing,’ Warns Early Eureka Newspaper
• A Real Fight With a Bear Up Mad River