The Humboldt Project: Azaleas Along the Redwood Highway

The Humboldt Project is more than an Instagram archive—it’s an unfolding history lesson, told one postcard at a time. For several years, Steve Lazar has been sharing his vast collection, timing each post to the anniversary of its original postmark. But, we hope for for more than just glimpses into the past; We’re hoping you see them as invitations to uncover stories, decipher handwriting, and connect the dots between then and now.

In June 1942, as the United States settled into the uncertain early months of World War II, a traveler paused somewhere north of Eureka to admire the scent of a local flowering bush beneath the towering redwoods.

Local photographer Frank Patterson captured the image below titled Azaleas Along the Redwood Highway. The black-and-white image shows a vibrant blooming  bush of azaleas lining what was then known simply as the Redwood Highway, today’s U.S. 101.

On June 2, 1942, 84 years ago today, the above postcard was mailed from Crescent City to Mrs. Lucy E. Wait of Reynolds, Illinois. Just two days later, Japanese and American forces would clash in the Battle of Midway, a turning point in the Pacific War. But on the card itself, the focus remained on something far more peaceful.

“These azalias are so fragrant, they are hardy? grow along the highway and among the tall trees,” wrote the sender, identified only as Margie.

The brief note hints at what must have impressed many visitors to Humboldt and Del Norte counties during that era. Long before modern tourism campaigns, travelers were captivated by the contrast between the massive redwoods and the delicate blossoms that appeared beneath them each spring.

The postcard’s image is in black and white, but anyone familiar with the native western azalea knows the flowers would have added brilliant whites and pale pinks to the forest landscape. Their fragrance, often compared to honeysuckle or cloves, can drift through the woods on warm days.

Eighty-four years later, the redwoods still tower above the highway, and each spring the azaleas continue their annual display.