There’s a man out in the hallway,” said the Charge Nurse, “and he wants to talk with you.” She turned and slipped quietly out of the room. I was standing by Mom’s bed, where she lay curled on her right side. Debating with myself as to whether I should leave or not, I leaned down…

In June 1855, a company was formed in Crescent City for the purpose of whaling. Whales were frequently seen near the harbor and this company was sure that whaling operations would be profitable. The company established whale rendering facilities on a large rock in the harbor. The rock was about 10 acres in size. It…

It was 1860 when seven years of rumored wealth in the hills north of Crescent City proved to be true. In March of that year, several miners took samples of ore to be tested by D.S. Sartwell and Dr. Henry Smith. The ore tested out to have a large percentage of copper. The news prompted…

In 1850, settlers to the Del Norte County region established Klamath City, an attempt that would fail to serve as the envisioned stop on a shipping and mining route. Explorers and miners arrived in the region and set up houses, gardens, and farms at the mouth of the river where the Yurok people had long…

The man who would eventually battle famous Native American warriors Crazy Horse and Geronimo came to Del Norte County during one of his first Army missions. In 1853 George Crook followed the Lost Coast from Fort Humboldt toward the Klamath River, where he encountered Gold Bluffs and everything they had to offer – gold and 49ers.…

Driving is always an adventure of sorts for the person truly seeking an adventure. One of my favorite past times while on the road is reading bumper stickers and the license plate wrap around. One of my all-time favorite bumper stickers is, “Warning! I flick boogers.” Just last week I saw a license plate wrap-around…

The first celebration of the Fourth of July in town occurred in 1853. Still, an event in 1855, perhaps carries the deepest significance in festivities. On June 24 of that year, a fire destroyed the Steamship America and stranded 132 soldiers of the 21st U.S. Infantry. After delivering mail to the city and unloading a…

It has been a year exactly today since my mother passed away. I did not handle her death very well, I am sorry to say. I had to struggle and learn a few lessons along the way. I fought with those lessons so hard that I nearly destroyed myself a couple of times. Now I…

As miners seeking gold moved into Del Norte and Humboldt counties, the distance between them and the supplies they needed became a sore point. Some of the mines were clustered near the Oregon border. The distance to the port cities of Trinidad and Humboldt Bay probably seemed longer each time miners traveled it. In eyeballing…

Her tee-shirt, Tight blue jeans, Wind-blown long hair, And a smile so sweet; She had me at ‘Hi’ Oh, how she knew it, I was falling, She pushed me from the cliff, Where the water is deep.