Blog Posts - Clarke Historical Museum

Artifact Spotlight: New Addition to the Hailstone Collection

4/22/2018

One of the most notable collections housed at the Clarke Museum is the Hailstone Collection in Nealis Hall, which you can read more about here. While the majority of the Hailstone Collection consists of baskets, there are also a variety of photographs covering events, regalia, family lineages, and basketry. Albert Hailstone brought by some more photographs to donate to the collection, which have been in the process of being formally added to the collection. Here's a sneak peek at some of the photos that have been donated.

When it comes to processing new donations, it can take a bit of time to complete. The process begins with the donor filling out paperwork and including pertinent information about the item, such as what it is, why it is relevant to local history, its age, or other important information. After the donation is accepted by the museum, in this case a collection of photographs, each item gets a catalog entry and number on our database, photos are scanned, each photo is put in a protective sleeve and put away in the archives. It is a team effort and oftentimes interested volunteers and interns help along with the process. (Interested in helping out? You can send in a digital volunteer application here or stop by the museum to pick one up!)

When the items are officially processed into the collection, they can be accessed by researchers and used in exhibits. Sometimes, they can also appear on our website as well, as part of digital exhibits. A few of the photos from this most recent donation are currently on display in a set of two cases explaining the creation and use of ceremonial dresses (photos above). You can learn more about this exhibit and see a few more of the Hailstone photos featured in it at the Nealis Mini Exhibit Blog here.

Free Admission Week!

4/18/2018

Thanks to Compass Community Credit Union, The Clarke Museum is offering a FREE admission week from April 15 to April 22!

Kicking off the week of events on April 15 at 1 pm is a reading of The Extraordinary Voyage of Kamome: A Tsunami Boat Come Home by Lori Dengler and Amya Miller. Lori Dengler will be reading the book and signing copies following the reading.

On Saturday April 21, we will be hosting a pioneer themed Living History Day in Clarke Plaza and in the museum from 12 noon to 3 pm. We have a number of great presenters and demonstrators signed up to present skills from flintknapping to weaving and gold panning. Activities are free to participate in.

Also on Saturday, April 21 from 1-2 pm, tracker Phil Johnson will be giving a presentation on animal tracking titled "Wildlife Tracking: Reading Nature's Language and Finding Animals":

This FREE talk will discuss both the historical and modern applications of wildlife tracking, from early hominid evolution to contemporary wildlife conservation and research. Examples from around the world will be discussed, with a special emphasis on the Klamath Region where Phil studies Mountain Lions and Fishers.

Phil Johnson is a Mountain Lion & Fisher Biologist with Hoopa Tribal Forestry, and he is certified as a Track and Sign Specialist.

Museum hours for Free Admission week are:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Saturday: 10 am-6:00 pm
Sunday: 11 am-4 pm

We'll see you at the Clarke!

Artifact Spotlight: B.F. McDONALD CO. Aluminum Hard Hat

4/15/2018

Logging hard hats like the one pictured on the right were used in the forests of Humboldt County by the thousands of men who worked in the logging industry from the 1940s into the 1980s. They are made of aluminum with an inner support system made of cotton thread and leather, to provide space between the logger's head and the helmet. They were originally modeled after helmets worn by soldiers in WWI. Over time, the aluminum hard hat has grown to represent more than workplace safety, but a way of life rooted in a place dependent on the forests for a livelihood.

Cat #: 2004.108.157

Logging has historically been known as one of the most dangerous trades to be part of, due to the sometimes unpredictable type of work. Falling branches, broken tools, and operator error were hazards of the trade that could (and did) gravely injure or kill workers. The development and use of the Hard Hat helped to protect workers from many of the dangers of working as a logger. Above, you can see a picture of two workers in a tractor, both wearing aluminum hard hats similar to the one in the museum collection.

Georgia-Pacific Logger with Chainsaw and Aluminum Hard Hat. HSU Humboldt Room, Boyle Collection Cat #:1999.03.0691

The Hard Hats, symbolic of an industry integral to Humboldt County, also appear in the protests surrounding the expansion of Redwood National Park in 1978, pictured below. This protest was part of a larger event which consisted of a a group of redwood loggers driving their loaded logging trucks from Humboldt County to Washington DC to protest at the Capitol. This journey was documented in the film "Enough is Enough", which can be viewed online for free here.

Photo from protests against the 1978 expansion of Redwood National Park. Dolores Seaman Collection, Cat #: 2004.108.222

Today, these hard hats still have their presence among people linked to the logging community of the mid 20th century, as the helmets appear as part of Humboldt State's Logging Sports contingent that appear and participate in the HSU Football games by dressing as Lumberjacks and revving chainsaws.

Nick Bollier, HSU Logging Sports Team, pictured in a 2012 New York Time Article titled "At Humboldt State, Revved Up for Success"

Keep an eye out for this hard hat in our upcoming exhibit The Redwoods Provide(d): The Story of Redwood National and State Parks, opening July 7, 2018

Information for this article was found:
Bullard's Hard Hats

Artifact Spotlight: Wookies in the Redwoods

4/15/2018

In celebration of the Eureka Theater's Martini Matinee series of locally filmed movies, this week's post covers a few of the movies that were filmed in Humboldt County.

Humboldt County has garnered a number of descriptive names, many derived from the mysterious, foggy landscape, the hard to get to places, and the forests that encircle most communities here. The sights and sounds of the forests, beaches, hills, and mountains here make it easy to imagine that this place is not of this world. All of these things make Humboldt County-and its redwoods- a great location for movies. A number of films have either taken place here or were filmed here and renamed in the studio to be far-off, exotic locations like the forested moon of Endor in Star Wars.

Humboldt's movie history stretches back before the 1983 filming of "Return of the Jedi" however. "Valley of the Giants", produced in 1919, was filmed in many different locations around Humboldt County, including Eureka and Arcata, with some scenes including local lumber towns. Scroll down to see many of the movie stills from various films that used beautiful Humboldt County as a backdrop.

Valley of the Giants (1919): Arcata, Korbel, Carson Mansion, Scotia

The Big Trees (1952): Orick and Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983): Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park and Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park

Outbreak (1995): Ferndale

Want more locally filmed movies? Check out the Eureka Theater Website for their full schedule of "Martini Matinees" featuring films made in Humboldt County!

Photos are from the Clarke Museum Collection. Information on local films was found in Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commissions "Map of the Movies", which can be picked up at many local hotels, visitor centers, and tourist destinations, including the Clarke Museum.

Artifact Spotlight: "Redwood Highway" and Hand Colored Postcards

4/8/2018

As we get closer to summertime, we're featuring some of the postcards in the museum collections.

In 1917, the Redwood Highway (Highway 101's precursor) was completed, connecting Humboldt County with the rest of the State. This event changed the history of Humboldt County in countless ways, including leading to increased logging and tourism. Many of the tourists who came through in the early 1900s sent postcards home, leading to an increase in black and white postcards, eventually leading into the earliest colored postcards. The postcards featured the redwoods, logging operations, tourist stops, poems, roads, and scenic views

Spotlight: The Victorian Room

4/1/2018

Two Women and a Piano in a Victorian Room. Cat # 2001.36.19

The population of Humboldt County during the Victorian Era (c. 1840- c. 1900) was booming, along with industries. People traveled here from around the world to work in the lucrative timber, fishing, and mining industries. With the workers came demand for goods, land, housing, and all the essentials that larger populations require. The people who operated businesses like general stores and owned the companies at the forefront of natural resource harvesting (like William Carson of Dolbeer & Carson Lumber and Carson Mansion fame) ended up profiting enormously, resulting in the construction of elaborate homes filled with interesting and beautiful things.

The Museum's Victorian Room c. 1960. Cat #: 2010.003.962

At the Clarke Museum, we have a permanent exhibit called the Victorian Room, which gives an example of how some of the wealthier Victorians in Eureka may have decorated their homes. You'll notice that the room contains a plethora of reflective crystal glassware, ornate paintings, and beautiful wooden furniture, giving a glimpse into what a Victorian bedroom and parlor may have looked like.

The Bedroom

The Livingston Bed

The bed set featured in the Victorian Room is one example of the impressive furniture created in the Victorian Era. This set was owned by the Livingston family for four generations before it was donated to the Museum.

Its story begins with a trip around the horn of South America in 1853. In 1891, it was given as a wedding gift to John and Maggie Livingston, along with a duplex constructed for the couple and Maggie's sister's family.

The set then traveled down to Santa Rosa with the family for many years before returning to Eureka and arriving at the Museum.

The Parlor

Members of the wealthy upper middle class during the Victorian Era expressed their wealth through the objects they owned, how they lived, and the hobbies they participated in.

You'll notice that the Victorian Room is full of ornate crystal glasses, dishes, chandeliers and bottles, along with trinkets from worldly travels. Hanging on the walls are also interesting framed flower wreaths that, upon closer look, are made of hair, which was from family members or loved ones. If you are observant, you may be able to spot a basket made from an armadillo in the room. Items like these would be in the parlor of the house, a room meant for entertaining guests during the day and playing games or music with the family.

The home was an expressive place for the upper middle classes in Victorian Eureka as many people entertained guests in their parlors where many of these interesting items would be on display. They were meant to inspire awe in the viewer and respect for the owner.

Artifact Spotlight: Congregational Cadet Corps Banner

3/25/2018

A few months ago, the museum received an incredible banner to add to the collection from a collector in Portland, OR. With a bit of research, it turned out that this banner had an even more amazing tale to tell, one that connected Portland and Eureka back in the early 1900s.

What was the Congregational Cadet Corps?

The Congregational Cadet Corps was a boy's group affiliated with the Congregational Church, a reformed Protestant church located in Eureka. At one point in time, as noted in the photo below c. 1900, the group had 121 members. The group was led by Reverend Franklin Baker who was assisted by C.P White. An additional leader included a man known as Mr. Emery who was an officer in the Spanish-American War.

Photo of the Congregational Cadet Corps courtesy of local clothier C.V Jackson. c. 1900. Cat #: 2018.002.001

What was the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition?

The year 1905 happened to be the 100th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition, which had passed through the area that would later become Portland. In celebration, the City of Portland hosted an Exposition, which, as mentioned in this post a few weeks ago, would typically be held to promote tourism to an area for an extended period of time.

In the spirit of expeditions and explorations, the Congregational Cadet Corps of Eureka decided to take a trip up to Portland. At this point in time, however, there were only trails and incredibly rough roads connecting the two towns. The boys and their leaders decided to hike their way over 510 miles of rugged, mountainous terrain to Portland. Nearly 70 boys went on this month-long journey, with the oldest being 18 years old and the youngest being 10 years old. They averaged 20 miles a day with the longest day was 36 miles. Along the way, the boys would perform circus-esque shows to raise money and, upon reaching the fair, performed a show for 22,000 spectators. They were allowed to camp on site at the fair and returned to Humboldt County via steam ship.

Poster from the Exposition, from the Oregon Encyclopedia

While at the Exposition, the President of the Exposition awarded the Congregational Cadet Corps with the banner that has now made its way back to Humboldt County, 103 years later. The youngest member of the group, Earl Hodgeson, wrote an article for the Humboldt Historian in 1977, which you can read below:

Artist Wall

3/24/2018

The Clarke has just installed a new exhibit space! We are inviting local artists who are museum members to use this space to show their artwork! We've got a few exhibits scheduled; Kathrin Burleson is installing a new exhibit in time for April's Arts Alive; Mark Alder and David Jernigan are also scheduled for this summer. There's plenty of space in the schedule for more, however; email us at admin@clarkemuseum.org to apply.

Help us with our next exhibit!

3/21/2018

Early loggers with a steam donkey in a clearcut area.

Our upcoming exhibit, which will be opening at July's Arts Alive (July 7) is called The Redwoods Provide(d): A History of Redwood National and State Parks. The exhibit will be covering a brief history of how people have interacted with the region, both sides of the controversy over the park establishment, and the effects of the park on Humboldt County.
If you have items that you think may contribute to the story of the Parks and could be loaned to the museum for the duration of the exhibit, email Katie at caitlyn@clarkemuseum.org with information on what the item is and how it relates to the history of the park.

Lyndon B. Johnson and Ladybird Johnson at the dedication for Ladybird Johnson Grove

This exhibit is part of a larger collection of events and exhibits taking place throughout Humboldt and Del Norte Counties to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Parks establishment and the 100th anniversary of the founding of Save the Redwoods League. The Redwood Festival of Arts and Culture will be happening throughout 2018 and is being facilitated by the Redwood Parks Conservancy.

Do you have stories about the establishment of Redwood National and State Parks? Share them in the comments!

Artifact Spotlight: Vintage Cameras

3/18/2018

In February, we had a community member come by with a few old cameras that she wanted to donate to the museum. They were owned by relatives, Jay and Wilde Grunert of Fortuna, who owned a hunting store in Fortuna for many years. The donor found the cameras while cleaning out a house and decided to donate them to the Museum. You can see images of the cameras below.