Natural Resource Extractions covers industries that made their money from raw materials- mining, logging, and fishing. These industries were typically what brought people to Humboldt County in the first place. Early settlers sent word back to friends and family of the ‘untapped’ bounty of resources in Humboldt County, which attracted more people to settle the area. The Gold Rush in California brought people to the West Coast in droves in 1849 and 1850 and, when the mining claims didn’t work out, some left while others settled and got into other industries to make a living. Logging prospects brought a number of people from Canada and the northeastern United States to work in logging industries and bountiful fishing opportunities brought in more settlers from Scandinavian countries.

Agriculture includes farming and raising livestock, which have long been staples in Humboldt County’s industrial history. Farming communities established in this period exist in the present, in places like Ferndale, although preferred, money making crops have changed over time due to cultural shifts and blights. Raising cattle and sheep specifically have been longstanding industries in certain parts of the county.

Commerce is an industry that is frequently overlooked- in the early days of Humboldt County and California commerce was where the rags to riches stories often took place. Commercial leaders would got their start by buying goods from San Francisco and bringing them into Humboldt County to sell to miners and other residents at a high markup. This wasn’t unique to Humboldt County, and this practice was common around mining areas across California. Commerce also includes the transportation of goods into and around the county, a feat that was not for the faint of heart. Prior to 1914, transportation in and out of the county was via ship or overland routes, both of which had the possibility of being incredibly dangerous due to weather.

The exhibit explores the three industries through presentations of work processes and tools, and the stories of local individuals who worked in the industries. They are a small sample of those that made a life in Humboldt County’s early days and those that navigated the booms- and busts- of the local economy all those years ago.  

This is part 1 of a series on early industries of Humboldt County, stay tuned for part two, where we'll be looking closer at natural resource extraction industries including mining, fishing, logging, and oil. 

It's a new year at the Clarke which means a whole new year of exciting events and exhibits! Here's what's new at the Clarke for early 2019:

We're reworking some of our yearly events and adding new ones to the calendar! Be sure to like us on Facebook and join our email list to keep up to date on events as they're announced. (Hover your mouse cursor over the photo and click pause to pause the slideshow below)