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The Clarke Community Comment: Humboldt Hits a Home Run in Baseball History

4/30/2018

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Each month, Museum Director Ben Brown takes to the airwaves for KINS 106.3 's Community Comment. This month, Ben tells the story of local baseball teams in Humboldt County, which dates all the way back to 1874 in Rohnerville. Below is a short retelling of Humboldt County's star-studded baseball past.
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Photo of the baseball players on the Rohnerville field, c 1910. Cat # 2005.033.006
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Baseball team, c. 1910. Cat #: 2012.018.005
​Spring is in the air, which means it’s baseball season again and Humboldt County has a long history with the sport! The following is an excerpt from Jack Nash.

​It is believed that the first team in Humboldt County began in 1874 and was called the Baseball Club of Rohnerville. There was very little competition at the time, the first written account was a game between them and the Ferndale Baseball Club where Rohnerville cruised to an easy victory by the score of 60-29. The high run count was not unusual for that era.

​In 1878, the Blue Stocking Baseball Club was organized. They had solid financial backing and a five year lease on a piece of land opposite Pleasure Park, between F and G streets in Eureka. They lost their first game to the Mutuals by the score of 28 to 24.
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Arcata Baseball Team, 1919. Cat #: 2005.033.001A-B
​One of the most famous early players was Sam Dungan. Locally born and connected to Dungan’s Ferry on the Eel River, he left Humboldt in 1888 and played in the major leagues in the 1890s for the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and others. In 1895 the Humboldt Baseball League had four teams, the Mantells of Eureka, Sperrys of Arcata, the Port Kenyon Crowns, and the Rohnerville Acmes. While the name of the top local league changed many times over the years, there remained many independent teams that were mostly connected with lumber camps and mills. Early on small communities complained that it was unfair that the larger towns, such as Eureka, Arcata, Blue Lake, and Ferndale were hiring players and paying them salaries!  
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Baseball Grandstand packed for a game, c 1890-1900. Cat #: B60.028.038
​Any story about local baseball history has to include Joe Oeschger, a pitcher who played 12 professional seasons from 1914 to 1925. Joe was born in Chicago in 1892 and moved to Ferndale with his family in 1900, playing for Ferndale High and St. Mary’s College before heading to the pros. Joe became famous on May 1, 1920 when his Boston Braves battled the Brooklyn Dodgers in a 26 innings contest that ended up a 1-1 tie, the game was called due to darkness. Amazingly, Oeschger pitched the entire 26 inning game, which is still a Major League record for the most innings pitched in a single game. 
​In the 1920s the Humboldt County League became a very important part of baseball on the West Coast as players were heavily recruited and moved back and forth between Humboldt County and the Bay Area’s Pacific Coast League, which was considered on par with the majors. The local baseball leagues and teams remained very strong into the 1930s. The top league in the county was either called the Humboldt County League or the Redwood League with teams such as the Scotia Lumberjacks, Eureka Merchants, and the Arcata Blues.
Above: Photos of some of the company and commercial-sponsored teams
​The Humboldt Crabs was founded in 1945 by Lou “Mr. Baseball” Bonomini, and is the oldest continuously-operated summer collegiate, wood-bat, baseball team in the country. At least 60 players have gone on to play baseball at the Major League level. 
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You can listen to Ben's Community Comment on KINS website here!

What is your story with Humboldt County Baseball? Share it in the comments!

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Artifact Spotlight: Rhododendron Parade

4/28/2018

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This year marks the 53rd year of the Rotary Rhododendron Parade here in Eureka. Its history traces all the way back to Stanwood S. Schmidt, renown reproductive urologist and botanist who started the festival and parade in 1985 to celebrate one of the Pacific Northwest's favorite flowers. It's been going strong ever since with local bands, performance groups, and businesses marching in the parade and building floats, which travel along a rhododendron-bedecked parade route. In past years, the parade has also featured flyovers by F-15 fighter jets and the US Coast Guard. Eureka isn't alone in it's celebration of the flowering shrub; Port Townsend, WA and Florence, OR also have yearly Rhododendron parades with accompanying festivals.
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American Red Cross makes an appearance in the 1980 Rhododendron Parade. Clarke Museum Collections
The Rhododendron Festival, which follows the parade, includes a large show of impressive rhododendrons and azaleas from rhododendron enthusiasts competing for grand prizes and titles During the festival, rhododendron experts are on hand to answer questions on rhododendron care, and booths to purchase rhododendrons from. You can learn more about the festival from the American Rhododendron Society Eureka Chapter website here.

Of course, parades and festivals wouldn't be complete without ribbons and buttons commemorating participant's accomplishments. Below are a few examples from the Museum's collections.

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You can check out the Rhododendron Parade official website here for participant lists, the biography of this year's Grand Marshall, and more!

What are some of your favorite memories from the Rhododendron Parade and Festival? Share them in the comments!

Information for this blog post from:
Times Standard
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Living History Day!

4/25/2018

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Thank you to the following individuals and groups who participated in our Living History Day on April 21!
  • Humboldt State Anthropology Club
  • Bill Kohse, Historical Reenactor
  • Julie Clark, Historical Reenactor
  • Michael Peterson, Flintknapper
  • Christine Manhart, Weaver
  • Phil Johnston, Wildlife tracker
  • Lee Ann Moore, Food Preserver
  • Sasha Honigman, Clarke Museum Intern and Photographer

The Clarke Historical Museum depends on the work of volunteers in order to put on events like this one. Please consider donating some of your time to the cause by signing up to be a volunteer here. Or, sign up to sponsor future Living History Days here!

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Artifact Spotlight: New Addition to the Hailstone Collection

4/22/2018

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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!)
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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.
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Free Admission Week!

4/18/2018

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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. 
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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.
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Museum hours for Free Admission week are:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Saturday: 10 am-6:00 pm
Sunday: 11 am-4 pm
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We'll see you at the Clarke!

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

4/15/2018

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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.
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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.
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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. 
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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.
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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
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Artifact Spotlight: Wookies in the Redwoods

4/15/2018

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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.
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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.
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Artifact Spotlight: "Redwood Highway" and Hand Colored Postcards

4/8/2018

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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
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Spotlight: The Victorian Room

4/1/2018

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PictureTwo 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.

PictureThe 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

PictureThe 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. 
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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

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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.

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    ​Posts created by Katie Buesch, Interim Director-Curator unless otherwise noted.

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Clarke Historical Museum
240 E Street
​Eureka, California 95501
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(707) 443-1947
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