Eureka and Humboldt County, California

As the gold fever faded in the late 1800s, Humboldt County's primary source of industry became the lumbering of its vast redwoods. Pictured here are the men and machines that felled, transported, and milled the lumber, as well as photographs of the elegant Victorian mansions of the industry's lumber barons, such as William Carson. Weaving the history of Humboldt County together are the stories of its earliest residents, including the Native American tribes, fevered Gold Rushers, the early Chinese community, railroad workers, shipyard sailors, and industrious farming families, all of whom created the foundation it prospers on today.