Mills of Humboldt County

Humboldt County was at the forefront of the massive redwood logging industry. The impressive size of the trees necessitated drastic technological advances. Many innovations were invented by Humboldt mill owners like John Dolbeer, whose steam donkey engine mechanized and revolutionized logging all along the West Coast. In 1896, there were 13 mills devoted to sawing redwood lumber and 26 mills making redwood shingles operating in Humboldt County. Other related industries, such as shipbuilding, boiler works, tanbark, and split products, further shaped the economic vitality of the county. Most of these industries no longer exist, and the logging industry is now a shadow of its former self. However, many remnants of the loggers' heyday can still be found. This book explores the sites of Humboldt County's historic lumber industry and the day-to-day realities of life in the mills and the woods.

Authors Susan J.P. O'Hara and Alex Service have selected images from the collections of the Fortuna Depot Museum, the Humboldt State University Library, the Humboldt County Historical Society, and the Clarke Historical Museum, as well as private collectors, to depict the mills of Humboldt from 1850 to 1910. O'Hara is a historian and local educator, and Service is the curator of the Fortuna Depot Museum.