Fort Humboldt was established in 1853 to keep peace between the Native Americans and the newcomers flooding into the area seeking gold and farmland. In 1860 a local vigilante group attacked Wiyot villages and murdered hundreds of tribal members, mostly women and children who were alone in the villages while the men were away gathering supplies for a week-long renewal ceremony. The remaining Wiyots were taken to the fort and kept in a stockade for their own safety but overcrowding and lack of food and clothing led to the death of half of them. The Wiyots were eventually forced onto reservations. The fort grounds are considered sacred by the tribe.
The hospital building is the only original building. It's a museum with exhibits on the fort and the native tribes but it's undergoing renovation and was not opened when we visited. The surgeon's quarters has been reconstructed and the rooms are furnished with period pieces. Interpretive panels describe life in the fort from the point of view of the surgeon's wife. A path circles the parade grounds and has more interpretive signs.
The logging museum is adjacent to the fort grounds and consists of a path with interpretive signs and old equipment including a huge steam donkey which was used to drag felled trees out of the forest.
The logging museum path is paved and accessible with a rail crossing that's a bit tricky. The paths at the fort are graveled, a little rough but accessible. Both buildings have access to the porch.
The parking lot is small. We fit in the accessible parking space which was slightly longer than the other spaces. Longer RVs may fit on the edge of the parking lot next to the fort grounds. 40.77717, -124.1874 Park
We have such shameful history in America. The grounds look pretty benign today.
ReplyDeleteThe signs have been redone to tell the true story which was ignored for years.
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