Eureka and Humboldt County · California (Images of America)

The cry of "Eureka!" in 1848 brought over 200,000 men to what would soon become the state of California. Some went north to the narrow strip of land along California's north coast and there they found "red gold"--that is, redwood timber. As miners became lumbermen, the city of Eureka became the bustling urban center of the region, hewn street by street out of the vast forest that once reached all the way to the Humboldt Bay. Today most ancient redwoods are located in protected state and federal park lands. However, Eureka set aside a small patch of primeval redwood forest for future generations to enjoy. Established in 1894 from an uncut logging claim of former gold miner Bartlin Glatt, it was inaugurated as Sequoia Park in 1907. For over a century, this unique city park--with its paths through ancient redwood groves, abundant ferns, Douglas iris, and rhododendrons; its waterfalls; and its duck pond--has provided residents with a place of unrivaled natural beauty.