August 9-10, 2020
After a few days in Redwood National and State Parks, our plan was to spend the night in Fortuna and then head south to Sequoia National Park.
On our way to our hotel, we stopped for dinner in Eureka, the seat of Humboldt County. With a population of about 27,000, it is a tiny town by California standards, but a metropolis by Humboldt County standards.
I've always associated Eureka with the Gold Rush ("Eureka" = "I have found it!" = the California State motto), but the city really grew during the late 19th century when the lumber industry exploded. Hundreds of ornate Victorian homes were built during this period, and many have not only survived, but have been reborn through restoration.
The most famous of the houses is the Carson Mansion, a QueenAnne-style Victorian home built in 1886 for William Carson, one of California's first lumber barons. It is supposedly the most-photographed Victorian home in America. It has over 16,000 square feet on three floors. These days it is occupied by a private club.
