As a person approaching his 91st birthday who has been keeping abreast of present day transportation problems, I find an irresistible urge to compare today’s methods of getting from here to there to those of an era of some 80 years past.

A comparison that comes to mind is the trips that my mother made to visit her parents, who resided in Eureka, Calif.

My grandparents were Will and Laura Davis. Granddad worked for Hammond Lumber Co. as a woods filer. He retired in 1930.

My parents. Bill and Lucy Hinds, and I lived in McCloud, Calif., where my dad was plant superintendent.

To set the scene properly, McCloud lies approximately 120 airline miles from Eureka at the foot of Mt. Shasta. Today, that would be two hours travel time by air. In 1905, to my knowledge there wasn’t a single foot of paved or oiled road in Northern California. In winter, most roads would be impassable.

To get anywhere with any degree of certainty, you had two choices: the train or by steamship, both of which were considered to be fairly reliable for the times.

In Mother’s case, she relied on both the train and steamer plus city streetcars and horse-drawn hacks to get herself and a young son from McCloud via San Francisco to Eureka and return. A trip of some 80 odd hours one way if the trains were running on time and steamship schedules hadn’t been fouled up by storms or fog.

If one were forced by circumstances to attempt the trip over the mountains by roads and trails then available, one could safely figure weeks on the trail and a great many hardships to boot.

Mother always looked forward to these yearly trips, though not a Eureka girl. She had many friends there and her sister, Oma Lautin, lived on E Street. Oma and her husband, Sig Lautin, owned and operated a store on Second Street that sold clothing to woods’ personnel.

Though I had made the trip several times as a baby, the first recollections I have are about age four. My mother, by that time, was a seasoned traveler — at least by that route — so things were usually routine.

We would leave in the month of June when the deep snows were gone in the Siskiyou mountains. My dad couldn’t make the trip as mid-year was the busy time for him.

He would drive us to the McCloud River Railroad Station and we would take the afternoon train to Sisson (Mt. Shasta) arriving at 4:30. The Shasta Limited of the Southern Pacific Railroad was due at 5:30 p.m. and was usually on time.

The Shasta was one of the S.P.’s top trains. It would be made up of several Pullmans, a diner, one or two coaches, and several mail and baggage cars.

As a four-year-old and later at six, these trips were wondrous experiences. Even later, at the ripe old age of 10, I never lost my awe of the monstrous consolidated locomotives, the gleaming varnish of the Pullmans, the polite and efficient porters, the authoritative train conductor and that never-to-be forgotten dining car with its snowy white table napery and shining silverware. I remember, too, the smart steward, sure-handed efficient waiters and the excellent menus by some of the best chefs to be had anywhere.

Sisson (Mt. Shasta City) was only a short stop for the Shasta Ltd. and we had hardly found our Pullman section when we were on our way.

Mother always reserved a full section, which gave us an upper and lower berth with much more privacy. Trains in those days were usually booked solid and Mother would make her reservation well ahead of time. There would be one other short stop at Shasta Springs to allow the passengers to sample the soda water. At that time it lived up to its reputation — sharp, cold, clear and a wonderful mix for almost any drink (today it is polluted and undrinkable).

After Shasta Springs, the division stop at Dunsmuir was where engine crews were changed. Then came the long, non-stop drop down the Sacramento River Canyon to the valley floor. Soon after leaving Dunsmuir, the first call for dinner would be announced by a waiter ringing soft chimes.

By this time. Mother had made herself presentable and managed to get me in some sort of order so we could make our way to the diner.

This could be quite a trip in itself. If our car happened to be well back in the train, one would have to pass inspection by several cars of people. Mother was a very dignified lady and would take it all in stride.

The steward would meet us in the foyer and escort us to a table with a flourish—seat Mother and hand us the menus on which were so many choices that I had a hard time making a decision. However, I would wind up with breaded veal and Mother always had the S.P. salad (for which it was famous). I would have a dessert and Mother, her black coffee. The waiter offered finger bowls and the check. We had dined in style for $1.50, to which Mother added a tip of 25 cents.

By the time we had finished dinner, it would be dark and when we returned to our Pullman, we’d find the porter starting to make up berths. The intricacies of the Pullman berth of the period and the ease with which the Pullman porters solved the problems of assembly and were able to come up with a fairly comfortable individual bedroom in a short period of time was, to me, an engineering feat of note.

As I grew older. Mother always made me take the lower berth as she knew I would never get to sleep unless I could watch out the window.

As mentioned before, from Dunsmuir to the head of the Sacramento Valley at Redding, the train was non-stop. The S.P. tracks followed the river at the bottom of the canyon so there wasn’t much to see at night. In later years, when the Shasta dam was built, the tracks were forced to higher elevations and were much more scenic.

After the stop at Redding, sometime around midnight, the Limited rolled down the valley with very few slowdowns but I knew when we were passing through a town by the ringing of the crossing bells: Anderson, Red Bluff, Corning, Orland, Willows, Maxwell, Williams, Arbuckle, Woodland, Davis, Dixon, Fairfield, Cordelia and finally, in the early morning, the highlight of the train trip — Benicia and the transfer of the entire train onto the car ferry Solano, from Benicia to Martinez across the Straits in one trip.

This ferry was a marvel in itself and was the largest in the world. It was the last word in engineering ingenuity. It worked for many years on the Benicia run without a single failure until replaced by the present drawbridge.

I always awakened when we pulled into the ferry terminal at Benicia and watched the entire proceedings. The train was divided in half and each section switched onto the Solano and tied down as specified by safety rules. Then came the starting of the monster single cylinder engines — one to each 24-foot paddle wheel. It was then up to the pilot to keep the ferry on course by synchronizing the engines.

No one was allowed off the train during the crossing but I managed a good view of the proceedings from the observation car platform.

After the train was remade on the Martinez side and we were on our way again, we would go to the dining car and have breakfast. While putting away some of S.P.’s tasty pancakes, we could enjoy the view of the Emeryville Mud Flats and their accompanying odors.

After pulling out of the 16th Street Station in Oakland, Mother would get our things together for the end of our journey at the “Oakland Mole.” The “Mole” was world famous—the S.P.’s main terminal for trains from the North, East, Mid-West and deep South. At that time Los Angeles was not a terminal, only a station stop on the vast S.P. empire. Trains from New Orleans terminated at the “Mole.”

As the train slowed for the terminal, we would thank our porter and conductor for a pleasant journey. Mother would signal for a Red Cap and we would head for a waiting S.P. ferry. Fifteen minutes after the arrival of the Shasta Limited, we would be crossing San Francisco Bay. We had arrived at approximately 10 a.m.

Crossing the Bay was a thrill for me and I would hurry to the upper deck to watch the Bay traffic. The white paddlewheel ferries of the Southern Pacific—the gold, screw-propelled boats of the Key Route System and various other types of Bay traffic, made the trip an adventure for a small boy.

We would arrive at the ferry building at about 10:30 and have almost seven hours to kill before the coastal steamer the City of Topeka, would sail. Mother always chose the Topeka, as Mabel Standley was the stewardess on board.

Mabel was one of Mother’s school day classmates at Usal and Greenwood on the Mendocino Coast. They had also attended high school in Ukiah. Mother was born in Ukiah at the home of her grandparents, Jacob and Laura Duncan, on Oak Street. The Standleys also lived in Ukiah.

Will Standley was sheriff of Mendocino County. They later moved to San Francisco where Will was on the police force for many years. There was one other Standley, whom I met a few years later. He was a young ensign just graduated from the Academy and was with the Great White Fleet on its world tour. Hal Standley made it up the ladder to fleet admiral and on his retirement was appointed ambassador to Russia.

If Mother had any shopping to do for the folks in Eureka, she would spend time at Hale Bros., The Emporium, The City of Paris or Roos Bros. We would have lunch at the Golden Pheasant and, about 4:30, we would be aboard the Topeka, which would sail at 5:30. We would get settled in and I could roam the deck and watch the bustle of getting underway for the overnight trip up the coast.

The ship was always full to overflowing with passengers and a berth would be at a premium if not booked well ahead of time. Mable Standley always took care of this problem for Mother.

At this time, the only scheduled run north of San Francisco along the coast was to Eureka by the Pacific Coast Steamship Company, which tried to keep three ships on the run: the Pomona, Corona and the Topeka.

The Pomona and Corona were hard-luck ships and always seemed to be in trouble. The Corona had wrecked on the Humboldt bar the year before and the Pomona found an uncharted rock off Fort Ross. The Topeka was just the opposite. She was in constant service for years from 1905 to 1918. She was sold to Inter-Island Steamship Company and worked in the islands until scrapped in 1935.

I was allowed to roam the deck until we were outside the gate and before the seas became rough. Then I was confined to our cabin or the ship’s salon. The narrow decks of the ship were not safe for a small boy. However, I didn’t lack for entertainment. The Topeka‘s chief engineer was a friend of Mabel’s and he would take me down in the engine room and sit me in a chair where I could watch the big triple expansion engine and the crew in the boiler room as they shoveled coal into the marine boilers. I could never remember the ship’s captain but I never forgot Lars Kennedy, the big chief engineer. (He and Mable both went with the Matson and U.S. lines years later on their runs to Hong Kong and China ports.) I was usually asleep by 9 p.m. I never knew when Mother got to bed as she and Mabel would drink coffee till all hours as they hashed over the whereabouts of old friends.

I always woke in the morning when I felt the ship’s engines go to “slow, ” as the captain got the ship into position to run the bar. As described by Lars, running the bar was a tricky bit as attested by the Corona wreck on the north jetty.

The Humboldt bar didn’t give a ship too much clearance, plus the fact it was always shifting.

The Topeka was smaller by about 300 tons than the other ships of the line, so it had a better chance of getting in okay. What the captain did was wait for a high wave crest, then he would surf in.

When the engine speeded up you knew we were on the wave crest and in we would go. In later years, as better dredges were developed, this hazard was eliminated.

After the bar crossing, we would move sedately up the Bay, serenaded by a few sawmill whistles; then into her dock where about half the population of Eureka stood waiting for friends, freight or mail.

Grandmother Davis and Aunt Oma would be standing on the dock. Then, after gathering our luggage, we would take the California Street trolley to my grandparents’ house on Albee Street and the first half of our trip would be over.

Our stay was usually about two weeks. We would sometimes go out to the camp where granddad worked. This would entail a trip across the Bay, where we took the Hammond Logging train out past Big Lagoon and Trinidad. We would visit for a day or two, then head back to Eureka.

The return trip would be a repetition in reverse. The Topeka would sail on the evening tide and would dock in the city in the morning. We usually spent a couple of days in the city, as Mother would have a lot of shopping to do for friends in McCloud and clothes to buy for the family. Stores in Siskiyou County didn’t have many bargains in those days.

The Shasta Limited pulled out of the Oakland Mole about 8 p.m. and the return trip’s running time was the same though two engines were needed after leaving Redding for the steep grade up the canyon.

It would be well into daylight when we reached Dunsmuir, so I could watch the scenery. But, as it was the country we lived in, nothing new was added.

The Shasta pulled into Sisson at 10:30 a.m. and Dad would meet us as he knew Mother would be loaded down with luggage. After an hour in Sisson having lunch, we loaded aboard the McCloud RR combo and an hour and a half later our trip ended back at McCloud. The last trip my mother and I made to Eureka was 1913. In 1916 my dad and mother moved to San Francisco.

By 1918 the Northwestern Pacific Railroad was completed to Eureka and in operation. By 1924, the road system of the Northern California counties was complete enough so that my grandparents, then more than 80, drove their Chevrolet 490 from Eureka to Sonora, Calif., without incident.

So ended a most interesting era….

Today, one would have a choice of many routes to make the trip from McCloud to Eureka, but he would find it impossible to duplicate the trips my mother made in those early days of this century.

The scheduled steamship runs, up and down the coast, disappeared many years ago and even passenger trains are now hit and miss by Amtrak.

If one is on business and with limited time, one can hop into a Cessna 180 and, in less than two hours, be landing on any one of Humboldt Bay’s area airports, including Murray Field inside Eureka city limits.

By auto you have several routes, all with paved roads — some fast, some scenic. The fastest is 1-5 to Redding, then 299 across the Coast Range direct to Eureka — running time: six hours.

Route 96, through Yreka, Happy Camp, Clear Creek, Weitchpec, Hoopa and Willow Creek, is one of the most scenic in Northern California. Allow eight to 10 hours.

Another interesting route is 36 from Red Bluff through Platina, Wildwood, Forest Glen, Dinsmore and Fortuna. Time: eight hours.

In 1905, all of these land routes were pack trails only. Today, they are all-weather routes except under severe winter storm conditions. Then they may be closed for short periods only.

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The story above is from the Autumn 1994 issue of the Humboldt Historian, a journal of the Humboldt County Historical Society. It is reprinted here with permission. The Humboldt County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to archiving, preserving and sharing Humboldt County’s rich history. You can become a member and receive a year’s worth of new issues of The Humboldt Historian at this link.

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Despite federal pushback and industry uncertainty, Humboldt County officials and international developers are moving forward with plans to bring floating offshore wind facilities to the North Coast.

This week, the county’s Economic Development Division hosted a renewable energy conference — POWER CA, an apt acronym for Partnering for Ocean, Wind and Energy Renewables in California — at the Bear River Tish-Non Community Center in Loleta to discuss the future of commercial-scale offshore wind development in California and how to navigate potential hurdles imposed by the Trump administration. 

“There are significant uncertainties created by the federal government in this moment. That’s why discussion is so important,” said Jana Ganion, senior offshore wind advisor for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Office. “We deal with adversity; we ride through it, and we are stronger at the end of it. So when we talk about pathways and partnerships, we know that in this moment these things are recalculating.”

The project slated for our shores is still in the very early stages. Even if everything goes according to plan, it will be another 10 or 15 years before any turbines are spinning out in the ocean. 

Right now, local stakeholders are focused on getting the Port of Humboldt Bay up to snuff and laying the groundwork for the Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal Project, which aims to convert the old pulp mill Redwood Terminal I property on the Samoa Peninsula into a state-of-the-art industrial site for manufacturing, assembling and exporting the massive components needed for offshore wind development on the West Coast. 

Chris Mikkelson, executive director of the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District, acknowledged “policy challenges” imposed by the current administration but was optimistic that the project would move forward. 

“We have to build a great port — that’s a huge infrastructure challenge … but we have an opportunity to create a legacy project here,” Mikkelson said. “We’re doing this to replace antiquated marine infrastructure. This is rural economic development. It’s job creation. Why would we not want to have our children stay in this county? This is a legacy.”

Speakers also delved into workforce development strategies that aim to promote the trades in local schools to get aspiring workers in the pipeline. 

“We’re going to rely on a lot of local training opportunities here locally,” said Erik Peckar, director of West Coast external affairs for Vineyard Offshore. “We, as developer, want to ensure that we are training as many local folks as possible, so the local folks have the first opportunities to earn a living wage, buy a house, raise their kids here and live the dream.”

Jack Sheppard, Trades Academy coordinator with the Humboldt County Office of Education, is working with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties to bring VR headsets into local schools to simulate the experience of working on a 525-foot floating turbine and drum up interest in the field. 

“The big goal is to get out there so these students can see what’s available,” Sheppard said.

On the state level, researchers and engineers are working to expand and reinforce California’s electrical transmission system, which isn’t equipped to handle the power generated by commercial-scale offshore wind developments. That issue is particularly important on the North Coast because local capacity is extremely limited, and Humboldt is relatively isolated from electrical load centers. There are only a handful of transmission lines running in and out of the county, and they’re old and undersized. 

CAISO, the entity that manages the flow of electricity on high-voltage powerlines and oversees infrastructure planning across the state, estimates the total cost of transmission development over the next 20 years, including transmission line and substation upgrades across the state, to clock in at a staggering $30.5 billion.

California regulatory agencies are also working out the state’s centralized procurement strategy to streamline access to renewable energy resources. 

“There will be a market for this energy, and we want to be involved in that process,” said Elizabeth Burks, executive director of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA). “We have a really distinct role to play to make sure the central procurement process works for our community and increases access to affordable energy that we can use. We also have to make sure that it’s a fair deal for the developer so they are incentivized to keep moving forward.”

As developers and stakeholders move steadily ahead on local planning efforts, Floventis Energy, a joint venture between Cierco and SBM Offshore, is testing the waters with a floating offshore wind pilot project in Santa Barbara County. The CADEMO Project, located in state waters roughly 2.8 miles off Point Arguello, is expected to host four wind turbines capable of generating 12-15 megawatts of renewable electricity apiece. 

The project will help developers and regulators understand some of the pros and cons of floating offshore wind as the commercial-scale projects take shape.

“Given the above factors, CADEMO can fill a fundamentally important function to bridge risks and clarify unknowns,” the project website states. “Making an early launch of full-size offshore wind technology at a small-scale is a sensible proposition in California’s unique ecosystem and economy – but also globally, where CADEMO is likely to be the first floating wind farm using this size technology.”

CADEMO is expected to be fully operational by 2027.

Throughout this week’s conference, speakers emphasized the importance of fostering partnerships with the local fishing industry, North Coast tribes and other community leaders to create the best project possible. 

“I don’t feel discouraged,” Burks said. “I feel like there’s a lot of work ahead, but I feel like I’m in really great company to get it done.”

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Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office release:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is thrilled to announce that, for the second year in a  row, it has been awarded a generous grant from the Christine and Jalmer Berg Foundation to support its K-9 program. This year’s grant of $55,536 follows last year’s award of $53,021, further strengthening the program’s ability to serve the community. 

The success of this grant application is attributed to the dedication of Deputy Esget, who went above and beyond by personally delivering the application alongside K-9 Yahtzee. Deputy Esget’s proactive  engagement with foundation members, highlighting the critical needs of the K-9 program, played a pivotal role in securing these funds. 

Special recognition goes to the Humboldt Deputy Sheriff’s Organization (HDSO), a non-profit entity  that served as the primary applicant for the grant. The HDSO will receive the funds and donate them  to HCSO, ensuring the K-9 program’s continued success. 

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office proudly operates four dedicated K-9 teams within the Patrol Division. Each K-9 is specially trained in protection, apprehension, searching, and either narcotics or  firearm detection. Our K-9 deputies dedicate significant time each day to training and building strong working relationships with their dogs to ensure peak performance. These highly skilled teams are a valuable asset that enhances the overall effectiveness and safety of our patrol operations. 

“We are incredibly grateful to the Christine and Jalmer Berg Foundation for their ongoing support,”  said Sheriff Honsal. “This grant will enhance our K-9 program’s capabilities, allowing us to better protect and serve Humboldt County.” 

The Sheriff’s Office extends its heartfelt thanks to the Christine and Jalmer Berg Foundation, Deputy  Esget, HDSO, and all partners involved in securing this award. For more information about the Sheriff’s Office K-9 program, please contact HCSO at 707-445-7251.

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Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Timothy Canning this week rejected a motion from attorneys for St. Joseph Health Northern California asking him to dismiss a state lawsuit that accuses Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka of denying medically necessary emergency abortion care due to its religion-based policies.

Attorneys for the hospital, which is owned and operated by the Catholic not-for-profit organization Providence Health & Services, filed a demurrer (a legal term meaning a request to dismiss the charges), arguing that the state had failed to allege facts sufficient to justify a cause of action. They claimed that the matter should be investigated by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) before coming to court, and that the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment protects care providers at Catholic hospitals.

In his ruling, filed Monday, Canning rejected those arguments, allowing the case to proceed.

To briefly recap the facts, the office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued St. Joseph Health Northern California last September, alleging that hospital staff violated multiple California laws through their refusal to provide emergency abortion care to people experiencing obstetric emergencies.

Specifically, the suit accuses the Catholic health care organization of violating California’s Emergency Services Law (ESL), the Unruh Civil Rights Act and the Unfair Competition Law by refusing to provide medically necessary abortion services to Anna Nusslock, a Eureka chiropractor. 

The complaint says Nusslock was 15 weeks pregnant with twins when the amniotic sac for one twin broke prematurely. After arriving at St. Joseph Hospital’s emergency room, per her doctor’s direction, a doctor determined that the twins could not survive and that an abortion was necessary to save Nusslock’s life. 

One of the twins still had a fetal heartbeat, however, and due to Providence’s religious prohibition on performing “elective” abortions, the complaint says, the emergency room doctors refused to perform the procedure until either the heartbeat stopped altogether or there was a more immediate threat to Nusslock’s life.

The complaint further alleges that hospital staff told her she could either take a medical transport flight to San Francisco, at great personal expense, or her husband could drive her to Mad River Community Hospital, 20 miles north. She chose the latter option, and staff at Providence St. Joseph Hospital provided her with a bucket and towels to wipe up blood on the drive, according to the complaint.

Canning rejected the defense attorneys’ argument that the case should first be investigated by CDHP, saying the state’s Emergency Services Law expressly authorizes the Attorney General and anyone harmed by violations of that law to bring civil actions, such as this lawsuit.

Providence’s attorneys also argued that Nusslock was transferred to Mad River Community Hospital for medical reasons, which would negate the state’s argument that hospital staff violated ESL provisions regarding non-medical transfers. Canning disagreed, finding that the state offered “sufficient factual allegations to support a claim of a non-medical transfer.”

“The allegations in the complaint reflect the only reason that the emergency services were not performed by Providence’s emergency room physicians was because of Providence’s faith-based policies,” Canning’s ruling states.

As for the allegation that Providence violated the Unruh Civil Rights Act by denying Nusslock full and equal care because she was pregnant, Providence’s attorneys argued that its actions were motivated by “neutral religious directives” rather than Nusslock’s medical condition or sex. Canning dismissed that defense, as well.

Providence’s lawyers also sought to stand behind federal “conscience clause” legislation, which prohibits making the acceptance of federal funds conditional upon whether or not a facility performs abortion procedures. Canning found that this matter was not relevant in the case.

Lastly, Canning’s ruling tackles the constitutional question of free exercise of religion. Providence’s attorneys argued that the ESL interferes with that right by forcing its employees to perform procedures that contravene the tenets of the organization’s religion-based policies, as laid out in the Catholic Ethical and Religious Directives.

Legal precedent (Fellowship of Christian Athletes v. San Jose Unified School District Board of Education) says any law that burdens religious exercise must be both neutral and generally applicable. Canning found that the ESL complies with that requirement. He writes, “[A]llowing a hospital that is fully able to care for a patient to choose not to do so due to its religious doctrine would undermine the purposes of the ESL.”

That state law serves a specific and compelling government interest, Canning says: “to provide a comprehensive and high quality system of emergency medical services for the protection of the health and safety of Californians.”

None of the findings in this ruling prevent Providence from mounting these same arguments as the case proceeds. Rather, Canning rejected them as a basis for dismissing the suit ahead of trial. 

In a statement issued Thursday, Bonta applauded the decision.

“There was no legal basis to dismiss our lawsuit against Providence, and we are grateful that the court agreed with us on every ground,” he said. “California is committed to protecting reproductive rights and let me be clear: that includes emergency abortion care. … Denying emergency abortion care to pregnant patients who need it is both traumatic and unlawful under multiple laws. My team and I look forward to seeing this case through and holding Providence accountable.”  

The Outpost reached out to Providence seeking a comment on the ruling but did not immediately hear back. We’ll update this post if and when we do.

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UPDATE, 1 p.m.: 

Shortly after this post was published, a Providence spokesperson sent along the following statement:

Serving the residents of Humboldt County is a privilege we don’t take for granted. That’s why we are deeply committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care, just as we have been for more than 100 years. 

We strongly disagree with the California Attorney General’s allegations against Providence St. Joseph Hospital Eureka. The denial issued by the judge simply means that the Attorney General may proceed with litigating their allegations as originally filed. The denial is not a judgment that Providence has been found liable for any of the Attorney General’s allegations. We are deeply committed to delivering care in accordance with federal and state law. This includes providing life-saving medical interventions that may indirectly result in fetal death.  

As a Catholic health care organization, we are transparent that we do not perform elective abortions. However, in emergencies, our care teams provide medically necessary interventions to protect pregnant patients who are miscarrying or facing serious life-threatening conditions. 

This is consistent with the California Emergency Services Law and the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. It is also consistent with the Catholic Ethical and Religious Directives, which include discussion of the importance of the physician-patient relationship as well as the circumstances in which certain medical procedures that could result in fetal death may be allowed in a Catholic hospital. 

As part of this commitment, we recently enhanced our training, education and escalation protocols to further ensure the best possible care. 

We take our responsibility as a vital safety net incredibly seriously and are committed to continuing to meet the needs of our community, just as the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange did when they established health care in the region more than a century ago.

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DOCUMENT: Ruling on Defendant’s Demurrer to Complaint

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Eric “Gunner” Cunningham passed unexpectedly and far too soon on May 5, 2025, in Fortuna, at the age of 45.

Eric is survived by his mother, Laura (Tom) Oliver, and his stepmom, Holly Cunningham; his sisters, Erin Squire and Kristin (Rob) DeCou; and their children, Magnus Squire, Hudson DeCou, and Kalea DeCou. He is preceded in death by his beloved father, Henry “Clay” Cunningham.

Born in Fortuna, Eric was a lifelong 49ers fan who loved cooking for his family, hunting with his father, and had a particularly green thumb. In his early teens, Eric was a HAM radio enthusiast. After graduating from high school, Eric attended Wyoming Technical Institute. When he returned home, he worked as a diesel mechanic and became an avid bodybuilder who competed in competitions across the Pacific Northwest.

A celebration of life is scheduled for Saturday, May 17, 2025, 12:30-2 p.m., at 229 Church Street, Loleta. All who knew and loved Eric are welcome to attend and are invited to bring a dish to share.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Eric Cunningham’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of Grace Fridley on April 9, 2025. Grace was born on February 19, 1954, to the late Ernest and Lill Hoffman. She was a proud, loving, and devoted wife to her surviving husband, Tom Fridley. Known to many as “The Fiery Redhead,” Grace lit up every room she entered and warmed the hearts of all those she knew.

Grace grew up in Eureka and graduated from high school there in 1972. She was a beacon of resilience, intelligence and wit, setting an admirable example for others in her community. She left an indelible mark on every person she met, and her memory will continue to inspire everyone who knew her.

Grace had an adventurous spirit, and one of her favorite recreational activities was long-distance motorcycle touring with her loving husband, Tom. The two shared countless journeys, creating unforgettable memories along the way. Their spirited adventures on the open road expressed their shared fervor for life. They were not merely husband and wife, but true companions in every sense.

Grace Fridley was an incredibly bright and fiery soul whose impact on our lives cannot be overstated. She will be sorely missed, and her memory will linger in the hearts of those she touched. Her absence leaves a void that cannot be filled, but her zest for life, fiery personality, and enduring love will forever remind us of the remarkable woman she was.

Grace was preceded in death by her mother, father, and brother Art Hillman.

She is survived by her sisters Darlene Rolfsness and Helen Smith, and brother John Hoffman.

Her very best long-Time friend Diana Jefferson had been such a great help and companion through the years from high school to Grace’s passing.

A celebration of life for Grace will be held on June 7th at the Moose Lodge, located at 4328 Campton Rd. in Eureka, at 2 p.m.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Grace Fridley loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Don Bullard passed away peacefully at home in Eureka on April 13, 2025.  He was 82 years old.

Don was an avid sports enthusiast. He played tennis and golf, earning trophies of achievement in both sports. He was also an avid football fan, especially the Dallas Cowboys. He collected John Wayne memorabilia, Tarzan books, and mini helmets from all the football teams but he had a huge collection of memorabilia from the Dallas Cowboys. He enjoyed reading and outdoor activities. He also loved watching good movies with friends.

Born in Oklahoma, Don lived most of his life in Humboldt County. After returning from his service in the US Army, he worked for Pinkerton and then the Humboldt County Transportation Company. After his retirement he enjoyed spending his time with friends. He especially loved his games of poker with his dear friends of many years.

His loving sister, Patricia DeMarzi and her husband, Curtis, predeceased Don. His niece Lisa, his nephew Robert, and step-niece Corinne survive him. His family and long-time friends will miss Don dearly.

Based on Don’s request, no services will be held. Donations in his honor may be sent to your favorite charity.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Don Bullard’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.