The year was 1908. At that time Luffenholtz was a well established, thriving community of thirty or more families, a railroad depot, store and post office. The economy of the community centered around Hammond Lumber Company’s Camp 13 logging operation and Charlie Kallstrom’s shingle mill. The Oregon and Eureka Railroad shops were also located at Luffenholtz.

The Abbott family was one of the thirty families living in the community. George Abbott, my father, moved his family there from Fieldbrook sometime during the year 1906. He had been working in the woods for Hammond Lumber Co. at Camp 6, located a short distance from our home in Fieldbrook. When the timber was finally all “logged out” from that area, the company transferred him to Camp 13, near Luffenholtz.

George Abbott was a man who, after a long hard day in the woods, loved being home with his family in the evening. In those days, in order to do that, a man had to live reasonably near his job. Soon after going to work at Camp 13, he acquired a piece of land in Luffenholtz and began construction of a home. Upon its completion, our family made the move from Fieldbrook.

The Abbott family in 1906 consisted of George, Margaretha, his wife, and two small boys. I, Arthur, the oldest was born January 22, 1904 and Milton was born December 8, 1905. By the year 1908 there were two more children, another boy, Loren, born January 3, 1907 and a girl. Ramona, born July 5, 1908.

We lived a good life in Luffenholtz. The people were all congenial and got along well. As the saying goes, we were “Just like one big happy family.”

It was a short walk from our home to Luffenholtz Beach. During the summer many of our friends from Fieldbrook would come by train on Sundays and holidays for a picnic. Such a sight! The women carrying baskets of beautifully prepared food and the menfolk with their carefully mended nets slung over their shoulders, hoping that the day’s surf fish run would prove to be productive. We looked forward to those times with such anticipation. So many enjoyable hours were spent on that beach picnicking, fishing or just plain exploring.

The summer months also brought many of the local Indian population to the beach. They would set up camp, catch their winter supply of surf fish and spread them on top of the large rocks in the area for drying. My mother enjoyed visiting with the Indians on the beach and made many life-long friends among their people. They often came to our home bringing fresh salmon, wild ducks from Big Lagoon, huckleberries and wild blackberries. Mother soon had a large collection of handmade baskets, presented to her by her Indian friends.

Our house was situated near the road, surrounded by a good-sized yard which contained two large redwood stumps; one close to the road, the other farther back.

Near his shingle mill, Charlie Kallstrom had a few cabins and a cookhouse to furnish lodging and board for the men who worked at the mill and shingle bolt landing. The camp was not far from our house so my brother, Milton, and I would go, quite often, to the cookhouse and visit the cooks. Art and Louise Garcelon were the camp cooks and also good friends of our mother and father. Whenever we’d visit, they would insist on treating us with those delicious, plate-sized cookhouse cookies.

Then there was the time Milton decided to visit the cookhouse by himself although not much more than a toddler. He arrived there fine but on his way home, took the wrong road. It was getting on towards evening and when he didn’t show up at home, it wasn’t long before the whole neighborhood had organized a search party. When one of the men finally found him, he was as far out on one of the old logging trestles as he could get; standing there just crying his heart out. So, along with the good times, there were also a few “anxious” moments. That’s the way it was — that is until September 1908.

It was Wednesday, September 12, 1908. A very drastic change was about to take place in Luffenholtz that would affect every man, woman and child. The day began like any other ordinary day in September. The sun was shining but as the day progressed, the wind began to blow. Ordinarily, a breeze of that magnitude would not be cause for alarm. No one seemed to be aware that it was fanning to life the embers of a previous fire in one of the log jams which everyone thought was “out.”

By mid-afternoon a good-sized blaze had started and with a 40 mile-per-hour wind behind it, was soon the most disastrous fire ever experienced in Humboldt County and it was heading straight for Luffenholtz. In those days, small communities such as Luffenholtz had no fire fighting equipment of any kind, due mainly to the inaccessiblility to an adequate water source. So, when a fire of such magnitude got out of control, there was nothing anyone could do but run, let the fire run its course and take whatever was in its path. And run is exactly what the people of Luffenholtz did!

Most of the men were at work but what few were home did manage to guide their families to safety but for the most part, the mass exodus from Luffenholtz immediately became the responsibility of the women.

Some headed for Trinidad and others took to the beach. A few walked the beach south, waded across the mouth of Little River and made their way to the Worth place at Dows Prairie. The Abbott family was among the group that went to Trinidad. Mother had a hard time convincing us to leave, our reasoning being “because Dad wasn’t there.” When finally able to get us all organized to a certain degree, she took Ramona (just two months old) in her arms and we started walking with the other folks toward Trinidad.

After crossing the Luffenholtz Creek Bridge, we came to the Jack Crow place and stopped to rest, so thankful for their hospitality. While taking advantage of the brief rest stop, much to our glee and great surprise. Father arrived on the scene. George Abbott had found his family! He had worked his way around the fire and down Luffenholtz Creek from Camp 13 to the Crow place. One of the first questions he asked Mother was, “Did you save anything?” With her family gathered around her, she replied, “I saved these.”

Some of the men decided to backtrack and see if they could possibly save anything from their homes but when they reached Luffenholtz Creek the bridge was burning so there was no going back. Nothing to do now but go on to Trinidad.

Upon arriving in Trinidad, the Abbott family went to the Wallace Shipley home. The Shipley’s had, at one time, owned a store in Fieldbrook and were good friends of the Abbotts. They took us in and we stayed with them (I do not recall the exact length of time) until, one day, Mr. Havens and his boy arrived in his horse-drawn surrey to take us back with them to Fieldbrook.

They stayed the night in Trinidad and early the next morning we all struck out for Fieldbrook. The Havens family was among our best friends from Fieldbrook and this gesture on their part was just one more act of kindness. In those days, “People Helping People” was more than just a catchy phrase, it was a necessary means of survival.

We were totally unprepared for the sight which lay in store for us. When we arrived to what was once Luffenholtz, it was impossible to comprehend the destruction that surrounded us. Nothing left but charred stumps and pile after pile of debris. Not one structure escaped the terrible wrath of the fire. We stopped at the spot where our home had so recently stood and rummaged through the charred mess, hoping to find at least one recognizable object. Mother picked up a few pieces of molten metal which had once been a prized set of pewter ware. These were the only souvenirs we had of that disastrous fire and they remained in the family, as reminders, for many years.

Gone were the homes that had housed those happy, congenial families; gone were the store, the post office, the railroad depot and the cookhouse. The cookhouse, oh my! With a typical four-year-old boy’s reasoning, I bade a sad farewell to the glorious days of the Garcelon’s plate-sized cookies. Not realizing it until many years later, I had just passed through one of the greatest milestones of my life. Gone also were the railroad shops and Kallstrom’s Mill, which gave employment to so many men, men who had lived so contentedly with their families in homes which now were nothing more than piles of rubble.

As we continued south towards Dows Prairie, the extent of the damage became more and more apparent. The ravaged countryside on both sides of the road, stretching all the way to Dows Prairie, told a story no words could ever accurately describe. We finally reached the Underwood place in Dows Prairie. We were all weary; this was the most welcome rest stop. The Underwoods operated a small dairy, located near the road. They too, over the years had been good friends and Mother had bought butter from Mrs. Underwood when we lived in Luffenholtz. Upon resuming our journey, we made no more stops until reaching our final destination; the Havens’ home in Fieldbrook. The trip had taken all day and evening had already set in by the time we arrived.

The Havens family operated a good-sized dairy in Fieldbrook. We were so thankful to them for their hospitality and for letting us stay with them until such time as we were able to move into our own home again. Fortunately, Father had kept our Fieldbrook house. We spent the next few days busily cleaning, fixing and just plain getting the old home ready for occupancy. The fire had literally wiped us out of all personal property, including clothing and all household furnishings, which had taken my mother and dad years of hard work to accumulate. This dreadful fire had put them in a position of having to start completely over again from scratch. Of course, many things were cherished items which could never be replaced.

Father made the long trip to Arcata, went to Brizard’s Store and purchased a new “Universal” kitchen wood range, tables, chairs, beds and other miscellaneous housekeeping necessities. Father went into debt for each and every one of these items but Brizards were very understanding and kind in extending him credit. The people of Arcata and Fieldbrook were most generous with donations of bedding, clothing and kitchen utensils. We were very greatful to everyone for their help.

When he was quite sure that his family was comfortably settled into the old Fieldbrook home. Father went back to the woods and Camp 13. However, this brought about a very big and not so pleasant change in our lives. Father no longer was able to come home to us each evening. He now stayed in camp all week. Traveling to and from camp by train, he managed to spend only Saturday nights and Sunday with us.

Poor Mother. The responsibility of holding things together on the “home front” and keeping peace in the family fell entirely on her shoulders. She worked hard and did everything she could to also help out with the finances. She took in laundry and being an excellent cook, baked bread for the local store as well as for neighbors. She turned out pastries of all kinds, e.g., cakes, pies, cookies, doughnuts; whatever anyone wanted, she furnished.

Like the Abbotts, most of the other families left homeless by the Luffenholtz fire relocated in various parts of Humboldt County. Some in Trinidad, others in Fieldbrook, Arcata and Eureka. Art and Louise Garcelon, the fine cooks from Kallstrom’s cookhouse moved to Fortuna and for many years owned and operated a “Sweet Shop” there.

So it was in the year of 1908. Come September, it will have been 77 years since the “Big Luffenholtz Fire.” There is little or no evidence in that area today to even reveal for certain exactly where that thriving little community stood, proudly overlooking the Great Pacific. The town of Westhaven is located in the general vicinity but Luffenholtz was more along the county road.

The passing years do bring with them many changes; some for the best, some not, but forever and always proving once again that time, does, indeed, keep marching on!

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The story above is from the January-February 1985 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.

Fredrick William Scott III passed away on Sept. 13, 2024, in San Mateo. He was born on March 9, 1973, in Crescent City to Anita Mendez and Fredrick William Scott II. Fred spent most of his life on the Yurok Reservation and spent his later years caring for his mother in San Mateo. During his time in San Mateo, he found a career in construction. In addition, he uncovered a hidden talent for beading. His favorite past time was racing his Toyota through the reservation mountains and down winding gravel roads. Those who knew him best know he could not be tamed.

Fred always had a kind and loving soul. He also had a love for cooking and would always show his love through the many dishes he created for his family. He was a friend and caregiver to all who knew him, even our pets. His children were his universe, and they were the fuel to his fire. He always knew how to engage with his children – he loved to play on their level; read children’s books; play dinosaurs; he loved taking them fishing, camping, and even just on walks to the park. Fred loved and cherished those around him but was a fierce protector of his family and our Patriarch. We were his everything and he was ours. We won’t take the time we had with you for granted, as every moment was special because of him. We will continue to cheer on the Raiders for him.

We all love you Fred and now we will let you travel and join your brothers Damien and Barney.

Fred was preceded in death by Awok, his brothers Damien and Barney, grandmother Francis Jaynes and Patricia Frye Hunsucker, Uncle Bob, Uncle Jack, Aunt Carol, Uncle Blake, his good friend Bando, and other loved ones Vivian and John Simpson.

Fred is survived by his grandfather Richard Mendez, his parents Anita Mendez and Fredrick William Scott II, uncle John and Keo Mendez, Aunts, Glenna Mendez and Geneva Carroll, siblings, Alicia Martinez, Christopher Downing, Jessica Mendez, Vlayne Scott, Ben and Jason Hunsucker, Tallie and Moose, and many more siblings. His children, Robert Colegrove, Fredrick Damien Scott, Makailee Scott, Makenzie Scott, (mother Kim Pole) Rayne Scott, Eugene Herkemer Scott (mother and longtime partner Lacheth Campbell) and Kitsi Scott. His nephews and nieces, Jace Farmer, Kateri, Andres and Katep Garzon, Shaway Chiishep, Liam and Emi Downing.

Fred’s last boat ride will take place at 8 a.m. on Tuesday September 24, 2024, from Requa to Wautec. Services will be held at the Shaker Church in Wautec at 12 p.m. Food and gathering to take place at the Firehouse in Wautec following immediately thereafter. He will be laid to rest on the Yurok Reservation.

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PREVIOUSLY

• Harbor District to Consider Issuing Permit to Allow Repair (Rebuild?) of a Fallen Billboard in Humboldt Bay Tidelands
• Harbor District Board Orders Environmental Study of Billboard Rebuild Project

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Outdoor advertising giant Outfront Media, Inc., has abandoned its efforts to resurrect a fallen billboard on the Hwy. 101 safety corridor between Arcata and Eureka. The company’s decision means the permanent elimination of a sign that was erected in Humboldt Bay’s tidelands more than 60 years ago.

As previously reported, the company had been seeking permits from various local and state agencies in hopes of rebuilding the billboard, which collapsed into the bay during windstorms this past January. The sign was located directly across from the Indianola cutoff.

Late last month, the Humboldt Bay Harbor District’s Board of Commissioners voted 3-0, with Commissioners Craig Benson and Patrick Higgins absent, to require an environmental study before determining whether the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). 

The rebuild project would also have required a building permit from the county, which owns the property and was in a position to collect rent from the billboard, as well as a Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission — neither of which were foregone conclusions.

But unbeknownst to the Harbor District commissioners, by the time they’d made their decision, Outfront Media had already asked Caltrans’ Outdoor Advertising Branch to cancel its permit for the billboard. 

Harbor District Development Director Rob Holmlund told the Outpost earlier this week that the applicant — local Allpoints Signs owner Geoff Wills — called the district on Aug. 29 and “indicated that he would like to withdraw his application” to reconstruct the billboard.

Holmlund said in an email that the Harbor District had requested written confirmation of the request but had not received it. “However,” he added, “based on the phone call and the verbal request, we are considering the application withdrawn.”

The Outpost emailed personnel at Outfront Media to ask why the company asked for the permit to be canceled but has not heard back. We also emailed Humboldt County Public Works Director Tom Mattson to see if he knew why they’d done so.

“No I don’t,” he replied.

Regardless, the view of Humboldt Bay from Hwy. 101 will remain a bit clearer.

PREVIOUSLY: 

• Eureka Man Who Drove ‘TRUMP WON’ Bus Across Country Arrested for Making Violent Threats Against Local Government Officials, Says EPD

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Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office release:

On Sept. 19 in the afternoon, Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies served a search warrant and an arrest warrant on the 2900 block of Essex St., Eureka.

Darin Michael Ward, age 53, of Eureka, was taken into custody following a search of the residence. Evidence of the criminal activity was seized at the residence.

Ward was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on the following charges:

• 2 counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor—PC 288(a)
• Contact with minor intent to commit specified offense—PC 288.3(a)
• Promoting/using/persuading or inducing underage-obscene matter—PC 311.4(b)
• Human trafficking—PC 236.1(c)(2)

Ward’s bail amount is set at $1,035,000.

This case is still under investigation.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

UPDATE, 4 p.m.: A few moments ago, the Outpost received a very apologetic voicemail from Gail Rymer, the person who does public relations for the Yes on F campaign.

Rymer said that she was not responsible for the Facebook post described below and said that she hoped we knew that “this is not the way I do things.” Rymer said that she was talking to the people responsible for the Facebook page, and promised that the post would be removed.

And indeed it has been.

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Desperate times call for stupid measures!

Yesterday morning the Yes on F campaign sent us a guest opinion piece that called out how unfair the LoCO has been by not breathlessly pointing out all the wonderful things it will accomplish, most of which have been conclusively shown to be fantasy.

We shared their thoughts with the LoCO Faithful in a GUEST OPINION column, which we do sometimes, and gave that GUEST OPINION column a title that faithfully summarized the crux of their argument.

Well, friends, today — gasp! — the Yes on F campaign shares with its 136 Facebook fans a misleading blurb, one which suggests that the Outpost has endorsed their efforts! 

You could say that this is on us. You could say: You, LoCO, you knew damn well they were a snake before you let them in. And maybe that’s fair. We wanted, too much, to believe in a world where people on opposing sides of an issue make their best-faith case for their position, and then let the public decide.

And you know what? We’ll extend the deadline on the benefit of the doubt in this instance and give Yes on F a chance to change their Facebook post. You know why? Because they know cheaters always lose. They know we can’t let a small group of sore losers undermine our democracy.

Helicopter logging in Oregon in 1967. Photo: Forestry History Society, via Flickr. Creative Commons license.

Press release from the Mattole Restoration Council:

The Mattole Restoration Council (MRC), in partnership with the Humboldt County Resource Conservation District (HCRCD) will be conducting helicopter operations in the Petrolia area between Monday, September 23rd and Wednesday, September 25th (7:00AM and 7:00PM).

The work being completed between includes removing over 400 Douglas-fir trees that have encroached into historic grasslands and flying them into McGinnis Creek for in-stream habitat. This project is the result of a collaborative effort between CalFire, HCRCD, MRC, Mattole Salmon Group, 3030 Ranch, 7B Ranch, Humboldt Redwood Company, Colombia Helicopters, and William J. Etter Construction. The project will result in reduction of hazardous fuels, grasslands restoration, biomass utilization, and instream habitat restoration.

These operations are part of the Mattole and Salmon Creek Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Project, funded by CalFire. The Mattole and Salmon Creek Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Project, is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and- Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment– particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.

There will be controlled traffic and brief road closures at the end of Conklin Creek Road on Monday September 23rd and Tuesday September 24th.

For more information about the project please contact hugh@mattole.org or call 707.629.3514.

Cops clad in all-black riot gear. Dozens of demonstrators stacking desks, tables and anything dense into beaver-dam barricades. Halls and walkways decked out in endless graffiti. That was what Cal Poly Humboldt’s campus looked like last spring, and the California State University is trying to avoid more incidents like it by revising their Time, Place, and Manner (TPM) restrictions on free speech.

It’s proving controversial with professors and students, and many are furious about the changes.

TPM restrictions are limits on free speech imposed by the government that apply to everyone, regardless of the message. Examples include banning the use of bullhorns during protests, or capping the number of protestors at an event.

They’re not new to CSU campuses. However, the updated restrictions are more heavy-handed than in years past, banning things such as signs with sticks on them, using chalk for protest messaging, and wearing masks or scarfs that could obscure faces at protests. Protestors also have to identify themselves to university officials if asked.

The changes come the semester after a series of pro-Palestine protests rocked many CSU campuses, especially Humboldt’s, where activists barricaded themselves inside an administrative building and occupied the main quad for a week. Camping and demonstrating overnight are also now banned, as is barrier-making.

Cal Poly Humboldt has its own set of TPM rules that have been updated for the Fall 2024 semester. Campus will be closed to anyone who doesn’t live on campus between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., unless they have written permission, are on university business or are attending an event. Humboldt has also classified every building and room on campus as to whether or not protesting is allowed there and if it’s open to members of the public.

Students and members of the public alike can be punished for breaking these rules. Students could be subject to suspension, expulsion and loss of financial aid, or be barred from entering campus. Non-students who violate the policy will be “held accountable to the full extent of the University’s authority under existing laws, regulations and University policies.”

The new TPM restrictions do not yet apply to faculty, as negotiations with the California Faculty Association union haven’t been completed.

The California Faculty Association plans to take a hard line against the new policies during the negotiation process. The field representative for the Cal Poly Humboldt chapter of the CFA, Maureen Loughran, told the Outpost that the CFA wasn’t consulted before the new policies were put into place.

Like Loughran, many CFA members find the new policies Orwellian and worry about how they’ll be enforced.

“There already were Time, Place, and Manner policies in place, and they seemed to be working just fine,” Loughran said. “These new draconian measures really weren’t necessary.”

“We really fear that it’s not going to be equitably enforced,” Loughran said. “Basically, they’re going to come down on those they don’t like, whose speech they don’t like, and they’re going to permit it for those whose speech they do condone. We went on strike in January, right? ‘Oh, we don’t want the faculty to go on strike. Then we can just enact our Time, Place, and Manner thing and say, oh, but they have placards on sticks. Now we’re going to come down on them with the full force of enforcement and police control.’ But, the sorority is tabling in the quad, and they have cute little placards on sticks that have their sorority letters — no problem whatsoever, right?”

Tony Silvaggio, the president of the Humboldt CFA chapter and a sociology professor, agreed.

“It’s really more restrictive and more oppressive than other policy iterations,” Silvaggio said. “When it comes to this policy, a lot of our union activities, [such as] the strike in January, could certainly be limited. So we really want to make sure that we’re going to challenge this.”

As part of the new policies, the California State University system is dividing $2 million among its campuses. Cal Poly Humboldt is getting $75,000.

“The one-time funds are required to be used for educational programs and activities that support the balance among free speech activities, the educational purpose of the University, and campus safety,” Humboldt said in a statement to the Outpost. “Funds should be utilized with a focus on campus-wide learning and professional development opportunities that address campus climate, enhancing a culture of care, and other areas that support student development, co-curricular engagement, or teaching and learning within the context of the Time, Place, and Manner policy.”

Part of that allocation is going towards a “community engagement team,” a volunteer squad meant to de-escalate situations that might cause “large-scale interruption of campus operations”, according to Humboldt. Every CSU campus has formed one this semester.

The university claims its team is made up of 24 faculty, staff and students, but a list on their website shows only 15 different administrators.

The fact that there may not be any professors on a team whose purpose is to pacify students is something that enrages Silvaggio.

“There are no faculty on that protest response team, just administration,” Silvaggio said. “No one who was involved in the de-escalation of the protests last spring is on this team…it’s infuriating…I can’t see this as anything other than a snitch team or a narc team.”

For its part, Cal Poly Humboldt says that if anyone hears about an event that violates the TPM policy, they are encouraged to talk with them about it and inform them of the rules. They are welcome to inform the university, but Humboldt says it’s only for monitoring purposes. Any punishment would come later.

“Enforcement and consequences to policy violation will depend on the situation,” Humboldt said in the statement. “The first priority is to educate about the policy and de-escalate any tense situations in the moment to bring immediate situations to a calm resolution.”

Why are so many faculty opposed to these measures, if all they’re meant to do is keep campus livable?

“No faculty member wants to be in our classroom not being able to teach their class,” Loughran said. “But I would say that there’s plenty of things that aren’t protests that are very loud happening on the campuses that prevent them from teaching, such as leaf blowers, people doing groundskeeping or construction. So there’s already things that don’t fit into the templates. It’s a short-term fix. There’s no real problem. This one moment in time, there was something that happened. We shouldn’t create restrictions and policies in place that will last long-term that really aren’t necessary and really could damage academic freedoms and liberties on campus.”

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The CSU TPM policy is here. Humboldt’s free speech policies are here.