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History and Architecture

Eureka’s rich history and stunning architecture are deeply intertwined.
Learn more below, and explore key attractions, tours and places that make Eureka unique.

TIMELINE

1850’s

The Wiyot People

Eureka was originally populated by the Wiyot people, who have stewarded the Humboldt Bay region for thousands of years. Its original name is Jaroujiji, which is Wiyot for "where you sit and rest".

Pictured: Kiwelatah, the head Elder of the Wiyot tribe, 1852.
1860

Early Settlers

Settlers and gold seekers found what they were seeking in what was to become Humboldt County, California. They named their first settlement and future county seat Eureka classical Greek for "I found it." The City of Eureka was incorporated on April 18, 1856.

1880's

Tuluwat Massacre

As miners and early settlers usurped or destroyed the resources on which the native populations depended, conflict led to massacres. The Tuluwat Island massacre on Feb. 26, 1860 tragically killed over 250 Wiyot people and started a war that lasted for 4 years. Fort Humboldt was established, where Ulysses S Grant served for a time before the Civil War.

1884

Lumber Industry

As lumber production skyrocketed in the region, new railroads brought the production of hundreds of mills throughout the region to Eureka. Because of the presence of the bay and bountiful timber, shipbuilding became a major business and continued even into the Second World War.

Immemorial

The Wiyot People

Eureka was originally populated by the Wiyot people, who have stewarded the Humboldt Bay region for thousands of years. Its original name is Jaroujiji, which is Wiyot for “where you sit and rest”.

Pictured: Kiwelatah, the head Elder of the Wiyot tribe, 1852.
1850s

Early Settlers

Settlers and gold seekers found what they were seeking in what was to become Humboldt County, California. They named their first settlement and future county seat Eureka classical Greek for “I found it.” The City of Eureka was incorporated on April 18, 1856.
1860

Tuluwat Massacre

As miners and early settlers usurped or destroyed the resources on which the native populations depended, conflict led to massacres. The Tuluwat Island massacre on Feb. 26, 1860 tragically killed over 250 Wiyot people and started a war that lasted for 4 years. Fort Humboldt was established, where Ulysses S Grant served for a time before the Civil War.
1880s

Lumber Industry

As lumber production skyrocketed in the region, new railroads brought the production of hundreds of mills throughout the region to Eureka. Because of the presence of the bay and bountiful timber, shipbuilding became a major business and continued even into the Second World War.
1884

The Carson Mansion

The Carson Mansion on 2nd and M Streets is perhaps the most spectacular Victorian in the nation. The home was built between 1884 and 1886 by renowned 19th-century architects Newsom and Newsom for lumber baron William M. Carson.
1885

Chinese Exclusion Act

After Eureka City Councilman David Kendall was caught in the crossfire of two rival Chinese gangs and killed, a group of 600 White vigilantes forcibly evicted all 480 Chinese residents of Eureka’s Chinatown under the auspices of the racist Chinese Exclusion Act. The Act was finally repealed in 1959. Today, the tragedy is commemorated with plaques throughout Old Town.
1914

Pacific Railroad

Completion of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad in 1914 gave the lumber industry an alternative to ships to reach markets in San Francisco and beyond. It also provided the first safe land route between San Francisco and Eureka for people to venture to the Redwood Empire. As a result, Eureka’s population of 7,300 swelled to 15,000 within ten years.
1960s

Back to the Land

The back-to-the-land movement on the 60’s and 70’s drew many people from San Francisco and beyond to find a new way of life, and to kickstart the cannabis industry. Their ideologies are still foundational to Eureka’s culture, and cannabis remains a key industry in the area.
1970s

Fisheries

Local fisheries expanded through the 1970s and early 1980s. During the 1970s, Eureka fishermen landed more than half of the fish and shellfish produced and consumed in California.
1973

Eureka Heritage Society

The Eureka Heritage Society, a local architectural preservation group, was founded in 1973 and has been instrumental in protecting and preserving Eureka’s diverse Victorian architecture.
1987

The Green Book

The Eureka Heritage Society published “Eureka, an Architectural View” in 1987. Known locally as The Green Book, it contains photographs of hundreds of structures and is considered one of the finest collections of details on historic homes ever published.
2019

RETURN OF TULUWAT

After over 150 years, on Oct. 21, 2019, the City of Eureka returned Tuluwat Island to the Wiyot people. This repatriation is believed to be the first time a U.S. municipality has completely returned land to an Indigenous community.

The California Gold Rush brought settlers to Humboldt Bay in the 1850s, and the city was given the name “Eureka” from the Greek word meaning “I have found it.”

ARCHITECTURAL TREASURES

Learn about Eureka’s architecture, including the most photographed Victorian home in the country.

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Couple holding hands walking past a rainbow colored Victorian style house
Pink exterior of victorian style house with rainbow color stain glass windows
horse and carriage going along the street with bubbles

OLD TOWN CARRIAGE TOURS

Take a ride back in time with Brendan Fearon and his horse, Pearl and explore the streets of historical Old Town Eureka. This year-round guided tour showcases Eureka’s diverse architecture and shares unique stories about the city’s rich history.

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CLARKE HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Housed in the beautifully preserved 1911 Bank of Eureka building, the Clarke Museum is an architectural gem in the heart of Old Town. Founded by history teacher Cecile Clarke in 1960, the museum showcases the cultural and architectural heritage of Humboldt County—including the craftsmanship of local Native peoples, the evolution of Victorian-era settlements, and the rise of the lumber industry. The building itself, with its neoclassical design and granite columns, is worth a visit on its own.

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outside of historic building
Fort Humboldt

FORT HUMBOLDT STATE HISTORIC PARK

Located on a bluff overlooking Humboldt Bay, Fort Humboldt offers a glimpse into the region’s early military and industrial past. Originally established in 1853, the site includes historic and reconstructed buildings reflecting mid-19th-century military architecture. The Logging Museum and open-air exhibits feature massive steam-era equipment, including preserved locomotives and the Dolbeer Steam Donkey—technological marvels that shaped the region’s built environment and timber boom.

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BLUE OX MILLWORKS & HISTORIC VILLAGE

Blue Ox Millworks is a living workshop where 19th-century architectural craftsmanship is still alive. Founded by master woodworker Eric Hollenbeck, Blue Ox produces custom millwork and period-accurate architectural details for historic restorations across the country. Visitors can tour the site to see antique machinery in action, walk through Victorian-style structures built on-site, and experience the artistry behind gingerbread trim, turned balusters, and decorative columns. A fusion of hands-on preservation, education, and community, Blue Ox is both a maker of history and a monument to it.

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Wooden statue of a man outside a blue building