Humboldt County Historical Society

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Making a Living, Making a Life in Humboldt County
by Glen Nash

    Described on the cover as a "collection of reminiscences of the North Coast's best-known historian," the book has been very popular among fans of Humboldt County history.

    Nash moved to Eureka in 1918 when he was 8 years old. As an adult, construction was his chief occupation, but in his later years he developed a passion for searching courthouse records, libraries and newspapers, interviewing elderly residents, searching through buildings, mines and remote historical sites to record local history. Although he has contributed numerous articles to the Humboldt Historian, many of the stories in this book are appearing for the first time. There are 200 pages and 100 photographs.

    The cover account continues: "Glen's motivation [for writing] stems from his need to pay homage to - and preserve the efforts of - the men and women who transformed Humboldt County from remote wilderness into a thriving community...a testimony to the heartbreak encountered by so many county residents." The personal tales of his boyhood, such as "My Teeth," which describes a trip to the dentist, also have a particular appeal.