Humboldt County Historical Society
Franz and "Bear River Horse"
A Swiss Boy Comes to Humboldt
By William B. Crane
Having left their home in Switzerland, Franz and his mother cross the bar into Humboldt Bay aboard the Arcata in 1885. Their dangerous voyage is behind them, but their adventures are just beginning. This historical novel, set among the ranches and dairies and the wilds of the Eel River Valley, incorporates real people from the region, including the book's villain. A richly observed tale of early immigrant life, it is filled with unforgettable and often heartwarming characters, both human and four-legged, and their shared discoveries as they work together and ultimately solve a mystery.