Sequoia Park

                Unquestionably it is redwoods that make Humboldt County and Eureka extra special. Logging the trees was the economic mainstay of the early settlement. Ironically, the difficulty of penetrating the “redwood curtain” also contributed to the self-reliant uniqueness of the area. And today, although timber has declined in economic importance, the survival of many magnificent redwoods underlies the rise of tourism as our new economic base.

                Epitomizing all parts of this story is Eureka’s Sequoia Park. At one point that area was part of a swath of forest that stretched almost to the bay. Early entrepreneur Joseph Russ bought much of what is now Eureka and logged most of it. Some parcels he sold. The area that is now the park he sold to Bartlin and Henrietta Glatt.

                The Glatts, German immigrants to Illinois in the 1840s, eventually arrived in Humboldt County in 1866. They bought some of Russ’s land in southern Eureka, logged part of it and built a home among some magnificent redwoods and raised a family there. So fond were they of these trees that they offered 20 acres of virgin redwoods to the City of Eureka for a park. Initially the city fathers refused saying it would be too much work, but the Glatts and public persisted, and in 1894 the City accepted the land and ten years later officially named it Forest Park. Soon other parcels of land were added by the Glatts, and in 1907 the name was changed to the more unique sounding Sequoia Park.

                The first city Park Superintendent, Valentine Harris (after whom Harris Street is named) quickly set about developing the park in a low impact sort of way. Walking trails with wooden stairs and bridges were established, rustic buildings, fountains and “whimsies” were dotted about the park. Playgrounds appeared and a natural spring was dammed to form Mirror Lake, later enlarged into today’s Duck Pond. The lake was stocked with trout, and fishermen worked from the shores and a pier on the island. Eventual submersion killed the roots of the large redwood there but new trees now sprout from its stump.

                One of the park’s most popular features was the log cabin east of the lake which had a meeting room and cooking facilities and was equipped with electric lights and a telephone. Today only the foundation and stone fireplace remain.

                The park instantly became a favorite excursion site for Eurekans. Family outings, group picnics, community and fraternal events, concerts and theatrical productions occurred most weekends. Eureka’s electric trolley line extended south to the park, and in a time before most families had automobiles, it was heavily used. School May Day celebrations and summer camps were held there, and Scouts were involved in park clean up and construction activities. Adjacent to the park the Sequoia Tavern was built and beside it the Sequoia Auditorium held dances and later became a skating rink.

                On the flatter east end, a bandstand and playground were built, and a retired logging train engine was displayed for several decades. In 1989, that park entrance was marked with a grand redwood gate moved from the Holmes Eureka mill when it was demolished for the Bayshore Mall.

                That end was also where the zoo was opened in 1907. It is the oldest zoo in California and the smallest accredited zoo in the nation. At first it primarily housed native species such as elk and deer. But soon an aviary and more exotic species were added including bear, lion, camel and, most famously, chimpanzees.  Bill the Chimp came in 1957 when school children collected coins to buy him from a circus. Bill lived in the zoo as a beloved character and finger painted until age 60. In the area just north of his enclosure, the flower garden that began the same year as the zoo still flourishes.

                Sequoia Park also made its mark in literature. In 1918, the novel “Valley of the Giants” by Peter Kyne was published. It told the story of a benevolent timber baron whose wife’s love for a pristine redwood valley led to dramatic happenings and its eventual preservation. The life of William Carson and the Glatt’s love for a park loosely inspired the story that was made into silent movies in 1919 and 1927, a talkie in 1937 and an epic titled “The Big Trees” in 1952. All of these were filmed here, bringing notoriety and considerable income to our community.

                Today, Sequoia Park continues to be a gem for Humboldt and its visitors. Concerts, picnics, outdoor movies, birthday parties and weddings are held there. Children play on the swings, explore the woods and feed the ducks. New features and creatures are added to the zoo. Sequoia Park continues to bespeak Humboldt and its history.