- City:
- Eureka, CA
- Site Type:
- Archaeology and History, Archaeology, Historical Restoration
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Started:
- 1935
- Completed:
- 1938
- Quality of Information:
- Moderate
- Marked:
- Yes
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
Fort Humboldt in southwest Eureka, California, was a military outpost that helped secure northwest California for miners, settlers and the US government, from 1853 to 1867, when it was abandoned. It began to be seen as worthy of recognition and salvage in the early 20th century as a triumphant landmark of Anglo conquest (a history much in question today by the region’s native peoples).
Works Progress Administration (WPA) crews of relief workers conducted extensive renovations to Fort Humboldt between 1935 and 1938. This came after a concerted lobbying effort by local veterans’ organizations, which had begun the restoration work on their own by found that it was a much larger project than they could do on their own.
Fort Humboldt was registered as a California Historical Landmark in 1935.
Source notes
National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Work Projects Administration, Information Service, Primary File, 1936-42, Box 15, Folder 290-B.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Humboldt_State_Historic_Park#Restoration
Site originally submitted by Brent McKee on July 28, 2015.
Additional contributions by Richard Walker.
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