Friday, June 28, 2013

Orick, California





On the way to see the redwoods we visited a beach in Humboldt County California.  There “sneaker waves” often come up on the beach leaving beautiful pieces of drift wood.  The beach we visited was near Orick, California.  It is one of the gateways to the wonderful Northern California redwood forests. 
The town itself has about 400 people. [1] The first post office opened in Orick in 1887 [2] and though Orick is not as well know as  the neighboring cities of Eureka and Fortuna , it none the less played a part in the gold rush of the 1840’s and 50’s.[3]   Gold was discovered north of town in 1851 and an area of about 10 miles along the coast contained black sand laden with gold deposits.  The first placer mine was established in 1852 and continued until the 1880’s.  By 1888 it had yielded more than a million dollars worth of gold.[4]   Aside from gold, two rare minerals have been discovered in very small amounts in the area.  They are named after the town and after a peak found close by.  They are Orickitie and Coyoteite .
Though Gold played an important role in Orick and Humboldt County, timber was more important to its growth .  Orick is surrounded by old growth redwoods[5]    Wood was in high demand in San Francisco in the 1850’s and Humboldt County contained a readily available source. In Eureka in 1856 there were 7 saw mills which turned out 2 million board feet of lumber a month. [6]     
The Spanish and English were the first Europeans to visit this part of the coast in the 1400’s. Among them were Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and Sir Francis Drake.  They sailed the coastline, exploring the harbors and searching a continental water passage. But they didn’t brave the rock of the coast to explore inland.[7] Juan Francisco de Bodega came ashore at Trinidad in 1775.  There his expedition planted a cross to lay claim to the bay and surrounding land for Spain.  There is a cross there today as a memorial to the first European landing in the area.[8]      
Orick was named for an Indian village. [9] The area was inhabited by the Tolowa, Yurok and Chilula Indians. They were living on this part of the coast when it was explored in the 18th century.  When the gold rush began the Yurok were friendly and helped move things with their canoes. As more and more settlers began arrive and take away the Yurok lands hostilities ensued.  As a result 75% of the Yurok people were lost to disease, hostilities and the loss of their cultural ways.  In 1885 the Yurok reservation was established and the Yurok peoples were moved. After a flood washed the fort away another reservation was established in the Hoopa Valley. Today the Yurok and Tolowa still exit.  The Yurok people are the largest tribe in California with over 5000 enrolled members. [10]   The Chilula blended with the Hupa culture.  Sumag Villiage at Patrick’s Point State Park is a re-creation of a Yurok village. It was created by the Yurok people in 1990 with traditional materials. Part of the village is a native plant garden.  These plants represent traditional plant materials used for food, medicines and baskets making. [11] The village provides cultural education for future Yurok generations and educates the general public.
Today there are many things to do in the area.  From Orick you can ride horses through the redwoods.  Or if you aren’t inclined to ride you can take  the “Fun Bus”  There is kayaking and if you would like to see some of the local plant life there is a self guided tour of the Lady Bird Johnson Grove on Bald Hills Road. There are plenty of picnic and day use areas as well as camping facilities for RV’ers or tent camping.   Seasonal sport fishing is available for salmon and steel head.  Freshwater Lagoon is also a good fishing spot.  Fern Canyon is a breathtaking hike.  You might also see elk in the area and other wild life. [12]  
There is a lot to see, do and learn about Humboldt County and the town of Orick.  Hope you enjoy the pictures.  






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