The bookstore at the Humboldt County Historical Society not only makes history available to the public, it gives history enthusiasts the opportunity to do the same.  We gratefully accept donations of used local history books to sell at a discount.

       One such book is "The Redwood National Park; History, Basic Data".  We currently have two copies for sale, the first published in 1969 and a revised version from 1982.  This  over 300 page book, is a real treasure.  It is much more than just a history of the Park.  It is a comprehensive and concise history of most major aspects of Humboldt County's past.

       It begins with a section on "The Indians of the Redwoods", the Yurok, Tolowa and Chilula, going into their traditions, villages and interactions with each other and the white settlers. Next come detailed accounts of centuries of European and American exploration of the coast and then penetration into and settlement of the hinterlands.       

       From there, the book focuses on the Gold Bluff and Klamath River areas, the native/settler conflicts, and the establishment of the 

Klamath River Reservation.  Interesting coverage of the area's trails, roads and ferries is followed by detailing many aspects of the lumber industry and other activities such as gold, copper and silver mining, salmon canneries, the dairy industry and early hotels.  Coverage of disasters: earthquakes, floods and ship wrecks, is followed by World War Two concern for Japanese incursion along the coast.  The book concludes by detailing the efforts to establish a Redwood National Park and its final dedication.

       At the end of the book, are many historic photographs and drawings illustrating the subjects covered as well as several useful maps. For further research, a thorough bibliography is included.

       The Historical Society's bookstore at the Barnum House is an invaluable source of information on all aspects of Humboldt

County's past.  But few volumes contain so much within its covers as the "Redwood National Park" book.  For its inclusion here, as with many other sale books, we are grateful for donors who wish to share their interest in local history with a wider public.

The cover is stained, but the binding is tight, and the book is otherwise in very good condition.