Get to know Eureka

Only one city in California can claim the state’s single-word motto as its name. An abundance of redwoods, coupled with its deep-water harbor on Humboldt Bay, let Eureka assert its dominance as the timber capital of California in the mid-19th century. By the close of the Klamath gold rush, it surpassed nearby Arcata as the region’s principal city, laying out its progressively urban numbered-and-lettered street grid by 1854. The historic waterfront business district, today’s Old Town, still holds the ornate homes of timber titans — none more famous than the Carson Mansion, designed by celebrated San Francisco architects Newsom and Newsom. The flamboyant home, a mélange of Queen Anne, Italianate, and Eastlake-Stick sensibilities, is considered among the finest examples of Victorian architecture in the world. Eureka’s proprietary blend of old world sensibilities, coupled with the outdoor recreation opportunities its naturally-breathtaking surroundings have to offer, still holds true to its name.