*** Source: History and Business Directory of Humboldt County, Lillie E. Hamm, November 1890, Eureka, Cal. *** ---page 041--- [ad] Oil Paintings and Engravings at J. E. Mathews [ad] HISTORY OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY 41 that yield a million feet. Did all the above territory average at this rate the total quantity of redwood in the county would be over six hundred billion feet. But let us leave the region of speculation for that of reality. Mr. Geo. D. Gray in an article first published in the North Western Lumberman (Chicago) and subsequently in the Journal of Commerce, thus writes of HUMBOLDT’S REDWOODS. "The size of the redwood varies greatly with the locality. * * * Further north the belts increase in size, the character of the wood changes until in Humboldt county is found, probably, the finest best of timber in the world. Trees from twelve to eighteen feet in diameter, and one hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty feet high, are no rare occurrence. In this section there are large tracts which have been estimated to have 250,000 feet to the acre, and single acres could be selected that would double or treble that amount, and the lumber is of the finest, softest quality, equal to the best Eastern white pine." The late Mr. Allan McKay, of Eureka, gave the average yield per acre in some land near by at not less than 500,000 feet. This would give in round numbers two hundred and fifty- five billion of feet for the redwood belt to-day in Humboldt county. WEALTH IN REDWOOD. Average the value of this at $15 per thousand feet and we have $7,500 per acre, or $3,825,000,000, nearly four billion dollars for the whole. This is nearly six fold of the whole assessed value of property in the State of California, and almost twice the value of all the gold and silver mines on the Pacific Coast since 1848. There would be, therefore, more value in the redwood of the single county of Humboldt than in all the gold found in all the mines of all the counties of California from pioneer times to the present day. The value of the redwood would, therefore, give one hundred and thirty thousand dollars to every man, woman and child within the boundaries of Humboldt county to-day. Even blot out all its wonderful agricultural resources and Humboldt would to-day be the richest county in the United States, nay, the richest county of its size throughout the world. Let the average cut of redwood in Humboldt every year, say, 120,000,000 feet, and there would be therefore in this magnificent belt of woodland enough to supply a yield of this description for over two thousand years. These estimates differ very much from others published, notably those of the Government, but there are acres of forests in Humboldt county that will yield two million feet, and that would take only seventy-five such acres to give a year’s supply. It is claimed there is a large extent of country in Eel River Valley that will yield half a million feet per acre. Two Canadian gentlemen averaged the yield in Humboldt at 350,000 feet per acre. Mr. John Vance puts it at 100,000 feet per acre. We would say set the figure at 250,000 feet per acre and it will probably be the truth. We think that we have not at all over estimated the wonderful lumber resources of this undoubtedly wonderful county. But even a very liberal deduction on the figures above given-- one-half or two-thirds--would still leave it without a peer. But as there is a steady [ad] Gibbard & Lever --MAKE A SPECIALTY OF-- Eureka Ornamental Mantels Cor. Third and H sts, Pioneer Building, Eureka [ad] ---end---