Humboldt County Historical Geography Speaker Series Featuring Josh Buck

Join the Clarke Museum and Timber Heritage Association in exploring rail history in Humboldt County with THA Board member and rail enthusiast Josh Buck. Josh has walked most of the NWP railroad from Willits to Eureka and has a lot to share!

About the Presenter:
Josh Buck is a historian from McKinleyville, CA, alumni of Humboldt State University, and a board member of the Timber Heritage Association. His historical research on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP) and the predecessor railroads of Humboldt County led to employment as the lead historical consultant for the Great Redwood Trail. He has spent most of his life (2006-present) hiking the out-of-service NWP to gain an understanding as to why Humboldt County's only major railroad closed in 1998. 

Presentation Description
Josh will cover a few predecessor railroads to the Northwestern Pacific Railroad (NWP) and the construction of the NWP itself (1907-1914). This will be all new content featuring photos that Josh has spent quite a bit of time and money tracking down and purchasing. The bulk of the presentation will be on the methods used to decide how to link Humboldt County with the outside world via a major rail connection. Some of the major events covered will be the construction of the Island Mountain tunnel, the flood of 1913, and the development of key place names along its route such as Fort Seward. 

New for this program! There are a limited number of in-person tickets available for $25. Masks are required as this program takes place indoors. The program will also be livestreamed, and participants will receive a recording of the presentation within a week.