Table 1
Period of Discovery
Date
Description
1775
Hecta and Bodega land at Trinidad Bay with no mention of Humboldt Bay.
1793
Vancouver lands at Trinidad Bay with no mention of Humboldt Bay.
1804
William Shaler lands at Trinidad Bay with no mention of Humboldt Bay.
First recorded chart of Humboldt Bay (Bay of the Indians). The bay was certainly
1806
known to Russian fur traders (probably by 1800) before the 1806 visit by Winship.
1849
Humboldt Bay rediscovered (named Trinity Bay).
1850
Named Humboldt Bay.
Table 2
Period of Initial Improvements
Date
Description
1853
First marker buoys for bay.
1856
Light tower completed on North Spit.
Studies for navigation improvements begin. Williamson states his opinion that
1871
permanent improvements are impossible.
1881
600 vessels/year using bay.
1881
Brush and plank jetties constructed - destroyed in winter.
1881
First USACE project authorized - Eureka Channel first dredged.
1881+
Arcata, Samoa, and Hookton Channels first dredged.
1883
January; first survey for low water jetty on South Spit (South Sands).
1884
South jetty authorized.
1887
Training wall shown on South Spit jetty plans.
1888
Dual jetties authorized.
1889
South jetty construction started (brush and stone construction).
1891
North jetty construction started.
1894
North jetty built out to Bent 420, South jetty built out to Bent 230.
1896
Bar Channel deepened to 25 ft, 100 ft wide.
Initial jetty construction completed 8,000 ft long, 5 to 10 ft above mean lower low
1900
water (mllw).
Jetties damaged and repaired, raised from original elevation of 10-12 ft (mllw) to a
1911-17
reconstructed height of +18 ft (mllw).
12
Chapter 3 Chronologies of Inlet Development