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1951 Map of Eureka

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Eureka
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

Arcata Bay dominates this coastal survey, where the intricate network of tidal flats and islands like Gunther Island and Woodley Island separates the mainland from the North Spit. The expansion of Eureka is clearly visible, with established neighborhoods reaching toward Cutten and Rosewood, while the northern shore is anchored by the campus of Humboldt State College in Arcata. Transport infrastructure of the early 1950s is well-defined, following the Redwood Highway and the Northwestern Pacific rail line as they navigate the marshes and gulches of the shoreline.

Industrial and public facilities of the era appear in detail, including the Coast Guard Sta on the spit and the Eureka City Airport. Further inland, the terrain transitions into the heavily timbered hills of the Humboldt Meridian, where narrow gulches like Washington Gulch and Mc Cready Gulch cut through the landscape. This sheet records the mid-century layout of lumber-connected settlements such as Samoa and Fairhaven, alongside the emerging residential character of McKinleyville and Sunny Brae.