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I was in the Eureka California area last week and came across this historical marker and what appears to be the remains of a wharf train- apparently to ship out timber in the mid 1800's. The picture of the water is Humboldt bay and what appears to remain of the "Union Plankwalk Railtrack."  BTW, the group who donated the marker, "Order of E Clampus Vitus" appears to be quite a set of characters with "The motto of the Order, Credo Quia Absurdum, is generally interpreted as meaning "I believe it because it is absurd;"

Seems I know a lot of people who should join or maybe are already members?

I plan to do some searching on this railroad today but has anyone heard of this or have information?

PXL_20210522_173543283PXL_20210522_173538067

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Last edited by hokie71
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1.5 is what it looks like to me, although Eureka has the logging history, with a loggers' style  pancake house in operation, when l was there.  I missed this monument, and probably much more,  and this is first l have heard of this railway.  I THINK E Clampus Vitus was formed as a gold rush miners' protective organization that may have been active in "lawlessness" enforcement and punishment. (Don't remember details so correct me if wrong.  Has been written about in gold rush/mining history/Columbia, Cal./ Hwy. 49)

I don't know anything about this railroad.  I do know that wharfs were built along the CA coast to transfer logs and lumber from the then abundant redwood forests to logging ships that anchored off the coast.  The ships took the lumber to San Franciso where it was used to build the city and other Bay Area communities such as Oakland.  This was a huge and lucrative business.  NH Joe

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