In 1978, the
seeds that became the Mateel Community Center were planted at the old
Fireman’s Hall in Garberville, CA, a rural town serving as the epicenter
of the southern Humboldt community. The name Mateel was given to the
community center and newly formed non-profit organization because it was
a gathering place for people living in the hills throughout the Mattole
and Eel River watersheds, and sought to unite the many remote and
culturally underserved communities scattered throughout the region. The
alternative culture that thrived here bought and refurbished the
Fireman’s Hall, which was originally built in 1939, and it quickly
became a popular meeting place that drew a surprising number of
high-quality music acts for which people streamed out of the hills.
Richardson Grove State Park
Established in 1922 and named after Friend W. Richardson, the 25th
governor of California, the park is bisected by Highway 101 and the
south fork of the Eel River. Camping, hiking, swimming, and just
relaxing are popular activities throughout much of the year. The park
has the most southerly significant forest of old growth Redwoods. The
9th tallest redwood, a fallen tree ring study conducted in 1933, and a
walk through tree are immediately available. The park offers summer
programs including campfires, Junior Rangers, and guided nature walks.
Camping is available. The park also offers miles of hiking trails,
picnic area, fishing, and water access.
HUMBOLDT REDWOODS STATE PARK:
California's largest redwood park is home to the awe-inspiring
Rockefeller Forest, which contains hundreds of towering 1,000-year-old
redwoods in its never-logged groves. Drive the Avenue of the Giants, a
narrow two-lane road; trails edge the Eel River and cross the park's
51,000 acres.
Where: 5 miles north of
Garberville
off U.S. 101. When: Year-round; rainy and cold in winter. Cost: $2 per
car. Camping: 250 sites from $12; (800) 444-7275. Contact: (707)
946-2409 or www.parks.ca.gov.
The first known inhabitants of this
region, the Sinkyone people, used the area as a seasonal encampment for
hunting, fishing and food gathering. These expert hunters, members of
the Athapascan people, used trained dogs to drive game into the river so
that it could be more easily caught. Both men and women made baskets.
The women created the household basketry and the me made those used for
hunting and fishing. The first settler recorded in the area, Kentuckian
Ruben Reed, purchased the land o the south fork of the Eel.
The most notable natural feature of
Richardson Grove is the old-growth redwood forest, which thrives in the
area’s mild climate. Many trees in the grove are more than 1,000 years
old; several are more than 300 feet tall. Strolling among these towering
redwood giants is an unforgettable experience. Here visitors can see the
ninth tallest coast redwood, a walk-through tree, and a fallen tree
growth-ring exhibit that has drawn visitors since 1933.Redwood sorrel,
ferns and mosses take advantage of the deep shade in the heart of the
forest. Younger redwoods, Douglas fir, California laurel, various oaks
and madrones compete for sunlight and moisture outside the established
groves. Lower growth includes huckleberry, manzanita, coyote brush,
Douglas iris, calypso orchids and redwood violets. Periodic flooding of
the Eel River has done tremendous damage. Park facilities were destroyed
and many trees lost in the floods of 1955 and1964. In February 1986 the
river again overflowed its banks, destroying the campfire center and
picnic area.
