Redwood History Basic Data

E. COMMENTS and RECOMMENDATIONS

One of the most valuable Park resources is the miles of rugged seacoast. From the cliffs, the visitor is rewarded with spectacular views of the ocean, rocks, pounding surf, and beaches. Here the Service will be able to interpret the story of man, the ocean, and the redwoods.

Until the mid-1920s, when the Redwood Highway and the Douglas Bridge were opened, residents of this section of California were dependent on ocean-going shipping for what they exported and imported. Besides the vessels belonging to Hobbs, Wall, a number of ships passing up and down the coast from San Francisco to Portland and the Puget Sound Cities called at Crescent City, while small coastal freighters entered the Klamath. With the opening of the Redwood Highway through Del Norte and Humboldt counties and the development of fleets of truckers, the coastal freighters went out of business. [66]

Since shipping played a vital role in the development and history of the area, the Service must interpret the maritime story with its devotion to duty, its hazards, and its tragedies. Interpretive exhibits pertaining to this facet of the Park story should be located in the Visitor Center and at overlooks south of Enderts Beach and near High Bluff. Interpretive personnel assigned to the Park should be familiar with the Brother Jonathan story and the location of the Brother Jonathan Cemetery; the history and location of the Crescent City and St. George Reef Lighthouses; and the Redding Rock Light. While these are not in the Park, they are valuable resources for interpreting the theme—man and the sea.

The Tsunami of 1964 will arouse the visitor's interest. Exhibits describing the Tsunami whould be located in both the Visitor Center and at an overlook south of Enderts Beach. From the overlook, on a clear day, the visitor can look northwest into the section of Crescent City hardest hit by this disaster.

The story of the floods should also be told at the Visitor Center and in the field. In the field the ideal site would be at the south abutment to the Douglas Bridge, where the Golden Bears stand guard. If the south abutment and the Golden Bears are included in the Park, they must be entered on the List of Classified Structures.