A Little Town Called "Falk"

[Wayne Sheldon]

My wife, Linda, recently posted a number of photographs on a Facebook group devoted to photographs and history of Humboldt County in Northern California.
I just want to share how proud I am of her and her accomplishment. Given the narrow focus of the group, it amazed me that in less than four days, she has received over five hundred "Likes" as well as numerous remembrances posted from other people with a family history from the small town of Falk.

Some background.
In a way out of the way Northern coastal California, a long time ago was a small lumber town known as "Falk" in Humboldt County, California. A hundred or more miles from almost anywhere, even the small bay city of Eureka itself was nearly thirty miles away, a large lumber mill with its own railroads and employing hundreds of men, housing and supplying their families, was built. Close on the heals of the Gold Rush to California, were people wanting to build upon the nation a new West. Lumber was needed, in huge amounts. In this out of the way area, was what appeared to be an inexhaustible supply of lumber. Here, Noah Falk, and later two of his brothers, forged their small empire.
Sailing and steam ships carried Falk lumber to points North and South, building much of the San Francisco and Oakland areas. They also supplied a lot of the lumber necessary to rebuild after the 1906 Earthquake.
Although not directly related to the Falk family, Linda (my wife) is quite proud of her connections to the historic town of Falk! (And rightfully so!) A few of her great grandparents worked and lived there, also great uncles and aunts. Both of Linda's mother's parents grew up in the town as children, and went to schools in the town. Her Finnish great grandparents immigrated to there in the 1890s, along with many others from the old country. As a teenager around 1920, Linda's grandmother worked in the cookhouse in Falk. Linda's grandfather left the town to attend high school, but returned later to live and work there for several years. Somewhere along the line, he married his Finnish girlfriend and had a family. Linda's mother and aunt lived their earlier years growing up in the town of Falk.
Times and needs were changing, but it was the crash and following depression that pretty much ended the mill in Falk. Little by little, the workers and families left the town, with only a few maintenance people left behind. Linda's grandfather maintained friendships with the site caretaker well into the 1960s, as well as many of the families he had known from growing up in the small company town. He loved to tell stories about the place and the people, and had many many photographs that had been taken from the town's heydays.

The era photos that Linda shared were from her grandfather's personal collection, handed down through her mother then to Linda. They included school children, (including her grandfather at about eight years of age?), and some of the children's mothers. Other pictures showed seldom seen views of one of the company's lumber camps, and the main mill yard.
She is proud of her family's history, and I am proud of her.
Just wanted to share that with some of my friends that also appreciate history.

[RVA23T]

hows about a link to the FB?

[Wayne Sheldon]

Well, let us see. I usually avoid Facebook, but in many ways Linda is smarter than I am, so with her help, maybe I can post links to the photos. I doubt that a link to the general thread site will work as access to it is limited.

Falk camp nine was a short distance from the main town of Falk.
Camp nine, some cabins and the camp nine cookhouse;

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=106 ... 4960130110

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=106 ... 4960130110

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=106 ... 4960130110

[Wayne Sheldon]

Well, that sort of worked. It appears that all three links can be followed to all three of the photos.
This next one is of a small area of the town of Falk. It shows some larger buildings, and some of the lumber stacks being readied to be shipped out.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10 ... 9636296713


Some of the children of Falk. Linda's grandfather is the tall one in the front row, second from viewer's right. Names of other children are written on the back of the original photo many years ago by Linda's grandfather.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10 ... 9636296713


The same kids, maybe the same day? Some of the mothers are standing behind the kids in this photo.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10 ... 9636296713

[RVA23T]

Thanks for the links, neat to look at!

[Burger in Spokane]

That's where I went to college !