Blue Lake Museum facts for kids
| Location | 330 Railroad Avenue Blue Lake, California |
|---|---|
| Type | History |
The Blue Lake Museum is a cool place in Blue Lake, California. It's found in an old train station! This museum shows off pictures and items from the early days of Blue Lake. You can learn about the first settlers, local Native American history, logging, and railroads.
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Discovering the Blue Lake Museum
In 1883, three brothers named Francis, Anton, and Joseph Korbel started the Arcata & Mad River Railroad. This railroad was built to help their lumber company. It moved lots of redwood lumber from the Mad River area to cities like San Francisco. The railroad also carried people and goods every day to Arcata and other places.
Many people say this railroad was super important for Blue Lake's early success. It helped the town grow and connect with the outside world. The building where the Blue Lake Museum is now used to be a train station for this railroad. It was also the town's post office for a while! Today, the railroad is recognized as a special California State Historic Landmark.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Arcata & Mad River Railroad Depot now serves as the Blue Lake Museum. It's a free museum open to everyone! It focuses on trains, logging, and what life was like in the Mad River Valley long ago.
The museum has many interesting items from the time when the redwood logging business was booming. You can see a special collection of Native American basketry. These baskets were collected by Ruth Everding Libbey. There's also a room dedicated to the Korbel and Northern Redwood Lumber Company. The museum has lots of resources for anyone who wants to learn more about the area's history.
How the Museum Operates
Local volunteers keep the museum running and help visitors. The museum gets its money from people who become members, donations, and special events. It is usually open from April through September. You can also visit in the winter by making an appointment.
Important Artifacts: The Basket Collection
The museum has a very important collection of Native American basket hats. These hats are from the Yurok and Hoopa tribes. In January 2012, some of these old basket hats were taken from the museum.
Luckily, a shop owner in Eureka recognized the hats. They quickly told the police. Thanks to this person, the authorities were able to get the hats back. Now, these valuable pieces of history are safe again at the museum for everyone to see and learn from.
