Crannell, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Crannell
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21st century Crannell is on private land at the end of Crannell Road from Highway 101.
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 Crannell
Location in California
Crannell
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Humboldt County |
| Elevation | 203 ft (62 m) |
Crannell is a place in Humboldt County, California. It used to be a busy town. Crannell is about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) southeast of Trinidad. It sits about 203 feet (62 meters) above sea level.
Crannell has had several names over time. These include Bullwinkel, Bulwinkle, Crannel, and Camp Nine. Today, it is no longer a town but a private area.
Contents
What Was Crannell?
Crannell was once a special kind of town called a company town. This means a company owned most of the homes and stores. The town was built for workers of the Little River Redwood Company. This company made lumber from redwood trees.
How Crannell Started
The Little River Redwood Company was formed in 1893. Its main office was far away in New York. The company started its sawmill in California in 1908. A post office opened in 1909. It was first named Bulwinkle after a landowner. In 1922, the town was renamed Crannell. This new name honored Levi Crannell, the company's president.
Life in Crannell
The town of Crannell had homes for workers. It also had offices and a General Store. The company built dams on the Little River. These dams helped move logs. The town was a busy center for logging.
The Railroad's Role
Railroads were very important for Crannell. The Northwestern Pacific Railroad reached Crannell in 1911. It helped move lumber and people. The Little River Redwood Company also built its own railway. This was the Humboldt Northern Railway. It moved company goods directly to Samoa, California.
Changes Over Time
In 1931, the Little River Redwood Company joined with Hammond Lumber Company. The new company was called Hammond-Little River Redwood Company, Ltd. Hammond Lumber Company sometimes called Crannell "Camp Nine."
The Northwestern Pacific Railroad stopped service north of Arcata in 1933. Hammond Lumber Company then used parts of the old tracks. They used the Humboldt Northern Railway to Samoa. But this railway was taken apart in 1948. This happened after big fires damaged its wooden bridges in 1945.
A part of the old Humboldt Northern Railway is now a walking and biking path. It is called the Hammond Trail. It goes through McKinleyville.
Crannell Today
In 1956, Hammond Lumber Company became part of Georgia-Pacific Corporation. The worker homes in Crannell were taken down in 1969. But the area was still used. It became a place to store and fix equipment for forestry work.
Over the years, the land changed owners several times. It was owned by Louisiana-Pacific Corporation. Then, Simpson Timber Company bought the property in 1998. Later, around 2004, it became part of Green Diamond Resource Company. Green Diamond now calls the forested land around Crannell the "Crannell Tree Farm."
Images for kids
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This picture shows a logging crew at Camp Seven, part of the Little River Redwood Company near Crannell.
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This map from 1945 shows Crannell in the lower right corner.
