April 5, 2011

By Dave Lambert
Imagine if you will, a green carpet of tall trees extending inland from the Pacific Coast to the Seiad Valley. Scattered here and there are natural meadows and lush grasslands where herds of elk and deer graze peacefully. This pristine wilderness abounded with wildlife of many kinds, Grizzlies, cougar, wolves, wolverine., lynx, black bear and many others co-existed here.

Winding through this paradise is an emerald green river of volcanic origin, which is teeming with life. Salmon, sturgeon, steelhead, eel’s shad and suckers all ascend this powerful waterway to spawn and replenish their species. Eagles, ospreys, ducks, otters and mink all proliferated along it shores. This is the river Klamath!

Originating in eastern Oregon, it flows south into upper and lower Klamath Lakes where the Klamath Tribe lives, whom the river is named after. It then flows southwest for several hundred miles where it merges with the Trinity River. From there it swings due west and continues on to tend the long, winding journey by emptying in to the Pacific Ocean.
The native peoples who called this paradise home had lived in harmony with nature for hundreds of years. They had never heard a loud, unnatural sound, such as a gunshot, the ruble of a jet passing overhead or the roar of a combustible engine. Pollution as we know it was unknown.

Life was not exactly effortless but all necessities could be secured without undue hardship. It seemed to them that the Great Spirit had smiled upon this land of the river called Klamath.

There is some evidence of foreigners cohabiting with Indians long before the coming of the miners. It is known that trappers and traders were here by the turn of the 18th century because of the abundant beaver, mink, muskrat, bobcat and many other fur bearing animals. When this fur trade was at its peak this was the disputed territory of several fur trading companies. In 1850, when gold was discovered in the ancient alluvial gravel deposits along the river, life quickly changed for all the inhabitants of the area. With the gold seekers came progress and the inevitable taming of the area. The U.S, Government was eager to add the freshly mined gold to its treasury and the miners no time to exploiting to the extreme. Claims were staked on every patch of high bar and gravel deposit that could be found. There were the natural flats and benches along the stream bank that just so happened to be where the village sites were also located. The rich layer of topsoil was the first to get washed down through the sluice boxes. This was followed by the gold bearing gravel and boulders and eventually to bedrock where the much hoped for giant nuggets would be found.

Chinese miners began arriving and as they had previous experience at mining were very successful in procuring the gold they had come

March 26, 2011

Happy Camp will be 150 years old in July
April 1, 2001 by Debbie Wilkinson
This speech was given at the opening ceremony for the Bigfoot Scenic Byway on April 1, 2001
Hello. For those who do not know me, I am Debbie Wilkinson, President of the Happy Camp Chamber of Commerce. We wish to welcome you to today’s celebration. After a couple of short speeches we will have a ceremonial ribbon cutting to dedicate and officially open the Happy Camp end of the Bigfoot Scenic Byway. The ribbon cutting will be followed by a parade, food, fun and games. We will have balloon shaving; an egg toss and an egg carry race, as well as music by Happy Camp’s own Genuine Draft band. So stay around for the fun.
Today will mark the beginning of a summer of celebration, for this July will mark 150 years since the first group of miners stopped at the mouth of Indian Creek, approximately ½ mile from here, and found more than enough gold to stay on. In the years following, our little town has fluctuated in both prosperity and population. We have seen boom and bust, flood and firestorms, and we have survived it all.
Though Happy Camp has survived a great many trials and world changes in its first century and a half, the face of our home has changed little where it matters most: the heart and soul of our town, the people who have chosen to make it their home. Let’s give ourselves a hand — we deserve it for despite those who would say otherwise, we have survived and we will continue to survive.¦ I fully expect that in another 150 years yet another generation will gather here in Happy Camp to celebrate Happy Camp’s 300th anniversary. There will be new faces and new names, but we will still be here, in our little valley, with new stories that tell the world –We have survived.
As I said, today will kick off a summer of celebration. The festivities will continue in July with our first Annual River Run Bike Rally, which will be held at the River Park on the 6th, 7th and 8th. The summer will end with Happy Camp’s Annual Bigfoot Jamboree on Labor Day weekend. Anybody or group who wishes to participate in either event should contact the Happy Camp Chamber of Commerce or the Happy Camp Coordinating Council. As always, new faces and new ideas are always welcomed.
Today is about history, and Bigfoot has been with us from the first. Along with mining tales and the other stories that have added color to our history, this legendary creature has helped to shape our image. Here with a short history of Bigfoot is a man that everybody knows, Karuk Tribal Council Vice-Chairman and Chamber of Commerce Past President, Harvey Shinar. Harvey€¦
[At this point, Harvey Shinar gave his speech about Bigfoot legends and the inspiration for the Bigfoot Scenic Byway. –Ed.]
Thank You, Harvey.
Today is also about the blending of modern travel with that history. Today’s family often chooses to forgo the joys of the destination resorts such as Disney Land, in favor of trips into the wilds of America. This interest prompted different levels of government to institute several scenic byway programs. The State of Jefferson Scenic Byway and The newly designated Bigfoot Scenic Byway are both part of the US forest Service’s programs. Here to tell us some more is the Klamath National Forest Supervisor, Peg Boland, Peg¦
[Peg Boland spoke about the development and completion of the Bigfoot Scenic Byway. –ed.]
Thank You Peg
Today’s Celebration is not just happening here in Happy Camp. In a couple of minutes, at 1:00 sharp, in Orleans, in Hoopa and here in Happy Camp this Red Ribbon will be cut. This ribbon cutting will not only celebrate our newest Scenic Byway, but will also celebrate a new beginning for our river communities: The beginning of a new, river long, collaboration of communities and governments. Separate, our voices are small, together we can move mountains. Together we can be a power to reckon with.
Now for the event of the day: Perhaps Mike can give us a drum roll as we prepare to cut the ribbon.
[At this point, we turned our attention to the red ribbon held across Highway 96 in front of the bank’s parking lot. –ed.]