SUSIE VAN KIRK
HISTORIC RESOURCES CONSULTANT
P.O. BOX 568
BAYSIDE, CA 95524
707-822-6066
svkirk@humboldt1.com
CHRONOLOGY OF SUSIE BAKER FOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER WORK
3/31/04
4/6/04
4/8/04
5/14/04
printed 5/19/04
additions 8/19/04
BLA (19 June 1948) "Blue Lake In Years Gone By"
Mrs. Eugene Fountain of Blue Lake, who is engaged in historical research
of
early day history and events of this section, is preparing a column of
news
for the Advocate gathering from early day files of the paper,
which will
be printed from time to time for the edification of our newer people,
who, we
feel certain, will be interested in the way early-day people lived and
what
they did. This week's items are taken from the Advocate files of
60 years
ago.
[This series appeared initially without a by-line, but by the 17 July
1948 issue
the words "By Mrs. Eugene Fountain" appeared below "Blue
Lake
In Years Gone By." These columns were verbatim quotes from historic
issues
of the Advocate and appeared in chronological order, beginning
with 1888
when the paper was first published and proceeding through those early
years.
Captions were added to identify the subjects of the columns. For
example, the
column of 25 July 1957 which covered items from the 16 October 1909
issue of
the Advocate, these captions appeared: A Honeymoon Trip to New
River,
Shingle Mill at Trinidad, New Engineer at Korbel, Frightened to Death,
Bucksport
Titles Conferred, Hoopa Indian Victories, Sheep Herded to Market, Dr.
Minor's
New Home.
After Susie took a vacation in June 1958, Wava DeMotte continued the
column.
Up until the summer of 1966, when the Fountains moved to Berkeley, Susie
compiled
or wrote five different series and wrote many special features on local
history,
all of which were carried in the Advocate.]
BLA (23 Dec. 1954) "First Explorers Observed Christmas In Humboldt in 1849" By Mrs. Eugene F. Fountain, Historian.
BLA (3 Feb. 1955) "The Story of Blue Lake" Mrs. Eugene F.
Fountain,
Historian.
This issue we are publishing the Prelude to "The Story of Blue
Lake' written
by Mrs. Eugene F. Fountain, widely known historical research author and
lecturer.
This story of the development of the City of Blue Lake portrays in
graphic manner
the lives and accomplishments of the people who opened Northern
California to
settlement, and is written in an interesting style by a writer who has
painstakingly
assembled a great store of material heretofore unpublished. In addition,
Mrs.
Fountain has used some of the better-known early-day historical books
and articles
for references in compiling this most easily read story.
Many readers will undoubtedly wish to make a scrap book record with the
installments
of the story. Be sure to start with this week's issue and do not miss an
installment
of this story of the coming of civilization to this part of Humboldt
County.
AU (27 April, 11 May, 25 May, 8 June, 22 June, 6 July, 20 July, 3
August, 24
August, and 21 Sept., 1956) Susie Baker Fountain wrote a series of
articles
in the Arcata Union that addressed the individual buildings that
appeared
on the 1857 Kuchel and Dressel lithograph of Arcata. In each article,
Mrs. Fountain
provided a detailed history of one of the buildings, along with a
reproduction
of the building's image from the lithograph.
The Editor's Note accompanying the first article introduced the series:
"This
is the first article in a series of articles which will appear at
regular intervals
describing historical material in the Arcata area. The series has been
especially
arranged for the Arcata Union by Mrs. Eugene Fountain, noted
local historian"
(AU 27 April 1956).
In introducing the series, Mrs. Fountain wrote: "In the days when
Arcata
was still known as Union, it was visited by a group of men from San
Francisco
whose work was unheralded at the time, but the value of which continues
to increase
with every passing year. Thanks to their efforts, the present generation
can
share some of the views familiar to the pioneers a hundred years ago.
These
artists, connected with the firm of Kuchel and Dressel of San Francisco,
were
the forerunners of our modern photographers. From their drawings on
stone, fifteen
lithographs were made, one of which accompanies this article. Only five
structures
remain today of the fifteen included in the set of illustrations, and
only three
of the five are in their original locations."
BLA (1 Nov. 1956) "The Story of Blue Lake" identified the column, but Susie was writing about people and events beyond Blue Lake and the following issue, 18 Nov. 1956, the title changed to "Early Days of Humboldt."
BLA (8 Nov. 1956) "Early Days of Humboldt" Mrs. Eugene F. Fountain, Historian. The subject of this week's column, with photos, was Ole Torgersen and the Life Saving Station on the Peninsula.
BLA (15 Nov. 1956) "Early Days of Humboldt" Mrs. Eugene F. Fountain, Historian. "John Vance and Essex"
BLA (5 Sept. 1957) "Advocate Award Accepted by Mrs. E.
Fountain"
The Blue Lake Advocate received the California State Fair and
Exposition
Bronze Medal award in the Press Top Story classification for their
series on
Blue lake and early Humboldt County history. Shown receiving the plaque
at the
Governor's Dinner in Sacramento Saturday from Governor Goodwin J. Knight
is
Mrs. Eugene Fountain. Her weekly series of articles on "Early Days
of Humboldt"
based on extensive personal research was the prize winning story.
More than 1,000 representatives of newspaper, radio, television,
magazine, trade
publications and advertising enterprises attended the event….
The Blue Lake Advocate won the State Fair Public Service Award in
1954
for its special edition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the
founding
of the Arcata and Mad River Railroad, and also holds the Benjamin
Franklin Award.
Dr. and Mrs. Fountain drove to Vallejo Friday to the home of their son
and daughter-in-law,
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Fountain and then went on to the State Fair Grounds
in
Sacramento on Saturday in time to attend the Governor's dinner honoring
press-television-radio
executives. Representing the Blue Lake Advocate as award winners,
they
were seated at the honor table….
BLA (29 May 1958) "In Memoriam to Blue Lake Pioneers" by Mrs.
Eugene
F. Fountain, Historian. Four pages of photo and text, including a
drawing of
Scottsville by Dr. Fountain, who was in charge of sketches and
contemporary
photography.
BLA (5 June 1958) Historian To Take Vacation (with familiar photo of
Susie
in the hat)-Mrs. Eugene F. Fountain, Blue Lake's beloved historian, is
going
to take a well deserved vacation for the summer. She has been doing
intensive
historical research for about 10 years, and has been writing special
weekly
historical articles for the Blue Lake Advocate since February
1955 and
has been the Advocate's guest editor for several special
historical editions.
Such organizations as the California Historical Society, the College of
the
Pacific's "Library of Western Americana," the Huntington
Library,
and others continue to give recognition to Mrs. Fountain's research and
writings.
R.R. Stuart, Director of the California History Foundation, comments
that Mrs.
Fountain's writing is fresh, honest, original, and charming.
Mrs. Fountain will resume her research and writing this fall, which we
know
will please her many interested followers.
[Wava DeMotte continued the "Blue Lake In Years Gone By"
items]
BLA (9 July 1959) Historical Society To Meet In Blue Lake Tuesday; Early Pictures To Be Shown By Dr. And Mrs. Fountain. [Three pages of historic photos]
BLA (24 Dec. 1959) "The French Christmas Eve" by Mrs. Eugene F. Fountain
BLA (14 Jan. 1960) "Out Of The Shadows" by Mrs. Eugene F. Fountain. [This appears to be first column under this title. The last title appeared on 14 Jan. 1961. The 26 Jan. 1961 issue began a series titled "Pioneers of the Past" by Howard Melendy. This series continued to January 1964.
BLA (9 Jan. 1964) Susie Baker Fountain's Manuscript "The
Settlement Of
The Humboldt Bay Region in 1850"-Publication of Susie Baker
Fountain's
manuscript, "The Settlement of the Humboldt Bay Region in
1850" will
start in next week's edition (January 16th) of the Blue Lake
Advocate.
Originally planned to be issued in book form, the work will deal with
the first
claims in the Eureka-Arcata area, presenting material, which has been
thoroughly
researched by Mrs. Fountain and secured from sources, which were made
available
to her, which had not been previously explored by other historians.
As with other series of historical materials published in the
Advocate
readers are urged to preserve the valuable manuscript, as many do,
clipping
and mounting the weekly chapter in book form.
The Advocate welcomes the return of Susie Baker Fountain as
writer-researcher
in this most important phase of early day Humboldt history, with much
new material
to enrich our knowledge of county's beginning.
BLA (9 June 1964) Last column of "The Settlement Of The Humboldt Bay Region in 1850"
BLA (3 April 1969) Last issue of the Blue Lake Advocate
