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Trinidad History

Seekers of treasure of all kinds ... discover Trinidad

The Tsurai (Cher-eye) Indians discovered it over 350 years ago. The settlement of ten to twelve houses supported all the necessities as well as providing facilities for ceremonial brush dances and burial grounds. And their descendants are still here.

A Portuguese sea captain, Sebastian Rodriguez Cermeno, discovered Trinidad Bay in 1595. Many years later, it was discovered again by Spanish captains, Heceta and Bodega, on Trinity Sunday, June 9, 1775. They named the port La Santisima Trinidad and claimed the area for Spain. Visiting Trinidad in 1793, Captain George Vancouver found the natives "friendly and courteous ..." Russian and other seafaring fur traders found safe harbor in Trinidad Bay in the early 1800's.

In December of 1849, Josiah Gregg and seven companions discovered Trinidad after a month-long struggle over the mountains from the gold fields and the rush was on. Trinidad became a boomtown! Gold-seekers from all over the world used Trinidad as a supply port for mines on the Klamath, Trinity, and Salmon rivers — goods, gear and miners were off-loaded, and lumber to build San Francisco was on-loaded for the trip back. The City of Trinidad was officially incorporated in 1870 - making it one of the first cities in California.

Trinidad Harbor later became the only local seaport to ship lumber from area sawmills. In the early 1900s, Trinidad Pier served as a whaling station. Today, our dedicated little fleet of fisherman catch Dungeness crab, salmon, lingcod and a variety of rockfish. Trinidad Pier is the northernmost oceanfront pier in California and it's one of the main sportfishing boat launching sites on the West Coast.

The Trinidad Head Light Station ( #123857376 ) is on the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program: California MPS. The following State Historical Landmarks are in Trinidad: Trinidad Head (#146), Town of Trinidad (#216), and the Old Indian Village of Tsurai (#838). The Yurok village of Tsurai was located directly below the #838 Marker. "A prehistoric permanent Indian community, it was first located and described by Captains Bodega and Heceta, June 9-19, 1775. The houses were of hand-split redwood planks, designed for defense and protection. The village was occupied until 1916. Location: SW corner of Ocean and Edwards Sts, Trinidad"

Seekers of treasure of all kinds — gold, timber, whale, ﬁsh, crab, recreation, burls, history, beauty, the good-life - have discovered Trinidad. Now it’s your turn - discover Trinidad.

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