“…if I build it poorly, they would say that I was a damned miser; if I build it expensively, they will say I'm a show off; guess I'll just build it to suit myself.”
William Carson - about his home
We spent out first day in Eureka touring the town itself. We’ve been told to see the Carson Mansion and the Pink Lady across the street. The Carson Mansion was built for William Carson who left Canada for San Francisco during the gold rush in 1849. Here working in the gold industry, he and some friends moved north to actually join the gold rush and landed in the Eureka area. But, when gold was difficult to find, he found lumber and with a friend began to fell trees for the lumber mills growing in the area. He continued and went into the lumber business. As you can see from this house, he did quite well in milling. He had expanded from one mill to many, from Eureka to southern California and had also invested in schooners used to transport his lumber.
He wanted a home to showcase wood and he certainly got it. It cost $80,000 took 2 years to build and employed 100 of his men to build it during a slowdown in the lumber industry. It sure does show how wood can be used. It is 16,200 sq. ft with 3 floors and a tower. He then built a home across the street as a wedding gift for his son and new wife. This one is called the Pink Lady - for obvious reasons.
We’d love to tour the home but the Carson Mansion was bought by a private club in 1950 when the family sold all their holdings in Eureka.
We walked along the waterfront and, just like Sacramento and hundreds of towns throughout America, Eureka has redeveloped the water front to be the highlight of the town, to be the draw, to be the amenity. Here you can find a multitude of shops selling everything from herb stores to furniture to food to gifts.
But, this is a working waterfront, after all and we found the lobster traps to prove this. They were lining the waterfront.
The town is in the process of making the waterfront into a tourist area and has added several art pieces.
And what is a walk along the waterfront without a picture of the water?
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