Timber Heritage Association
Preserving Humboldt County's Timber History since 1977
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Virtual Museum / Locomotives / Elk River Mill and Lumber Company #1
Elk River Mill and Lumber Company #1
Builder/Year: Marshutz & Cantrell 1884
Type: 0-4-0t
Weight: 9 tons
Construction #:
Location: Fort Humboldt SHP
Satus: operational
This "gypsy" type locomotive was purchased by Noah Falk in San Francisco and brought by ship to Arcata, CA. It was first used to haul logs at the Dolly Varden Mill in north Arcata until moved to Falk, California in 1885. Used on the Elk River Mill & Lumber Co. railroad, it was the only locomotive until 1903. In 1900 the railroad was extended five miles up a canyon to new timber. The grade required a larger locomotive and No. 1 was relegated to switching duties near the mill when No. 2 arrived in 1903. In 1927 a third locomotive was purchased and the Falk was retired (No. 3 is in the THA collection but in the 1950s it was converted to a diesel--Mutual Plywood No. 54).
The Falk was given to the city of Eureka, California, for use in a 1937 Fourth of July parade operating on street car tracks on Second Street in Eureka. It was then displayed at Fort Humboldt and given to the State of California when the military fort became a state park. Restored by Association volunteer labor and State Parks funding in 1986, it operates monthly during the summer at Fort Humboldt State Historic Park Logging Exhibit. Owned by the City of Eureka, loaned to California State Parks. There are only 12 locomotives anywhere in the U.S. or Canada that are older than the Falk that still operate.