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Eureka Waterfront Litigation Collection
1999.14
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Title: Eureka Waterfront Litigation Collection
Dates: 1844-1980s
Collection Number: 1999.14
Creator/Collector:
City of Eureka
Extent: 7 cubic feet plus oversized items
Repository:
Humboldt State University Library
Arcata, California 95521-8299
Abstract: In 1968 a lawsuit was filed against the City of Eureka to determine who had legal ownership of land on the Eureka Waterfront.
During the 13 year span of the case, Lazio v. City of Eureka, also known as the Eureka Tidelands Case, the law firm engaged
by the City conducted extensive historical research on the complex history of the question. Their “evidence” included copies
of original deeds and lawsuits dating back to before the establishment of the City. These documents, along with copies of
many historical maps as well as a series of contemporary aerial photographs and archaeological findings commissioned for the
case, are included in the collection which was donated by the City of Eureka to the Humboldt State University Library in 1984.
Language of Material: English
The collection is open for research.
Copyright has not been assigned to Humboldt State University. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce in any format,
please contact the Special Collections Librarian.
Eureka Waterfront Litigation Collection. Humboldt State University Library
In 1984 the City of Eureka donated the collection of documents, maps and photographs used as evidence in the Eureka tidelands
litigation known as Lazio v. City of Eureka.
Scope and Content of Collection
In 1968 a lawsuit was filed against the City of Eureka to determine who had legal ownership of land on the Eureka Waterfront.
During the 13 year span of the case, the Eureka City Attorney, Melvin Johnsen, obtained assistance from the law firm Nossam,
Kreuger and Marsh in Los Angeles. They conducted extensive historical research on the complex history of the question which
is rooted in federal swamp lands as well as state tidelands law and cases. Their “evidence” included copies of original deeds
and lawsuits dating back to before the establishment of the City, newspaper excerpts, town trustees minutes, city council
minutes, etc. These documents, along with copies of many historical maps as well as a series of contemporary aerial photographs
and archaeological findings commissioned for the case, are included in the collection.
The collection came with a detailed list of the items used as exhibit evidence in the lawsuit. Donated items were numbered
and checked off on this list, referred to as the List of Exhibits. This is the essential tool for using the collection and
it dictated the arrangement of the collection into two series, the print documents and the maps and aerial photographs. The
List of Exhibits is available in the HSU Library Humboldt Room; it is not online.
There are two additional groups of items not included in the List of Exhibits, although they were assigned identifying designations
by the collection creator. One group is the Defendants Exhibits A-JJJJ. These are in Box 6, Red Binders 1 and 2, with a List
of Defendants’ Exhibits A-JJJJ at the front of Red Binder 1. The second group carries a “2-xx” notation. These are in Boxes
7 and 9 (plus a few items in Folder 7 of the collection map filing drawer) and have been described by staff when processing
the collection. Copies of both of these lists are located in the HSU Library Humboldt Room, along with the List of Exhibits.
It is necessary to use the List of Exhibits to identify items within the collection.
Eureka (Calif.) – History
Harbors
Shipping
Docks
Humboldt Bay
Submerged Lands
Lumber Trade
Lumbering