Buhne Crypt

At the Buhne crypt

At the corner of the Buhne crypt

CAPT. HENRY H. BUHNE

"That he was one of the first white men to arrive in Humboldt county is evidenced by the fact that Captain Buhne sailed through the bar into Humboldt bay on the 9th of April, 1850, and by the further fact that he piloted the Laura Virginia into the bay not long afterward, this being the first American vessel to cross the bar. Although still a young man at the time he first cast anchor at Eureka, already he had sailed the high seas into practically every part of the world and had gained much experience in whaling expeditions that took him over the Southern Pacific waters. As a boy he had been trained in maritime pursuits under his father,. a seafaring man whose skill in carrying his craft through stormy seas descended to the son and impelled him to enter the same occupation. Practically all of his youth was passed in Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein, then a part of Denmark, now a German province, his birth having occurred there June 27, 1822, and his schooling having been secured in its institutions of learning. At the age of sixteen he secured a post as a cabin boy on an ocean-going steamship. The benefit of his training with his father soon became apparent and led to his promotion the following year. A cruise on a whaler took him into the south seas and it was not until early in 1845 that he returned to the old home in Denmark.

Appreciating the necessity of more thorough training in navigation, the young sailor entered a school June 7, 1845, and continued his studies until October 20, of the same year, when he was awarded his diploma. Through this course of practical study he was able to secure a berth as first mate on a whaler that sailed for the south October 28, 1845, and during that eventful voyage he suffered shipwreck on the Cape Verde islands, but was fortunately rescued with his companions in danger and in May, 1846, he arrived safely at Hamburg. Later he shipped on the whaler Clementine for the Arctic ocean. In the course of this voyage he landed in San Francisco for the first time in November, 1847. The town was very small, for it was before the discovery of gold and the cosmopolitan throngs soon to enter its port had not yet been attracted by the lure of the supposed fortunes in the mines. With the advent of mining as the chief industry the Captain retired from the sea and tried his luck at Auburn, Cal., where, however, he found nothing to. repay him for his trouble. Returning to the life of the sailor he came to Humboldt county and piloted vessels across the bar with a whale-boat, besides being in charge of the tug boat Mary Ann. In addition to many years of experience in piloting he engaged in the lumber business in the early days, acquiring tracts of cheap lands and later built up a large hardware business in Eureka. Of his children five are now living, namely : Henry H., Mrs. W. P. Pratt, Georgia, Mrs. Kenneth Newitt and Alexander H. In the early develop-men work he was a leading spirit, devoting a great deal of time to furthering sound projects that were calculated to be of the greatest good to the city and community. With his death, October 26, 1894, there passed from the county one of its earliest settlers and most loyal citizens, a man whose splendid business ability had been utilized in the amassing of a valuable estate and who was generally regarded as one of the most substantial business men in this section of the state. Possessing extraordinary individuality and mental power, he rose above every handicap of poor educational advantages, unfamiliarity with the customs of the people of America and a stranger even to the language, and out of poverty he gleaned independence and prominence. Such men as he formed the basis of the present prosperity and growing influence of Humboldt county."

Courtesy: In accordance with terms of use from humboldt.edu for non-commercial use citing, "History of Humboldt County, California : with Illustrations Descriptive of it's Scenery, Farms, Residences, Public Buildings, Factories, Hotels, Business Houses, Schools, Churches, etc., from Original Drawings, including Biographical Sketches." Circa 1881.