In and Around the Arena: The 100-Year History of the Fortuna Rodeo

By Susan J.P. O’Hara and Alex Service

Explore the history of the Fortuna Rodeo from its origins in 1921 up to the present day with this intriguing history packed with photographs and lore of Humboldt County, California.

The rodeo continues as a mainstay of Fortuna, with the 2020 event being the first to be canceled since the end of World War II. In addition to the rodeo itself, this book paints a portrait of the history and growth of a small California town over the past century.

Hundreds of photographs from the collections of community members, local museums, universities, and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum illustrate the text. Among the many never-before-published images is a photograph from the collection of the Rodoni family showing the 1961 Fortuna Rodeo’s salute to “old cowboys” who had ridden in the rodeos of the 1920s.

The book also features images created by Fortuna photographer Rudy Gillard, a rodeo board member and official photographer of the Fortuna Rodeo, between 1955 and 1981.

Dedicated to the Fortuna Rodeo board and to all who have participated in the Fortuna Rodeo, you’ll find In and Around the Arena a fascinating read.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Jan 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665708425

Susan J.P. O’Hara

Susan O’Hara and Alex Service have collaborated on several writing projects on the history of Humboldt County, California. Service is curator of the Fortuna Depot Museum and earned her doctorate in medieval studies from the University of York in England. O’Hara earned a master’s in history from U.C. Santa Barbara and is a teacher in Southern Humboldt County. Funds raised through the sale of this book will benefit the Fortuna Depot Museum. Established in 1976 as the City of Fortuna’s U.S. Bicentennial project, the museum’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history of the Eel River Valley.

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 Susan J.P. O’Hara and Alex Service.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,

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except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Archway Publishing

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expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0843-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0841-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0842-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021912599

Archway Publishing rev. date:12/10/2021

CONTENTS

DEDICATION

ROOTS OF THE FORTUNA RODEO

THE ROARING TWENTIES

THE GREAT DEPRESSION: THE 1930S

WORLD WAR II: THE 1940S

A DECADE OF GROWTH: THE 1950S

A DECADE OF CHANGE: THE 1960S

CHANGE AND CONTINUITY: THE 1970S

CHALLENGE AND COMMUNITY: THE 1980S

THE PAST AND THE FUTURE: THE 1990S

INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

STILL ALIVE AT 95 (AND COUNTING): THE 2010S

EPILOGUE

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Jocelyn and Dean Smith admire Dean’s buckle for junior steer riding in the 1983 Fortuna Rodeo, and perhaps dream of future rodeo adventures. Image courtesy of Mike and Karen Smith.

DEDICATION

The authors would like to dedicate this book to the men and women who have worked to present the Fortuna Rodeo, or competed in the rodeo, over the past 100 years, and to the people of Fortuna who have embraced the rodeo and made it an essential part of this community’s story.

IN APPRECIATION

The authors would like to thank the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum for generously donating many of the images used in this book. They would also like to thank the Humboldt State University Library and Chico State University for donating images used in documenting the history of the Fortuna Rodeo. The authors would also like to take this opportunity to recognize the work of Rudy Gillard in photo-documenting the Fortuna Rodeo for nearly three decades. Additionally, the authors would like to thank the numerous individuals who shared their images of the rodeo and Rodeo Week events, enabling us to more fully illustrate this 100-year history. The authors would finally like to thank the Fortuna Rodeo Association in general, and Shannon McWhorter in particular, for conceiving the idea of this book and making its creation possible. Proceeds will be used to benefit the Fortuna Depot Museum. Unless otherwise noted, images used are from the Fortuna Depot Museum collection.

Among the many to whom specific thanks are due are Kera Newby at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Stefani Baldivia at California State University Chico, Greg Rumney The Old Photo Guy, Jennifer Fumiko Cahill and Holly Harvey at the North Coast Journal, Renee Lindsay at the Fortuna Chamber of Commerce, Mary Bullwinkel, Carol Niles Wood, José Quezada, Lisa Hummel, Becky Giacomini, Jim Garrison and Pam Service at the Humboldt County Historical Society, Lynn Lourenco at the Ferndale Museum, Katie Buesch and Alexandra Cox at the Clarke Historical Museum, Lanore Bergenske with the Six Rivers Running Club, Fortuna Parks and Recreation Department Director Cameron Mull, Kyle Morgan at Humboldt State University Press, and Carolyn A. Delevich and Wendy Platt Hill, both of whom assisted in planning for the book. We extend a special thank you to Roy Curless for sharing his memories of the rodeo to which he has dedicated so much of his life. Literally hundreds of people were involved in the creation of this book, just as many thousands of people over the years have been involved in making the Fortuna Rodeo possible. To any whom we have not thanked here by name, please know that your help has been deeply appreciated.

Finally, a word about spelling: historians are often placed in the position of using the spellings of names found in the written record. Occasionally there are misspellings of names in newspapers, letters, and other sources, and unfortunately, from time to time these misspellings are continued into books. We apologize in advance for any misspellings.

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Rudy Gillard and Patrick O’Dell joke around at the Fortuna Rodeo. Rudy Gillard collection.

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The artist for the 2008 Fortuna Rodeo poster was Roger Rodoni, himself a Fortuna Rodeo participant and member of a multi-generational rodeoing family. The painting depicts Ad Bugenig, who won the Fortuna Rodeo’s local all-around champion saddle in 2015. Courtesy of the Fortuna Rodeo Association.

ROOTS OF THE

FORTUNA RODEO

Located in Northern California, Fortuna is a town seemingly steeped in the redwood logging industry. Yet this community has held a rodeo since 1921, an event that is an integral part of the region’s celebrations of home, community, and country. Thoughts of rodeos and the Wild West seem far from this community surrounded by large redwood trees and rich bottom lands. The word rodeo tends to bring to mind images of the west in Texas, Wyoming or Montana, or paintings by Charles Russell and Frederic Remington. This imagery has also played across the big screen in westerns, in the novels of Louis L’Amour, Zane Grey and Owen Wister, and in country western songs. Mention a rodeo, and the mind conjures up scenes of cowboys roping or on the backs of bucking broncs and bulls. Conversely, views of tall redwoods, ocean beaches, and tree-covered mountains are not generally what come to mind when rodeos are mentioned. However, the roots of ranching in Humboldt County precede all but the earliest rodeos. The history of the Fortuna Rodeo reveals the growth of a town as well as its connections to not only California and the history of the United States but also to the world. It is worthy of understanding as it uncovers the unique aspects of the community and the influences upon its growth as well as the dedication of many people to put on the rodeo each year.

The area around Humboldt Bay was first settled by European-Americans in 1850, and these early settlers were soon supplied with cattle driven up from the Sacramento Valley. Thus the Fortuna Rodeo, although held in a community rooted in the redwood lumber industry, is actually based on a rich ranching tradition as well as on the romance of the Wild West.

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Above, redwoods growing near the Eel River in Humboldt County, Susan O’Hara Collection. Below, cowboy Domingo Zanone poses with his horse and equipment along the Humboldt County coast, north of Petrolia near the Ocean Ranch, in the late 1800s. Swanlund-Baker Collection, Humboldt State University Library.

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The earliest rodeos held in the United States were based on ranching activities, especially the round-up. A rodeo held in Prescott, Arizona on July 4, 1888 is credited with originating many traditional rodeo events such as bronc and bull riding. Rodeos owe much to the roping expertise of vaqueros, including the name given to the event: in Spanish, rodeo means cattle round-up. Friendly competition to see who could ride the rankest animals became another popular aspect of the sport. Rodeos gained popularity in the 1890s as the frontier itself became a thing of the past, and popular shows from Buffalo Bill Cody and others helped create the myth of the Old West. Rodeos sprang up as annual events in many communities, including the California Rodeo, first held in Salinas in 1911. By the 1920s, rodeos had become popular events, larger rodeos being held in eastern cities, including New York City. According to the article on rodeos on the Texas State Historical Association’s Handbook of Texas web site, the rodeo at New York’s Madison Square Garden often lasted for 30 days.

The history of the Fortuna Rodeo, therefore, begins long before 1921, and its success is the result of various historical influences such as pioneer pride, romanticizing of the Old West, the struggle between man and nature, and the wish to escape from modernization.

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Cowboys on a local ranch try out their skills in a do-it-yourself rodeo. Image courtesy of Ronan Rodoni Angelini.

In many ways the history of the Fortuna Rodeo is also the history of Fortuna. The rodeo’s survival is due to the efforts of many businesspeople of the town. The growth of Fortuna is reflected in the rodeo and its annual parades and Rodeo Week events. The story reflects pride in community and country, and also reflects the community’s changing priorities and the impact of larger events such as the World Wars and the Great Depression.

The roots of the Fortuna Rodeo stretch back to the Euro-American settlement of Humboldt County and the early ranchers who settled there. Drawn to California by the lure of gold, many frustrated gold seekers began to explore and settle the farthest reaches of the new state. Some found their pot of gold through raising cattle, feeding the growing cities of San Francisco and Sacramento. The discovery of gold transformed Alta California from a Mexican outpost into a booming state, part of the United States by 1850. California, therefore, did not go through the frontier phase that many other western states experienced in their settlement.

A case in point is the creation of Eureka and other communities in Humboldt County. The year California became a state, a group of entrepreneurs onboard the Laura Virginia sailed into a nearly landlocked bay in Northern California, which they called Humboldt after a famous German scientist and explorer, Alexander von Humboldt. The goal was to create a direct route to the Trinity gold mines, providing supplies to the miners. Soon, however, the settlers also discovered red gold in the form of the giant redwoods. The redwoods were first harvested in the early 1850s; a ready market was to be found in the San Francisco bay area. Mills could soon be found around the bay. The work to log them and cut them into usable lumber was very labor intensive. A large work crew demanded a steady supply of food. The demand was met by many early settlers. Thus, although sometimes overlooked, the ranching history of Humboldt County began simultaneously with the lumber industry, and has a history of its own as rich and as varied as the timber trade. By the time one of the quintessential elements of the Wild West, the cattle drives from Texas to Kansas, began in the years following the Civil War, California in general and Humboldt County in particular already had a diverse economy of lumber, mining, and ranching. Further, California had already experienced its own unique and demanding cattle drives. In 1852 Joseph Russ purchased a herd of cattle in Placerville, herding the animals to Humboldt and his ranch located on Bear River Ridge. Considering the rugged and steep mountains between the two locales, and the lack of roads or trails, this cattle drive was a greater feat than the one between Texas and Kansas, albeit a shorter route. Russ’ descendants still run cattle on the ranges he established. The Sweasey family also drove a herd of cattle with them when they moved to the Eel River Valley in 1855. These cattle were driven overland through the rugged coastal ranges of Northern California; however, other drives were along the dramatic Northern California coastline, where challenges included avoiding dangerous tides and navigating steep cliffs.

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Above, an undated photo shows men herding cows along Second Street in Eureka, near the present day Eagle House hotel. HCC Photos, Humboldt State University Library. Below, a cattle drive along one of California’s rugged north coast beaches is captured in this image from the Viola McBride Educational Trust collection. Herding cattle along the coast line was a way to avoid the steep mountain trails that would take a toll on the well-being of the cattle.

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By 1881 cattle were driven within the county, from outlying ranches to the bigger settlements, often through the county seat and seaport of Eureka. The Humboldt Times described one such drive in January, 1881: It should be understood that nearly all California cattle are ‘wild’—having lived in the mountains or other out of the way places, and that everything except a horse is treated as an enemy. The Times pointed out, The sight of a man on foot, naturally puts them on the defensive; and the running about of children, the barking of dogs, and such noises as are heard in the city may infuriate and make them uncontrollable. The article’s writer suggested, We advise our people always to get out of the way … especially when one of the drivers tells you to do so. Don’t stand in the street. Mr. Russ has several thousand cattle in the northern part of the county; most of them will pass through here—there is no way to go around. Look out! Similarly, in 1891, a Blocksburg correspondent to the Ferndale Enterprise shared in the newspaper that the whole male population seems to be engaged in rodeoing. Russ, Tooby & Prior, J.C. Fairbank’s men and all the rest have been gathering and branding their cattle.

Another staple of stories of the Old West is cattle rustling. This was a problem among local ranchers as recently as 1912, when two men rustled cattle near southeastern Humboldt, selling the cows to a Harry Beard. A local newspaper reported that Elmer Norgard of Covelo and Ernest Tyres of Blocksburg were arrested … near Everett, Washington charged with cattle rustling. Humboldt County has experienced many elements of the Wild West.

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An undated photo shows Joseph Russ I. HCC Photos, Humboldt State University Library.

Ranchers who had survived the trials and tribulations of raising cattle in Humboldt were among the people who began the Fortuna Rodeo. Joining together in 1915, interested cattlemen created the Humboldt Stockmen’s Association. In 1954 a reprint from a 1921 document listed reasons for forming the Stockmen’s Association as production of better beef cattle, for the improvement of marketing conditions and for assisting the cattlemen in solving the many problems encountered in carrying on this industry. Further, the Association endorsed the more extensive use of better sires, [and] cooperation with the Agricultural Extension Service, University of California. Finally, the Association stated, active cooperation is necessary for the life and progress of an organization. In 1923, Stockmen’s Association president H.W. McWhorter explained in the Humboldt Beacon the importance of the beef industry in Humboldt County. McWhorter noted that in the 1920 census, county cattle herds numbered 30,000 and represented a valuation of $1,522,938, a significant portion of the county’s economy. The value of all the domestic animals that same year was $6,305,820. He also pointed out that although animals were being replaced by machines for transportation, stock still remained an important part of daily life. McWhorter emphasized the dedication of the Stockmen, observing that meetings of the association were held in Eureka, with many members traveling many miles … over mountain roads to attend. Soon after its inception, the group began holding annual picnics in 1916 to celebrate their accomplishments; those picnics in turn led to the first rodeo in Fortuna. Many founding members of the Stockmen’s Association had experienced elements of life thought of as being part of the Wild West.

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Joseph Russ II is shown with his bride Sadie Flowers Russ. Image courtesy of the Viola McBride Educational Trust collection.

Two of the most prominent of the ranchers forming the Stockmen’s Association, indeed a driving force in its creation, were the sons of Joseph Russ, William and Joseph. By the 1870s the elder Russ owned fifty thousand acres of ranch land, rivaling some of the largest ranches of any Western state. Russ ran four thousand head of cattle and thirteen thousand head of sheep, along with horses and mules. Joseph Russ died in 1886, but his descendants continue to operate his ranch lands throughout Humboldt County.

Another founding member of the Stockmen’s Association was Robert Porter, one of Joseph Russ’ partners on his ranch lands in eastern Humboldt County. Porter and Russ ran sheep and cattle over 24,000 acres. One of Porter’s interests was organizing the Humboldt Woolen Mills in 1901. His son, also Robert, continued to help in the ranching interests of the family. The Porters operated a ranch of 6500 acres near Blocksburg and one near Iaqua, encompassing 7000 acres. The younger Porter also was a director for the Bank of Eureka.

Benjamin Snodgrass was manager of two of Russ’ large operations as well as his own ranch in the Mattole Valley, and was interested in improving the stock. Snodgrass came to Humboldt County by the way of several large ranches in Idaho and Oregon. As a ranch hand, according to Irvine Leigh’s 1915 biography, he became an expert rider and cattle roper. In 1892 Snodgrass worked on Russ’ What Cheer Ranch and at his Mazeppa ranch. Snodgrass was also foreman for Joseph Russ at the Ocean House Ranch. In 1912 he leased a 3200-acre ranch on the north fork of the Mattole, running 350 head of cattle. Edward Lytel was another employee of the Russ ranches and a founding member of the Stockmen’s Association.

Lytel’s parents had come west in 1885 from Nova Scotia. They built a farm on one of the islands in the Eel River Delta. Lytel first worked for his family, but by 1910, Lytel worked for the Russ ranch at Pacific, along Bear River ridge, as stock manager. In 1915 Edward Lytel married Bertha Russ, one of Joseph Russ the elder’s daughters. Edward or Ted Lytel continued to work for the Russ operations until his death in 1931, at Fern Cottage, the home of Joseph Russ I. Yet another employee of the Russ enterprises was Glen Timmons, who also helped form the association. His father worked as the manager of the slaughter house of Russ and Sons. Later, he owned the Essex ranch north of Arcata.

Founding member Charles Moore had also lived in the Bear River region. He moved to the region from Napa, where his parents had lived after arriving in California from Canada. Moore had worked for a while for the Zem Zem ranch near Napa, learning the skills necessary to operate his own ranch. He identified himself as being a stockman and dealer in cattle in the 1930 census. Another rancher in the Ferndale region, and Stockmen’s Association founding member, was Fred Smith. His father had been a sailor, who had in 1897 become responsible for the lighthouse operations on Table Bluff overlooking Humboldt Bay. Smith himself was engaged in operating a condensed milk factory near Loleta.

In the southern portion of Humboldt County, large ranches were the norm, sheep and cattle populating the ranges. Located near Garberville was another active member of the Stockmen’s Association, Doug Prior, who along with his cousins Frank, Ernest and Ira Tooby, operated the Tooby & Prior Cattle and Land Company, formed in 1902. Prior and his parents came to the Blocksburg area from England in 1874, when Douglas Prior was five years old. When the Priors arrived in Humboldt, they were met by Mrs. Prior’s brother, George Tooby, who had traveled to California from England by way of British Columbia a few years earlier. He had married a fellow immigrant, Louise Hart, and they had homesteaded a ranch in the hills near Blocksburg. His sister, Emily Tooby Prior, after divorcing her husband, remarried in 1879 to Victor Hope, who had also arrived in the Blocksburg area in the 1870s. Hope had worked as a blacksmith and as a cattle drover, driving a herd of cattle from Texas to Nevada. It was on the Hope ranch that Douglas Prior had learned to be a stockman. These skills helped Douglas Prior operate the ranch. The Tooby & Prior ranch boasted 12,000 acres, running both sheep and cattle. This ranch provided much of the rough stock for the first rodeos held in Fortuna.

Another representative of southern Humboldt interests was Walter Perry, who homesteaded a ranch in the Blocksburg region in the 1870s. He, along with his wife, Flora Curless, managed their ranch where they had 1500 head of sheep and some 500 cattle. His sister Ida married George Curless, manager of Z. Russ & Son Company’s ranch at Blocksburg. The Z in the name referred to Joseph Russ’ wife, Zipporah Patrick Russ. After her husband’s 1886 death, Zipporah Russ continued the ranching operations he had begun. She had worked alongside her sons to continue expanding the Russ operations. Perry was elected Vice-President of the Stockmen’s Association in 1916.

East of Bridgeville, John McClellan operated a large ranch his father had started in the 1870s. The ranch encompassed 11,000 acres, with an equal amount of government range on which he raised nearly five thousand head of sheep. In 1914, when John McClellan took over operation of the ranch, he sold off the sheep, as the herds were being devastated by coyotes, according to Irvine Leigh’s 1915 History of Humboldt County. He replaced the sheep with Hereford and Durham cattle. McClellan reported to the Fortuna Advance in 1915 that he was restocking his range in the Bridgeville section with the Finest Herefords and Durhams that can be produced on the coast. Already he has placed some 700 odd head of these fine beef cattle on his range and in a short time will have his ranch stocked to its full capacity. In 1906 and 1908 McClellan represented the region in the state legislature, and he was the first president of the Stockmen’s Association when it was formed in 1916.

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Bridgeville is shown in an undated image. The store was operated by Russ, Early & Williams. Palmquist Collection, Humboldt State University Library.

Another rancher in the Bridgeville region and early member of the Stockmen’s Association was Stanley Hunt. He operated the former Dr. Farrar ranch for his father A.N. Hunt, who also had a large dairy ranch near Arcata. The Hunts ran cattle, sheep and hogs on the 2000-acre ranch, described in Leigh’s History of Humboldt County as one of the most highly improved stock ranches in Humboldt County today.

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Employees of Riverside Lumber Company haul hay for the livestock raised to feed the mill workers. The mill can be seen in the background. Palmquist Collection, Humboldt State University Library.

Representing cattlemen north of Eureka, Jack Tamboury, another member of the Humboldt Stockmen’s Association, had come to Humboldt County from France with his parents in 1883, when he was five. His family settled near Blue Lake, where he learned about raising cattle and sheep from working on nearby ranches. In 1901 he began working the ranch belonging to the Riverside Lumber Company, near Blue Lake. The lumber barons had learned that if they owned their own ranches, they could control operational costs for mills and lumber camps. In 1909, according to Leigh’s History of Humboldt County, Tamboury was superintendent of ranches, looking after all the livestock, such as horses, cattle, hogs, and sheep, and also having charge of the slaughterhouses for the company. Another cattleman found in the Arcata region was Henry DeVoy, who had drained the wetlands around Humboldt Bay, turning them into usable farm land.

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Shown are Henry McWhorter and his partners at their claim in the Yukon Territory, near Klondike. Image courtesy of Shannon McWhorter.

Perhaps one of the most unique of the stockmen was Henry W. McWhorter. Born in Pennsylvania in 1875, McWhorter was drawn by the lure of gold to the Klondike in the 1890s. He filed several claims, and after roaming the Yukon for nearly 17 years, struck it rich with a silver mine in 1913. A report in the Vancouver Sun in May of that year noted McWhorter … is a real miner and deserves great credit for attempting to demonstrate the existence of paying quartz. The paper described McWhorter as a thorough miner. He was in this country in the early days. During the winter of 1913 McWhorter explored options for smelting his ore, traveling along the Pacific coast, finally deciding to have the ore processed in Trail, British Columbia. After mining for several years with a steam engine, he sold his interests in the mine, and after marrying Sarah Cedarmalm in Washington, moved to Humboldt County in 1915. He purchased a 5000-acre ranch along Yager Creek, becoming a rancher of note. In 1926 he opened the Fortuna State Bank. His obituary in the Fortuna Advance in 1934 observed he took a very active part in civic and local affairs, and for a number of years was a member of the Humboldt Stockmen’s Association [and] was one of the leading men in managing the Fortuna Rodeo and took an active interest in the affairs of that association for many years. His death has cast a cloud of sorrow over this community. One of Henry McWhorter’s legacies to his family was civic responsibility and community involvement.

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This image shows the Bunker Hill ranch, owned by the Russ Family, date unknown; one of the earliest ranches established by Joseph Russ. Palmquist Collection, Humboldt State University Library.

For these founders of the Stockmen’s Association, the notion of an event that emulated the everyday work of the ranch hand seemed a natural fit to celebrate the success of the Association in improving the quality and caliber of local cattle as well as protecting stock from the ravages of coyotes. However, while these men’s life stories help to explain the Fortuna Rodeo’s beginnings, they don’t adequately explain why the event was so popular with the non-ranching members of the community, nor why these community members continued to work to put on the rodeo.

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Tom Mix, one of the earliest of the cowboy movie heroes, rode in the 101 Wild West Show, meeting many of the cowboys who competed at the Fortuna Rodeo in the 1920s. Image courtesy of the NCWHM, listed in their collection as Always your Ralston Straight Shooter pal, Tom Mix. Ralston Purina Company, RC2007.129.01-02.

For these factors, one must look to other societal impacts such as the romanticization of the Old West. Dime novelists and later authors such as Zane Grey, whose writing career began around 1905, began to create the mystique of the west. Grey and other authors developed the ideal of the western cowboy who could ride, rope, and be a hero. The world of Zane Grey’s books was brought to life in Wild West Shows such as those by Buffalo Bill Cody or the 101 Ranch. Bucking broncs and bull riding complete the cowboy ideal. In 1912 the 101 Ranch put on Wild West Shows in Petaluma, Ukiah and Oakland.

Movies soon followed the publications of Zane Grey. The film industry also began during the early 1900s and showcased rough riding. The 101 Ranch owners from Oklahoma came west with their show, becoming a part of the early western movies filmed in the Los Angeles region. These movies helped to spread the romance of the west.

Cast members of the 101 Ranch included Bill Pickett, the creator of steer wrestling, a popular rodeo event. Other riders came to fame as stunt riders and went on to become actors, such as Tom Mix and Will Rogers. These actors made the work of riding a horse seem easy and entertaining. Tom Mix is credited as saying the old West is not a certain time, it’s a state of mind. It’s whatever you want it to be. Also in the first half of the 20th century, the tradition of traveling photographers who took pictures of children on ponies, decked out in western attire, became popular. The ideal of the Wild West was becoming a part of the American psyche.

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Shown is William Mickey Millerick, who rode and performed stunts for the Millerick Brothers show. He performed in movies during the 1920s. He also later competed in the Fortuna Rodeo. Image courtesy of Ted Millerick.

Another factor in the success and popularity of the Fortuna Rodeo was the completion of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad in 1914. The railroad’s completion allowed more people access to the region. It also gave a method of shipping cattle, often closer to the ranches than before, thus spurring on the cattle industry of Humboldt County. It further allowed for events such as Wild West Shows to come to the region. One such show was put on in 1918 by the Millerick Brothers from Sonoma County. Based on their work with the Miller Brothers’ 101 Wild West Show, the Millerick Brothers hired many cowboys who would compete at the Fortuna Rodeo, including Norman Cowan, Ty Stokes and Jesse Stahl. Their show was a combination of riding exhibitions and stunts. The Ferndale Enterprise noted on August 23, 1918, the races and rodeo stunts have been above par, and the crowds have been royally entertained by them. Some of the best running horses in the state are on the grounds while Millerick Brothers Wild West performers are recognized as the best in the country. The bucking horse and bull riding, rope spinning, fancy and trick riding, bulldogging, etc. have furnished splendid entertainment. The Millerick Brothers’ show whetted the taste for rodeos in Humboldt County.

The following year, the Humboldt County Fair at Ferndale advertised in the Humboldt Beacon that the fair would feature a Wild West Show each day. The advertisement noted that in addition to four days of horse racing, there would also be four days of Bucking horses. The San Francisco Examiner reported Seaman John Kelly of the destroyer Boggs carried off the honor of the days at the Wild West Show at Ferndale … by riding an outlaw bronco to a standstill. Half of the officers and men of the eighteenth destroyer division, now visiting here, visited the fair today as guests of Eureka. Another popular diversion in Humboldt County was horse racing; these races started at the Humboldt County Fair when it was held in Rohnerville, and were continued when the fair was relocated in Ferndale.

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Horses race at the track in Rohnerville. Image courtesy of Ronan Rodoni Angelini.

The completion in 1922 of the Redwood Highway, now known as Highway 101, also helped to bring the traveling public to the region, and in turn to make it easy to attend the rodeo. Helping to popularize the Fortuna Rodeo was the Redwood Empire Association. Originally created to promote the completion of the highway, in 1926 the group’s name was changed from the Redwood Highway Association to the Redwood Empire Association, with the new focus of promoting the region. According to the San Anselmo Herald, at the meeting of the association on October 8, 1926 the group’s focus switched from road work to being a full fledged inter-county road and transportation development and advertising and publicity central organization. This meant the association would embark upon an enlarged program of advertising and publicity featuring all points of interest, all scenic attractions and all communities in the Redwood Empire. One of the events the association helped to promote was the Fortuna Rodeo. The association helped to advertise the rodeo in larger metropolitan areas within the state, as well as in other western states. The advertising power of the association assured that images of the Fortuna Rodeo were regularly found in the San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle.

Having leisure time and the time to spend traveling was also a new concept in the early 1900s. Locally, mill owners in the late 1910s had agreed to adopt eight-hour work days and a five-day work week. Additionally, mill owners such as William Carson at his Bay Mill in Eureka also increased workers’ pay. With time and money, there was a ready-made audience looking for entertainment and recreation. The rodeo provided an escape from the everyday, and from the challenges of working in the timber industry. It also allowed people to pretend to be a part of that Old West mystique.

Another aspect of the rodeo’s popularity stemmed from the event itself, a contest between man and beast, or writ more largely, between man and nature. The 1910s and 20s saw the rise in the craftsman bungalow style of architecture that pushed for a more organic structure blending with nature, and the art nouveau style emphasized the natural form. Thus, it is not surprising that the rodeo, with its emphasis on animals and man working with or against each other, became popular. While most rodeo attendees did not work on a ranch, many were familiar with riding horses, and with the skill necessary to ride effortlessly.

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Jesse Stahl is shown riding Glass Eye at the California Rodeo in Salinas.

In Humboldt County, excitement from watching the contest between man and beast could be found in Rough Riding shows during the early 1900s. One such show was performed in 1912 in Rohnerville, now part of Fortuna, by Jesse Stahl, who would become the second African American to be inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma. Stahl’s riding exhibition was widely admired. The Fortuna Advance in March 1912 reported that a "bronco busting exhibition given by Jeff Stall [sic] the colored dare-devil from Ferndale took place March 24 at the old fair grounds in Rohnerville. Over 200 people attended, who in return for the two-bits gate money were given a two-hour exhibition of riding outlaw horses by the colored man. At the time, there was not an 8 second rule in riding broncs, and the cowboy had to ride the horse until it stopped bucking. Stahl brought two horses with him to the exhibition, Little Joe and Jack. He rode four horses to a standstill and left Rohnerville for Fort Seward and Dyerville, in search of other outlaw horses, which … he will attempt to ride at a date and place to be announced."

A few months later, Jesse Stahl rode in the Salinas rodeo, becoming part of rodeo history. His riding of Glass-Eye, a bronc that had never been ridden, brought him instant fame. Glass-Eye was owned by the Millerick Brothers from Petaluma who would provide stock and ride in the Fortuna rodeos. In addition to performing at many rodeos throughout the United States, Stahl would perform at several of the Fortuna Rodeos, including the inaugural rodeo in 1921.

A corollary of the man versus nature theme was the notion of man versus machine and a desire to escape from the impact of machinery. World War I had ended only three years before the first Fortuna Rodeo. Many local men had been drafted to serve in the war, and had been shocked by the devastation in France caused by the first usage of tanks and toxic gas. The machinery that had been used in the war became translated into machinery used in the woods, including dozers and drag saws. The rodeo offered an escape from the horrors witnessed over there and harkened to a simpler time. The rodeo provided escapist entertainment from the increasingly mechanized daily lives of the audience members.

The end of WWI also heralded a boom in the lumber industry and for ranches, which had a two-fold impact on the rodeo. Area mill and timber workers had more disposable income, allowing them to attend the rodeo, dances, and barbecue, as well as spend money in the local stores and hotels while they stayed in Fortuna for the rodeo. In addition, the Stockmen were able to offer large purses to winners of various events, attracting quality riders. This, in turn, made possible a good show, keeping the audiences large during the 1920s. During the first decade of the rodeo, crowds of four to six thousand people were the norm. These large crowds added to the coffers of local businessmen who saw the rodeo as an important asset for the community. Thus the businessmen supported the event nearly from its inception, and worked to keep the rodeo going as a part of Fortuna’s calendar of civic events.

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Shown is Main Street scene in Fortuna, when U.S. 101 went through the town. Flags are hung to advertise the Fortuna Rodeo.

The importance of the rodeo to Fortuna businesses was described in the late 1940s by the newly-formed Fortuna Rodeo Association in their summing-up of the 1948 rodeo. The report notes this is FORTUNA’S Rodeo and not just an event to keep 12 men occupied for 8 months of the year. The Rodeo committee does not seek compensation of any kind for their services on the committee. It can be argued, but not denied, that the time and energy spent by the committee far exceeds the amount in dollars contributed by any one person. The Association continued, Fortuna, if it is to grow and prosper, must put on some kind of show at least once a year to show that it is active and not just resting on its laurels of events that have been presented in the past. The writer of the statement argued, Fortuna is a growing and prosperous city, it can continue to grow and prosper if the residents will only realize that cooperation is necessary. It makes no difference whether their contribution is in dollars or in labor, it all goes into the same fund … that will make Fortuna the Trading Center for all surrounding towns rather than a wide place in the road.

That the rodeo continues to be held in Fortuna is due to the Fortuna Businessmen’s Association. This group worked closely with the Stockmen’s Association in the 1920s to keep the rodeo in Fortuna, and then in the 1930s, to keep a rodeo occurring in the region at all. The rodeo has become a matter of civic pride, replacing earlier Fourth of July events as it combined a commemoration of the creation of the United States with an opportunity to celebrate the city of Fortuna.

The final piece of the puzzle of why there is a rodeo in Fortuna can be found in the settling of the estate of Henry Rohner. The Stockmen’s Association, along with similar associations, put on an annual picnic each summer following its formation in 1915. The picnics were held at various locations, including Ferndale and Eureka. In 1920, however, the City of Fortuna and the Fortuna Businessmen’s Association had the opportunity to purchase fifteen acres from the Rohner estate for $600 an acre. In November 1920, the Businessmen at their annual banquet donated $4700 towards the purchase of the grounds, which already boasted a baseball field. The Fortuna Advance noted considering the justifiable pride the citizens take in the park, those sponsoring the movement have no hesitancy in pledging their faith and credit. The acreage purchased would also allow for the creation of an automobile camp site within the city itself, something it does not now possess and something which everybody realizes will prove an extremely valuable asset in view of the constantly increasing tourist travel. The new park featured enough land to allow the Stockmen’s picnic and rodeo to be held there the following year. One hundred years later, the Fortuna Rodeo continues to be held in Rohner Park.

Thus, an event that seems a little out of place when first considered is actually firmly based in the local economy and the history of the region. The Fortuna Rodeo continues to be an important player amongst the summer events held locally, due both to its long history and its connection to the community. Throughout its history, community members have supported the event and often participated in the parade, the street events, and either attended or participated in the rodeo itself. This is also a story of community participation and involvement. Without the community support, the rodeo would not have survived the changes brought by each decade. The Fortuna Rodeo is a hometown event that continues to resonate through the Eel River Valley. It also provides a lens through which to understand the growth and changes in Fortuna and the surrounding region.

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Fortuna Rodeo, 1941, Jack Hara on Chester, image courtesy NCWHM, Devere Helfrich, collection #81.023.00285

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The artist for the 2009 Fortuna Rodeo poster, Marlyn Branstetter, used as her inspiration a 1927 photograph of Pearl Peterson, one of the first Fortuna Rodeo queen candidates. Courtesy of the Fortuna Rodeo Association.

THE ROARING TWENTIES

The 1920s were a decade of both great economic growth and increasing leisure time. On January 1, 1921, for example, the seventh Rose Bowl and Parade was held in Southern California; the concept of entertainment and leisure were becoming intertwined and entering the public consciousness. Americans were also struggling with the issues surrounding World War I soldiers who returned shell-shocked from Europe, and the many who died during the Spanish flu pandemic.

1921

Class discrepancies, race riots, and a fear of immigrants changing the American landscape were all social pressures felt in 1921. That year the United States implemented the Emergency Quota Act, limiting the number of immigrants from certain countries immigrating to America. The year 1921 also saw the rise in popularity of baseball, Babe Ruth hitting his 59 home runs that year. Baseball was also a favorite sport in Humboldt County, with most towns boasting a team. In fact, the field used for the first rodeos in Fortuna was also the town’s baseball park.

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Members of the Stockmen’s Association gather in this undated image. Front row, left to right, Ted Lytel, Ben Snodgrass, Charlie Moore, Jack Tamboury, H.W. McWhorter, Kelly Smith. Standing, back row, Jack McClellan, Tim Barry, Glen Timmons, Doug Prior, Stan Hunt, Joe Russ, Jr., Mr. Porter, Henry Devoy, Friend Hinkley, Dr. J.W. Logan, Will Russ. Other Stockmen’s Association members included Buff Robinson, John Hurley, Bill Samuels, Bob Smith, Clarence Lowry, Charles Kinsey, Bill Clark, Isaac Minor, Frank Hunter, Ferd Ambrosini, Tom Burns, John Dinsmore, Norton Tooby, George Morrison, Leonard Robertson, George Robinson and Jeff Claunch.

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Shown are two cowboys who worked at local ranches and competed at the Fortuna Rodeo in the 1920s; Jimmy Rodoni is on the left in the sheepskin or wooly chaps. Image courtesy of Ronan Rodoni Angelini.

In the spring of 1921, the idea of holding a rodeo in Fortuna was first discussed by the Stockmen’s Association of Humboldt County. The Stockmen’s Association had re-organized in January, affiliating with the American Farm Bureau formed in 1919, which allowed members some benefits, while remaining independent. The stockmen also had representation on the Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors. At this time H.W. McWhorter was elected president of the Stockmen’s Association with John McClellan as vice-president. At their spring meeting, the Board of Directors began to make plans for their annual picnic, to celebrate their successes, gather with other ranchers and discuss the issues of the day. It was a time to inform members about the status of improving the cattle herds in the county and of how the coyote depredations were proceeding. They also sought a speaker to discuss the state conditions. Additionally, stockmen were also interested in having entertainment at the picnic that their fellow cattlemen would enjoy. Since the City of Fortuna had raised a bond and purchased 15 acres from the Rohner estate, the Stockmen felt this would be a perfect location for their picnic. Cattlemen of the county will hold annual picnic here, the Humboldt Beacon announced in July 1921. The paper advised readers the picnic would feature Rodeo stunts, sports, barbecue, dancing on program, claim they will be surpassed by no one. Charles Moore of Ferndale was chairman of the event, and had the intention, according to the Beacon, to make the affair the biggest, jolliest, and best picnic of the year throughout the county. Moore explained to the Beacon’s readers that planned events included stunts that belong to a genuine rodeo with bull riding, buckarooing [sic], roping and tying down of wild cattle. Additionally, Stockmen planned other sports to appeal to all tastes and dancing for the enthusiasts of this popular amusement. Capping the events were plans for a big, free, beef barbecue. W. Russ and W. McWhorter hav[ing] each donated the committee’s pick of their herds of three-year-old steers for this event. Various committees were formed to ensure the success of the picnic, scheduled for late August.

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Shown is William Russ, who donated steers for the barbecue and supplied some of the bucking stock. Below, advertisement in the Ferndale Enterprise, August 1921.

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At the Stockmen’s meeting in Eureka in late July the date of the picnic was set for August 27th. The general committee for the picnic was comprised of Charles Moore, H.W. McWhorter, W.N Russ, E.N. Tooby and Fred D. Smith. Further details of the picnic were discussed and shared with the Beacon. Saddle horse races were added to the list of events, and the menu for the free barbecue included free coffee, cream and sugar. The grand ball concluding the day’s events would be held at the Rohner Park pavilion, recently renovated in the spring of the year by the Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department. The Beacon informed readers in August, People from all sections of the county to gather at Fortuna at Cattlemen’s picnic, rodeo stunts to be big feature. The Beacon claimed the picnic will be one rip-roaring celebration from ten-thirty in the morning until away after midnight. Additionally, for the crowds’ entertainment, since everyone wants to be where the band music is playing, and one of the big features of the picnic will be the music at intervals all day long by a twenty five piece band. To further spark interest, the Beacon informed its readers, the rodeo stunts are going to be varied and exciting with the flavor of pioneer days to fill them with romantic interest. There will be daredevil riding of bucking horses and wild cattle and bulldogging stunts. A twenty five dollar purse is to be awarded to the best saddle horse and saddle horse races for prizes will also be featured. The Stockmen, or Cattlemen as the Beacon referred to the group, planned many events to fill the day. The reporter believed the committee men were putting forth great effort to make the picnic the biggest and the best to be held by any organizations this year. They were in competition with a rodeo that had been held in Shively on July 8, 1921.

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In order to place, cowboys rode the bucking stock for ten seconds in the 1920s. Women competitors only had to survive eight seconds aboard horseback. Image courtesy of Ronan Rodoni Angelini.

The free beef barbecue was held at noon on the 27th, and local veterinarian and long-time Eel River Valley resident Frank Rolley was in charge of the cooking. Though not a graduate of veterinary school, he was, according to his obituary, well known from one end of the valley to the other, and his experience and ability was unquestioned. The Beacon noted a cattlemen’s picnic would be incomplete without a genuine barbecue and the services of Frank Rolley have been secured to supervise this important part of the celebration … all who have tasted meat barbecues by Mr. Rolley know full well what a treat is in store for them. Participants ate their lunch under the trees in the park. The beef barbecue was not the only meal planned for the day; the Rodeo Ball featured a chicken dinner at midnight to round out the festivities. While the barbecue was free, the fee to enter the grounds for the rodeo was fifty cents. To enter the dance, guests will be charged $1.00 … with a 10 cent war tax.

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The first rodeo surprised both organizers and supporters by the size of the crowd that gathered to enjoy the rodeo action. Since 1921, tens of thousands have visited the arena nestled among the redwoods to partake of redwoods and rodeo.

The plans for the rodeo met with great enthusiasm, and the Beacon reported a week before the rodeo that for some days there has been the flavor of the old west in the county. The bright bandana handkerchief and cowboy’s dress has been in evidence as a forerunner of the big Cattlemen’s picnic. After the rodeo, the Humboldt Times reported that on Sunday August 28th over 3000 visitors gather[ed] for the Big Event from every Cattle Section in Humboldt County. The response had been so positive, noted the paper, more riding exhibitions were given on Sunday, when initially the rodeo had been planned for one day only. The Times further observed representatives from every section of Humboldt were in attendance and visitors even traveled hundreds of miles from Trinity county and outlying districts of Humboldt to be present at the big event.

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Improving blood lines resulted in a crossbred that was more marketable and was one of the motivating factors in creating the Stockmen’s Association in Humboldt County in the 1910s. Image courtesy of Ronan Rodoni Angelini.

Before the rodeo began, the Stockmen held a meeting informing members about the highlights and accomplishments of the previous year. One of those accomplishments was the purchase of 21 pure-bred sires that members of the Stockmen’s Association would have the use of to improve their herds. President McWhorter gave a brief speech regarding the condition of the cattle industry, and was followed in turn by R.M. Hagan, secretary of the California Cattlemen’s Association, who made the trip from San Francisco to be present and Dr. John M. Logan, County Farm Advisor, who also discussed matters of import for the cattlemen. After the barbecue, the rodeo began, featuring 50 bulls and 25 horses. The Times observed that although only one chute was utilized, event after event [took] place with scarcely an interruption. These events were characterized by some of the best riding ever seen at a Cattlemen’s meet here, and the interest of the huge crowd was kept at top pitch throughout the program. A saddle horse belonging to Joe Russ suffered the only accident of the day. Gored by a frightened heifer, veterinary surgeons were soon on the scene and … the horse will recover. The Sunday portion of the rodeo featured wild bulls and some of the best horses will be listed among the events and an exceptionally good program is promised all afternoon. It is expected that hundreds of Eurekans will motor to Fortuna in order to witness the various events. With all of the action and different events the first rodeo in Fortuna was a huge success.

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Shown is Fortuna Rodeo action during the 1920s. The concentration and interest in the outcome of the ride is seen amongst the observers. The arena that doubled as a baseball field can be seen in the grass the animals are bucking on. With only one chute, and longer time limits, multiple riders could be found simultaneously in the arena.

When the big event opened, attendees were thrilled by riding acts performed by both local riders and professional riders who had worked for the 101 Wild West Show or had ridden in other rodeos. Two of these men, Ty Stokes and Jesse Stahl, would be frequent participants of the Fortuna Rodeo during its first decade. Stahl performed at rodeos throughout the 1910s and 1920s, ranging from California to Canada and New York. Stahl was also renowned for creating a rodeo event called hoolihanding, similar to bulldogging, created by African American cowboy legend Bill Pickett. In hoolihanding the rider jumps from a horse onto the back of a full grown bull. Once aboard, the cowboy grabs the horns, riding the bull until it is tethered by its horns. Hoolihanding was canceled as an event when it was deemed too harmful to bulls, after one broke its neck at a rodeo in California. Hoolihanding and bulldogging have both been replaced with steer wrestling, as steers’ necks are not as strong as those of bulls, and thus they are easier to flip. Stahl also perfected a well-known routine where he and another man, frequently Ty Stokes, rode a bronc together, one facing forwards, one backwards.

The year 1929 was Stahl’s final year on the rodeo circuit. One of his last rodeos was the Fortuna Redwood Rodeo. He participated in the professional bucking competition, drawing ‘Pancho Villa’ for one ride and ‘Prohibition’ for the other. This rodeo was not his best performance, Stahl scoring second to last in both rides. It may have been a particularly painful experience for him because his long-time friend Ty Stokes, a regular at the Fortuna Rodeo, had passed away earlier that year. In 1930 Stahl again was present at the Rodeo, this time as a trick rider rather than a participant.

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Shown is Ty Stokes on Misky Mix at the 1923 Salinas rodeo. Since Stokes has his hand on the back of the horse, this may have been an exhibition ride as opposed to a competition event. Stokes had worked for the 101 Wild West Show, learning how to be a successful rider. Image courtesy of California State University, Chico, Meriam Library Special Collections.

Thomas Ty Stokes was born in 1888 in Kentucky to parents who had been born in slavery. He made his way to California, by 1912 performing at the Wild West Show in Salinas. In 1919 the Oakland Tribune noted Stokes had worked for the 101 Ranch of Oklahoma and in their Wild West Show, which provided many opportunities for Stokes to learn the skills of trick riding, roping, and clowning from other performers such as Tom Mix, Bill Pickett and Will Rogers. Stokes worked as a clown at most of the Fortuna Rodeos in the 1920s, providing entertainment as well as working to protect the riders. Stokes also competed in the rodeo. Gail Hughbanks Woerner in her book Fearless Funnyman explains that this was a common path for early rodeo clowns. They did not make enough money as funnymen of the rodeo, and so supplemented their income by competing. One of Stokes’ skills was tricks with a rope; he could keep six ropes spinning simultaneously. Viola Russ McBride, reminiscing in 1986 in the Ferndale Enterprise, recalled Stokes was not only a natural, ad-lib comedian who would often have the entire grandstand roaring with laughter he was also a super-efficient handler of livestock. At one event in Fortuna, she recalled, a sharp horned … buck[ed] someone off, then turn[ed] around to hook him [the cowboy]. As she described, Ty Stokes‘ response was to prance idiotically out into the middle of things, grab that cow by the tail, swing her around and be dragged, whooping and hollering out across the arena, by the then panicked cow until someone on horseback came to his rescue or [he] got dragged close to a fence he could quickly climb. McBride also noted that she had been to many dozen of fairs and rodeos in the course of more than half a century, but never came across anyone I considered a [more] genuinely funny AND efficient clown than Tye Stokes.

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Ty Stokes is seen working as a rodeo clown to protect a bull rider at the Fortuna Rodeo in the 1920s.

Starting in 1922, the Fortuna Rodeo became a contestant rodeo, and Stokes continued to enter the rodeo as a rider and as a clown. In 1924 the Humboldt Beacon reported Ty Stokes, the Black Ace of cow punchers signified his intention of being present and will not only do stunt riding but will also enter the competition and it is predicted by those who know the riders of the Pacific Circuit that Ty will give them a hard ride for their money. The Fortuna Advance reported after the rodeo that Stokes had, as usual, played the clown with the assistance of his donkey.

Stokes’ passing was marked in 1929 at many of the rodeos in which he had performed, including the Fortuna Rodeo. In the Roaring Camp Nugget, the program for that year’s Fortuna Rodeo, an article was included to explain the absence of Ty Stokes. Under the heading An Absent Face the Nugget notes The missing one is Ty Stokes, the old colored man who at every Rodeo, since its inception here, has amused the children and the grown-ups too, with his clown stunts. The Nugget continued, Ty passed into the great beyond at Hayward a few months ago. Old friends attended the funeral and the floral tributes were many and beautiful. Despite the sincerity of this tribute, the inherent racism of the time can be seen in the decision to focus on Ty Stokes’ role as a clown rather than celebrating his athletic achievements. The depiction of Stokes as an old colored man may also reflect the difficult life of a professional rodeo rider, since Ty Stokes was only in his early 40s at the time of his death.

The lives of Stahl and Stokes read like an old western, with their many accomplishments and prowess in the saddle. Both of them were able to overcome many prejudices of their era, due to their abilities and the fulfillment they found in demonstrating their skills. Certainly, however, they could both have accomplished even more if their careers had not been stymied by the beliefs of the time. With their skill as riders, they proved themselves time