Neb Roscoe's book, Heydays in Mattole is a mix of community history and family stories -- as the subtitle suggests, "More Wild Tales of the Mattole Valley and the Lost Coast of Humboldt County".

       Through the nearly century and a half that is covered in this book, there are accounts of major happenings affecting this area: the conflicts with native peoples, the tanbark industry, the brief oil boom (leaving the name Petrolia), shipwrecks, the Depression and wars. Still, the real heart of his book is portraying the life of a small community -- the gossip, jokes, tragedies, childhood adventures and  friendships. 

       We also hear a lot about the Roscoe family itself, particularly the author's mother, Martha Roscoe, who contributed so much to preserving the history now housed at the Historical Society. At the end, a thorough index allows for tracing the people and places that gave life to this special community.

       A good read and a chance to be submerged for a while in what makes Humboldt  what it is --  Humboldt.