Article on how Eureka was named. James T. Ryan claims credit for naming the city of Eureka. James T. Ryan, nephew of Dr. Jonathan Clark. Mr. William S. Clark, Jonathan's son, told this story of James T. Ryan naming the city. James and a group of men bought an old sidewheel steamer in S.F. and brought north to Humboldt Bay. They anchored it near the foot of D street about opposite where the Monte Carlo Hotel now (1937) stands. James said to the group " This is a good location for the mill" and exclaimed, " Eureka , I have found it." He moved the steamer Santa Clara across the bay to get a running start into a ditch the crew had dug near the foot of D street. At high tide he ran full speed up the ditch as for as possible. Using 1st and D street as a focal point James laid out a townsite and drove a few stakes higher up among the bushes. He sold lots at $2.50 each. He never surveyed the plot nor recorded it but the plot is on file at the courthouse.