1923 dry squad arrests Freshwater resort owner

The Humboldt County dry squad was at work again on March 16, 1923, raiding the Woods Resort on Arcata Road near Freshwater and arresting the roadhouse owner, John Woods, as well as a local taxi driver, Claude Chaffin, and confiscating two quart-size bottles of moonshine.

That day’s Humboldt Standard said that, “Woods and Chaffin were taken before Justice J. T. Fraser, the former on a charge of possessing liquor and the latter on a charge of driving an automobile while drunk. Woods’ bail was fixed at $500 and that of Chaffin at $1,000.”

According to dry squad members, Chaffin was found “stupidly drunk” when they entered the resort.

“He’d come there some time before with Jack Davis, a Eureka saloon keeper, and two women, whom he had driven from Arcata,” the newspaper said. “The officers did not (arrest) Chaffin then, but when he and his fares re-entered the taxi and Chaffin started to drive them to Eureka, traffic Officer Hash, who was with the squad, placed Chaffin under arrest.”

Also on March 16, 1923, the

Humboldt Standard reported on the unexpected death of 49-year-old Arcata merchant Brousse Brizard.

“Brizard had been ill for only a few days, having been brought down (to St. Joseph Hospital) from the Brizard ranch in Trinity County … for treatment of erysipelas,” the newspaper said.

Brizard was a member of the pioneer Alexander Brizard family and was one of the best-known citizens throughout Humboldt and Trinity counties, the Humboldt Standard said.

“He was the son of Mrs. Margaret Brizard and the late pioneer Alexander Brizard, the latter having played an important part in the settlement of Uniontown, now Arcata, and the establishment of a chain of Brizard stores throughout the mountain districts,” the newspaper