Spurred by the gold rush in 1850, Euro-Americans settled at the mouth of the Klamath River. This first settlement was dubbed Klamath City.  From 1851 to 1853 the name Klamath County was used for this region. In 1857 the name was changed to Del Norte County, meaning “of the north” in Spanish, but pronounced “Del Nort” by locals.

During the period from 1850 to 1852, the Crescent City area was explored by prospectors and named for the crescent shape of the bay. Early in 1853, the first permanent settlement began there. Successful mining of gold and other minerals, along with rich agricultural resources, attracted people to Crescent City and contributed to an astounding growth and prosperity in the area. In a period of about a year, the town grew from little more than tents on the beach to an incorporated city with many substantial buildings and a population of nearly 1,000.  
The citizens of Crescent City recognized early the need for a lighthouse and erected a temporary one made of a lantern on a pole in 1855. That year Congress appropriated $15,000 to build the lighthouse, which began functioning on Dec. 10, 1856. Battery Point Lighthouse is still operational and has been maintained since 1969 by the Del Norte County Historical Society as a private navigational aid and museum.

Del Norte County features a second privately operated lighthouse six miles offshore, the St. George Reef Lighthouse. Built as a result of the 1865 wreck of the Brother Jonathan on the St. George Reef, the lighthouse was first lit in 1892. It is both the most expensive lighthouse ever built in the country, at a cost of $700,000, and the tallest, at 146 feet.
Over the year mining died out and logging took its place as the county’s primary industry. Commercial fishing also became extremely important. However, with new regulations and the government acquisition of lands for parks, both industries have dwindled in recent years. Currently, tourism provides the main focus for business in Del Norte County.