Carl Stoltenberg (full name Earl Carl Stoltenberg), age 9, perished with his mother Alice and younger sister Greta in the SS Valencia maritime disaster of January 22–24, 1906. The coastal passenger steamer ran aground in heavy fog off Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and broke apart in pounding surf. All women and children aboard lost their lives. Carl and his family were returning home to Montana after a visit to California when the tragedy occurred.

The Valencia Disaster

 Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail1. The Valencia Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail2. The Voyage Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail3. The Boats Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail4. The McCarthy Boat Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail5. The Bunker Party Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail6. On the Valencia Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail7. The Rafts Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail8. The Turret Raft Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail9. The Rescue Ships Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail10. The Aftermath Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail11. The Survivors Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail12. The Lost 

The West Coast Trail

Shipwreck on the West Coast TrailPrologue Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail1: The West Coast Trail Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail2: When to Hike & Fees Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail3: Trailheads Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail4: Getting There Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail5: Considerations Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail6: Campsites Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail7: Shipwrecks Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail8: Routes Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail9: Sights & Highlights

Background and Family

Carl was born in 1897 in Montana, the son of rancher Henry Stoltenberg and Alice Clara Hardin Stoltenberg. He had a younger sister, Greta (born 1899). The family lived near Shelby, Montana, where Henry was a prominent stockman. In late 1905, Carl, his sister, and their mother traveled to visit their grandfather in San Diego after attending the Portland Fair. The children became ill with measles in San Francisco, delaying their return until January 20, 1906, when they boarded the Valencia.

The Valencia Disaster

The ship struck the rocks late on January 22. In the chaos of failed evacuations and crashing waves, Carl, his mother, and sister did not survive. Henry Stoltenberg later described his young son as one of the “little ones” lost when the hull broke apart. Carl Stoltenberg’s body was never recovered. He is commemorated with a “Lost at Sea” memorial (Find a Grave Memorial ID 277539623). Early reports suggested the children’s bodies had been recovered, but these were later corrected. Carl’s short life and the family’s hopeful return journey ended in one of the Pacific Northwest’s greatest maritime tragedies, leaving his father devastated.