PIECES OF HISTORY FROM THE EMPIRE HOTEL AT SHASTA.

Filmed on location.

Come see some unique pieces of history on display at the former Shasta County Courthouse and Museum in (Old) Shasta at what is now the Shasta State Historic Park. These items belonged to the luxurious, commodious, and comfortable, Empire hotel, a three-story brick hostelry, which stood towering above Main Street at Shasta, it offered lodging and meals to the weary travelers passing through the area. This hotel was erected in that town for $30,000 in 1857. It went through many changes of ownership during the years.

This hostelry operated well into the turn of the 20th century, and it was closed down in 1913, later on, it fell into decay and ruins like most of the former buildings of (Old) Shasta did. The Empire hotel was demolished in January of 1923. Its last owner was Sarah J. Hill, a resident of Redding, California. The Empire hotel boasted of the following famous guests lodging here during its prime which included California Governors Standford, Haight and Bigler. Along with Joaquin Miller, the famous Poet of the Sierra's. The lot in Shasta which the former hostelry stood upon has been turned into a park on the left side of the present-day, Shasta County Courthouse and Museum building.

On my maternal side my great-great-great grandparents, Valentine Doll, and his wife, Harriett (Schmidt) Doll stayed here. They were residents settling upon Huling Creek near Eagle Creek (now Ono, California). At one time Valentine Doll operated the local meat market in (Old) Shasta. He was also a local farmer and a miner in the area. On my paternal side my great-great-great-great grandparents George McFarlin, and his wife, Martha (Miller) McFarlin along with their kids, their kids at this time who were actually young adults their youngest being 17 years old, when they stayed here as well. George McFarlin was a local farmer, and this family also resided at Eagle Creek (now Ono). Please like, share, comment and subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven't yet. Look out for the next episode, article, or blog on my website: Exploring Shasta County History as well.

RESOURCES:

Administrators Sale of Real Estate - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 12, 1853

Terrible Conflagration!! - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 18, 1853

Dissolution - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 13, 1853

The Empire Property for Sale - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 10, 1853

Empire Hotel - The Shasta Republican newspaper of Shasta, January 31, 1857

Empire Hotel - The Shasta Republican newspaper of Shasta, April 4, 1857

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 2, 1858

The Empire Bar - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 30, 1858

Travel - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 30, 1858

1867 - Pacific Coast Directory, available on Ancestry.com 

Oregon & California Stage Office - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 20, 1872

Anniversary Ball - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 20, 1873

Among Our Citizens - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 24, 1895.

John V. Scott - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 17, 1899

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 4, 1900

Shasta Hotel Man Now in Bankrupt - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding,

The Empire at Shasta - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 7, 1900

For Sale - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 21, 1901

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 30, 1903

John V. Scott Has Gone to Long Rest - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 28, 1904

Old Landmarks to Go - The Sacramento Bee newspaper of Sacramento, January 16, 1923

Two Landmarks Are to Be Town Down - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 19, 1923

Mrs. John V. Scott Pioneer Shastain Is Called Beyond - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 3, 1924

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 13, 1952

Shasta: The Queen City by Mabel Moores Frisbie and Jean Moores Beauchamp, published by California Historical Society, ©1973.

Shasta State Historic Park Brief History and Tour Guide, published by Shasta State Historic Park, ©July 1985

John Varner Scott: The Shasta Hostelry Man written by Jeremy M. Tuggle, published on March 20, 2019.

Shasta, California's Historic 1860's Courthouse.

Filmed on location.

In this episode of Exploring Shasta County History, I explore the interior of Shasta, California's Historic 1860's Courthouse, and its history, which still stands in the present-day town of (Old) Shasta. This wasn't the first courthouse in Shasta County's history, due to Major Pierson B. Reading's Adobe housing county records, and it wasn’t the first courthouse in Shasta either. It was actually the second courthouse in this ghost town. Come learn more in this episode of Exploring Shasta County History.

Resources:

Pacific Coast Dispatches - The Sacramento Bee newspaper of Sacramento, August 27, 1874

The Gallows - The San Francisco Examiner newspaper of San Francisco, August 27, 1874

Execution of Baker and Crouch - The Appeal-Democrat newspaper of Marysville, California, August 27, 1874

Hanged By the Neck Until Dead - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 17, 1903

Here's More About Romantic History of Old Shasta - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 10, 1940

Museum Impress Fourth Graders - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 24, 1965

My Playhouse Was A Concord Coach, an anthology of newspaper clippings and documents relating to those who made California history during the years 1822-1888, by Mae Hélène Bacon Boggs. Published by Howell-North Press ©1942

Shasta County, California A History by Rosena Giles, published by Biobooks, ©1949.

Shasta: The Queen City by Mabel Moores Frisbie and Jean Moores Beauchamp, published by California Historical Society, ©1973. 

THE DEMISE OF REDDING'S HISTORIC TURNTABLE WAS BEING RELOCATED TO MONTAGUE.

One of the most iconic features of this terminus was the turntable system which rotated iron horses around on the rail line which came north towards Redding from Anderson and south from Redding to southern localities already in existence by rotating them on this circular contraption. Redding became the end-of-the-line at that time for trains traveling north in California for about a decade from 1872 until construction resumed north in 1883. At this location Redding’s iconic turntable once stood off of Tehama Street, in the railroad yard at Redding. Find out more in my newest video from Exploring Shasta County history.

Filmed on location.

SOURCES:

New Town - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 15, 1872

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 22, 1872

Redding City - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 29, 1872

Redding - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 13, 1872

Redding - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 3, 1872

First Train - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 7, 1872

Trip To Redding - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 28, 1872

History and Business Directory - Shasta County - 1881 by B.F. Frank and H.W. Chappell. Redding Independent Book and Job Printing House, Redding, California, ©1881.

Redding Loses Old Turntable - The Tehama County Daily Republican, October 27, 1910

My Playhouse Was a Concord Coach, an anthology of newspaper clippings and documents relating to those who made California history during the years 1822-1888, by Mae Helene Bacon Boggs. Published by Howell-North Press ©1942

Shasta County, California A History, by Rosena Giles, published by Biobooks, ©1949.

Outpost On Poverty Flats by Charles J. Gleeson, ©1978 published by Redding Printing Company

Redding & Shasta County – Gateway to the Cascades – by John D. Lawson ©1986 published by Windsor Publications Inc.

Redding the First Hundred Years by Edward Petersen, ©1972 published by North-Cal Printing & Litho.

A History of Redding the Early Years, 1872-1875 by Al M. Rocca, ©2014 published by Renown Publishing.

BRINGING HORSETOWN TO LIFE; A SHASTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH SETTLEMENT.

Filmed on location. 

During the California Gold Rush in September of 1849, miners descended into the vicinity of Clear Creek’s rapidly flowing channel in western Shasta County, California, and they started pitching up tents at an alarming rate upon a popular flat of the creek which was producing lucrative gold. From that point on Horsetown began to unveil its lucrative future as a burgeoning mining community which took off and stayed prominent until its demise which made it become one of Shasta County's present-day ghost towns. Come examine the lucrative history of this town site with me as I dive into old records, reports, articles, newspaper clippings and more to bring its history to life as much as possible in this episode of Exploring Shasta County History. 

Picture of Horsetown. Used Courtesy of Library of Congress, Special Collections. Western States, Shasta County, California. Contributor: Historic American Buildings Survey - McPartland, Mary Horsetown, General View, Redding, Shasta County, CA HABS CAL,46-SIRVI,1-

RESOURCES:

1850 U.S. Census

1852 California State Census

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 23, 1853

Rhodes And Lusk’s Express - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 30, 1853

From the Interior - The Sacramento Day Union newspaper of Sacramento, May 4, 1853

Middletown and One Horse Town Road - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 7, 1853

Staging Into Shasta - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 7, 1853

Adam’s & Company’s Express - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 7, 1853

Letter From Briggsville - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 28, 1853

Died - The Daily Alta newspaper of San Francisco, July 7, 1853

The Shasta County Dry Diggings - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 4, 1854

Miners Meeting - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 4, 1854

Mining In Shasta County - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 1, 1854

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 3, 1854

Died - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 19, 1854

Fire at Horsetown  - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 16, 1854

Fire In Horsetown - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, September 18, 1854

Notice - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 18, 1854

The Shasta Mines - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 17, 1855

Report - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 9, 1855

Dissolution of Co-Partnership - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 28, 1855

Dissolution of Co-Partnership - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 25, 1855

Died - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 6, 1858 

Births - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 17, 1858 

The Shasta Courie newspaper of Shasta, April 24, 1858

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 13, 1859

1860 U.S. Census

Horsetown Correspondent -The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 7, 1860

The Courier in Horsetown - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 14, 1860

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 3, 1860

A Case of Abortion and Death - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 17, 1860

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 23, 1860

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 7, 1860

Northern Argust - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 4, 1860

E. Clampus Vitus - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 15, 1860

Fire In Horsetown - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 12, 1861

Death After Amputation - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 23, 1861

Died From the Effect of the Heat - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 20, 1861

Died - The Shasta Courier newspaper, September 14, 1861

Murder Near Horsetown, Shasta County, By Indians - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 2, 1862

Robbery Near Horsetown - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, September 7, 1863

Died - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 28, 1863

The Late James L. Hart - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 2, 1864

Administrators Sale -The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 5, 1864

Large Union Meeting in Shasta - Destructive Fire at Horsetown - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, November 1, 1864

St. Valentine’s Day - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 10, 1866

Richards & Co. - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 13, 1866, 

Christmas Tree - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 15, 1866

Killed - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 29, 1868

Simpson & Leiter - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 30, 1869

Horsetown Store - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 30, 1869

Fire - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 18, 1869

1870 U.S. Census

The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, January 1, 1870

A Shooting Affray - The Marysville Daily Appeal newspaper of Marysville, January 4, 1870

Married - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 5, 1870

Sold Out - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 1, 1871

The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, January 25, 1872

Murder and Wholesale Robbery - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, March 10, 1873

Assaulted - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 22, 1873

The Sentinel newspaper of Red Bluff, November 13, 1875

A Deserted Village - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, June 17, 1876

The Weekly Butte Record newspaper of Red Bluff, June 24, 1876

1880 U.S. Census

The San Jose Herald newspaper of San Jose, June 15, 1881

Mike Sweeny Passes Away - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 15, 1890

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 10, 1895

1900 U.S. Census

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 5, 1900

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 19, 1900

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 12, 1901

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 19, 1901

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 20, 1901

In Days of Old - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 13, 1903

Nelson Waite Critically Ill - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 8, 1904

Nelson Waite Dead - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 6, 1904

Nelson Waite Was Old Indian Fighter - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 6, 1904

Dredging In Shasta - The Marysville Democrat newspaper of Marysville, February 3, 1905

Oroville Man Buys Interest in Redding Mine - The Chico Record newspaper of Chico, February 3, 1905

Big Mining Deal in Shasta County - The Chico Record newspaper of Chico, December 23, 1905

Two Big Mines Reopened - The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, January 7, 1906

The Horsetown Dredger - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, April 5, 1907

Two New Dredgers Go in Near Redding - The Marysville Daily Appeal, November 19, 1907

Shasta County Dredgers - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, November 23, 1907

Electric Substation Is Burned to Ground - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, July 1, 1908

$125,000 Gold Dredger Is Burned in Shasta County - The Los Angeles Herald newspaper of Los Angeles, August 8, 1908

Horsetown Dredger - The Tehama County Daily Republican newspaper of Red Bluff, May 12, 1909

1910 U.S. Census

Shasta County’s Oldest Pioneer Claimed by Death - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 1, 1910

Lived Fifty in Old Shasta Town - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, July 15, 1914

Building a Pole Line - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 4, 1915

Horsetown and Briggsville - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 20, 1915

1920 U.S. Census

The Courier Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 19, 1924

Former Resident of Centerville Dies in Her Old Home in Ohio - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 6, 1926

Final Chapter Mining Town - The Madera Tribune newspaper of Madera, July 10, 1928

1930 U.S. Census

Shasta’s Last Dredger Being Torn Down - The Blue Lake Advocate newspaper of Blue Lake, September 6, 1930

My Playhouse Was A Concord Coach, an anthology of newspaper clippings and documents relating to those who made California history during the years 1822-1888, by Mae Hélène Bacon Boggs. Published by Howell-North Press ©1942

Shasta County, California A History by Rosena Giles, published by Biobooks, ©1949.

Echoes of the Dim Past - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta written by Rosena Giles, June 21, 1951

Place Names of Shasta County by Gertrude A. Steger revision by Helen Hinckley Jones, ©1966 by La Siesta Press, Glendale, California

U.S., Appointments of U.S. Postmasters, 1832-1971

Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, California – County Report 6 – by Philip A. Lydon and J.C. O’ Brien ©1974 by California Division of Mines and Geology

Title: Northern Argus[microform] : 1860-1863.
Format: Book Publisher, Date: Shasta County, Calif. : Northern Argus newspaper. Description:
v. Subjects:  Horsetown (Calif.) -- Newspapers.

A Historic Downtown Redding Walking Tour, 6-28-2025.

In this episode you can learn some interesting facts about downtown Redding, and its history with this walking tour presented by Shasta Historical Society, and hosted by Gabriel Leete, whose been featured on my YouTube channel in past episodes as well. This tour features local historians Robert Frazier of California Unearthed and Jeremy M. Tuggle of Exploring Shasta County History. We spent the day educating a group of people and toured 17 plus historic sites on a 2.2 mile walk in downtown Redding. The following sites can be seen in this film here: Jesse Litle Shoemaking Shop, Bank of Shasta County, Shasta Historical Society, Old City Hall, Railroad Turntable Tracks, Railroad Semaphore, The Lorenz Hotel, Damburger and more. Please like share and comment, and if you haven't yet, please smash that subscribe button. I will see you on the next episode. 

The Historic Camden House Property.

Venture with Robert Frazier (host of California Unearthed) and I as we explore together the historic Camden House property of the Tower House Historic District of Shasta County, California. From Camden's Toll Bridge to the Camden House, to the Tennant House property, to Camden's Sawmill, to the historic El Dorado mine, and the Camden Water Ditch, as well as Levi Tower's Gravesite, and more as we make our round-trip around this historic National Park Service property from our day there on May 3, 2025, as I relate the history of the area in this area.

FROST & BLOOMFIELD'S BLACKSMITHING SHOP

Filmed on location on May 24, 2025.

This was the site of Frost & Bloomfield’s Blacksmith shop, which was located in the Tower House District, of Shasta County, California, and was erected between: 1853 and 1864. This is where Frost and Bloomfield conducted their wagon making and blacksmith business at the corner of Trinity Mountain Road to French Gulch and Highway 299 West to Weaverville. It was situated near the Tower House, a former hostelry which formerly operated in the area, next to the existing historic Camden House.

Most of the building stood standing as a prominent feature in the area, which was deteriorating overtime, and eventually it led to its demise about 1930 when it was demolished. However, the rock foundation was preserved from demolition and in later years a storage shed was erected on this historic site connecting to the original rock foundation of the blacksmith building. Then in 1973, the site became protected upon the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service.

Arson destroyed the storage shed in 2014, and again it was threatened by the 2018 Carr fire, just four years later. Today, the rock foundation of this historic structure still remains intact and is over-seen by the National Park Service. Come see what remains of this historic site.

Resources:

1850 U.S. Census

1860 U.S. Census

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 15, 1864

1866 California U.S. Voters Registration

1870 U.S. Census

The National Park Service

Blacksmith Shop marker photo detailing the history of the Frost & Bloomfield 's Blacksmithing Shop. Courtesy of Noah Everett.