Historic Waugh’s Ferry: Westside Cable Support Iron Mooring Pins

2 historic cable support iron mooring pins appear in this video which belong to Waugh’s Ferry are embedded into the ground here at this location along the Sacramento River Trail system south of the mouth of Rock Creek and north of the present-day Ribbon Bridge and on the west side of the Sacramento River. One of them is hidden in plain site on the trail, perhaps you have noticed it before, or perhaps not? This one that is shown as the cover photo to this video is definitely the oldest one of the two blacksmith forged cable support iron mooring pins which held the cable to Waugh’s Ferry. This ferry was owned and operated by a pioneer ferryman named Joseph Waugh a local resident of the town which bore his surname near the ferry site. Waugh strung up 750 feet of cable which spanned the Sacramento River on both the west side and east side so it would stronghold the ferry against the current of the Sacramento River as it transported passengers and freight across the river on this watercraft. Click play to enjoy the video. This is a follow up to my last YouTube video I did on this subject called The Remaining Historic Relics at Waugh's Ferry and the Townsite of Waugh at Middle Creek. You can find my resources for this video at the above link.

The Remaining Historic Relics at Waugh's Ferry and the Townsite of Waugh at Middle Creek

Filmed on location. Copyright: 2022 and 2023.

Resources: 

Dissolution Copartnership - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 24, 1853

Court of Sessions - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 8, 1854

$50 Reward - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 6, 1854

Notice - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 28, 1854

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

District Court, November Term, 1854 - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 2, 1854

District Court, November Term, 1854 - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 9, 1854

Notice - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 27, 1855

District Court - May Term - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 22, 1858

Board Of Supervisors- The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 12, 1859

News of the Morning - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 10, 1859

Supreme Court Decision - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 11, 1859

Rains, Snows and Floods - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 15, 1859 

Board of Supervisors - May Term - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 11, 1861

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 25, 1862

Copper Lead - The Marysville Daily Appeal newspaper of Marysville, April 16, 1863

Ferry Notice - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 30, 1864

Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors August Term 1854 - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 13, 1864

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 10, 1866

High Water In Shasta County - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, February 15, 1866

New Boat - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 2, 1867

Stranded - The Shasta Courier newspaper Shasta, February 28, 1868

Accident - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 11, 1869

Elevations - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 18, 1870

Railroad Surveys - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 13, 1870

Died - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 9, 1871

Death of the Waugh Brothers - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 9, 1871

Inheritance - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 27, 1872

Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors for the May Term 1872 - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 18, 1872

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 15, 1881

Railroad Notes - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 28, 1883

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 28, 1883 

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 5, 1883

Deed - May 5, 1883, Joseph Waugh to Central Pacific Railroad 

Transfers - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 12, 1883

Real Estate Transfers - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 12, 1883

The New Road - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 12, 1883

Deeds - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 12, 1883

Pacific Coast Items - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, May 19, 1883

Our Neighbors - The Humboldt Times newspaper of Eureka, May 20, 1883

Our Neighbors - The Humboldt Times newspaper of Eureka, June 5, 1883

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 7, 1883

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 7, 1883

The New Road - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 14, 1883

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 11, 1883

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 25, 1883

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 1, 1883

Real Estate Transfers - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 6, 1883

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 23, 1884

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 5, 1884

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 23, 1884

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 1, 1884 (Redding to Middle Creek completed)

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 15, 1884

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 24, 1885

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 19, 1885

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 26, 1885

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 31, 1886

Middle Creek News - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 14, 1888

Middle Creek News - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 17, 1888

Middle Creek Notes - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 18, 1888

Middle Creek News - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 5, 1888

Middle Creek News - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 12, 1889

Middle Creek News - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 9, 1889

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 13, 1892

Crossed Over the River - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 12, 1892

Another Pioneer Gone - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 12, 1892

Notice For Publication - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 9, 1892

Notes From Middle Creek - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 1, 1893

Pioneer Mrs. Waugh Dies Peacefully - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 20, 1901

Middle Creek Middlings - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 11, 1901

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 7, 1901

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 11, 1901

Mongolian Pheasants - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 20, 1901

Railroad Will Build Depot at Middle Creek - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 21, 1903

Middle Creek Is Supplying Gold - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 26, 1904

Post Office at Waugh No More - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 29, 1906

Waugh Office Closes June 30 - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 31, 1906

Post Office Has Been Discontinued - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, May 31, 1906

Waugh Office Abolished - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 1, 1906

Middle Creek Hotel for Sale - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 27, 1907

Middle Creek Depot - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 4, 1911

Depot At Middle Creek Moved Away - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 24, 1914

Warehouse At Middle Creek Is Torn Down - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 11, 1921

Do You Remember? - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 23, 1934

Group To View Historical Spots - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 17, 1947

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

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.

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

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

The Sky Blue mine

Above: an advertisement for the Sky Blue mine by the Original Sky Blue Ledge Mining Company, from the Shasta Courier newspaper edition of July 23, 1864

In 1863 Colonel William Magee, a noted surveyor, miner, prospector, and resident of Shasta, California, located the quartz vein of the Original Sky Blue mine of the Middle Creek mining district.

After an examination of this vein, gold was extracted from it which yielded some lucrative high-grade gold that assayed well. After that Magee called it the Sky Blue and he began transitioning it into a quartz mine with a main haulage tunnel, winzes, raises, and drifts. This mine was situated on the east bank of the Sacramento River, just below Waugh’s Ferry. One of the best featured uncovered was an imposing ledge of gold & copper ore.

On April 8, 1863, Magee established the Sky Blue Ledge Company, of which he was the sole owner. Two years later, articles of incorporation were filed at Shasta for the Original Sky Blue Ledge Company by Colonel William Magee.

This company held its business meetings at Shasta. J. Van Schaik, another Shasta resident, was hired by Magee as superintendent at this mining property, and soon additional miners were employed to assist with the work. The first orders given by Magee were the existing haulage tunnel he had previously created. Later, additional extractions of gold and copper were made within the mine once they ran a drift back sixty feet and struck the main quartz vein.

The nearest stamp mill to the Sky Blue mine was the Pioneer Mill which was located on Spring Creek. The original Sky Blue Ledge Company negotiated a contract with the Pioneer Mill for the purpose of crushing their rock. Over 200 tons of rock at the Sky Blue mine was ready to be crushed by the powerful stamps. This rock contained excellent deposits of gold. The original Sky Blue Ledge Company and the Pioneer Mill finalized the contract that month for future shipments which were hauled to their mill by teams.

Other equipment that the Pioneer Mill owned was a small, crude quartz crusher and a ball mill from which it obtained particles from crushed quartz.

During the 1870’s ownership of the Sky Blue mine passed into the hands of Joseph Waugh, a resident of Middle Creek, who was the owner of Waugh’s Ferry.

In May of 1875 there is a record of this claim in the Index To Mining Claims Book I, It appears there were two additional Sky Blue mines in Shasta County at that time as well which were recorded as being near the town of Buckeye, in the Old Diggings mining district.

During October of 1878, assessments claimed that the rock from Waugh’s mine would pay him $300 per ton. Waugh became rich off this lucrative mining property. Years later, E.P. Connor, a local miner and prospector, acquired the Sky Blue mine, and on June 21, 1890, the Free Press newspaper of Redding reported the following:

“The Sky Blue mine above Middle Creek, owned by E.P. Connor promises to be one of the choice mining properties of the county. He has a shaft down 25 feet on a rich pay chute of rotten quartz, and rusty gold very rich. He proposes to run the old Sky Blue tunnel some 400 feet and tap this chute at a depth of 260 feet. The nature of the country is such that the mine can be opened up at a comparatively small expense.“

In 1902, the Sky Blue mine was purchased by the Redding Gold & Copper Mining Company for $20,000. The owner and president of this mining company was Thomas Gilbert. Other mines in Shasta County were included in this transaction and they were La Plant and Bedford Group near Keswick; Stabler group near Centerville, White Group near Igo.

Gilbert and his mining company began making plans to build a reduction-works on the Sky Blue mining property. The group still had ownership of the mine in 1906 and they held onto it until 1910 when the Redding Gold & Copper Mining Company sold it to W. Oberlin and R.F. Lind – natives of Ohio. The total amount of the purchase price was not released. After this time the Sky Blue mine became idle.

RESOURCES:

Sky Blue Ledge Company - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 11, 1863

Organized - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 11, 1863

Leg Broken - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 21, 1864

Delinquent Notice - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 18, 1864 

Spring Creek Mill - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 18, 1864

Spring Creek Mill - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 25, 1864

Original Sky Blue Quartz Mining Company (advertisement) - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 23, 1864

Original Sky Blue Quartz Mining Company (advertisement) - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 18, 1865

Incorporated - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 25, 1865

Index to Mining Claims Book 1 - page 238, Sky Blue mine, dated May 7, 1875

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 26, 1878

Joe Waugh - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 9, 1878

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 23, 1878.

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 7, 1878 

Joseph Waugh’s Quartz ledge - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 21, 1878

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 18, 1879 

Mining Notes - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 21, 1890

Crossed Over the River (Joseph Waugh obituary) - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 12, 1892

Mining and Scientific Press Volume 85, 1902, page 226 

Mines Register: Successor to the Mines Handbook and the Copper, 1906, Volumes 6-7 by Horace J. Stevens, page 851

The Engineering and Minining Journal Vol. LXXXIX, January to June 1910. Published by Hill Publishing, New York

Short Talks With Busy And Women - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 23, 1912