The town of Oak Bottom and the two-story Oak Bottom Hotel. Date unknown. This photograph was taken by local photographer Chester Mullen (1886-1958). Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.
The Fortunate township was established by the Shasta County Court of Sessions in 1851 as a townsite which lacked a United States Post Office. It was a prominent mining locality. This township was situated two miles north-west of Whisky Creek Diggings, (now Whiskeytown), along the Oregon Trail which passed through the area. It was a designated stopping place for pack mules along that route. It's not known how the Fortunate township received its name, but in 1853, the Fortunate township became the Oak Bottom election precinct, which was one of twenty-two election precincts established in Shasta County, that year.
Since then, the townsite has been known as Oak Bottom and named for the numerous Oak trees in the area. A two-story hotel began operations in 1853 which was called the Oak Bottom House a popular hostelry within the community. This hotel was owned and operated by A.J. Van Wie. In 1858, the Oak Bottom Course came to fruition under the ownership of Heavins and McTurck, and horse racing became an extremely popular sporting event within the community.
Above: an advertisement by Heavins & McTurck for their Oak Bottom Course at Oak Bottom. From the Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 4, 1858.
That year, Heavins and McTurck also took over operations of the local hostelry. The Oak Bottom House was destroyed by fire in 1873. The Oak Bottom hostelry was later rebuilt on the opposite side of the road and the name was changed to the Oak Bottom hotel. The above image showcases the Oak Bottom hotel and an additional building at Oak Bottom, in Shasta County, California.
This locality which never had a United States Post Office to send and receive mail flourished with success until the 1950s. Oak Bottom once featured a general merchandise store owned and operated by C. Vergnes & Company, as well sometimes found as the Vergnes Brothers. The townsite began filling with water for a reservoir called Whiskeytown Lake in 1962 which created the Oak Bottom Marina and beach which is now a popular tourist attraction for water sports, swimmers and sun bathers within the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.
Above: a ticket for a dance and supper hosted by the Vergnes Bros. Oak Bottom Ticket No. 889. From the collection of Jeremy Tuggle.
Resources:
Election Precincts - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 3, 1853
Banquet At Oak Bottom - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 24, 1855
Local Correspondent - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 2, 1858
Estray - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 9, 1858
Horse-Racing - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 4, 1858
Oak Bottom House - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 11, 1858
Our Storied Landmarks – Shasta County, California, written by May H. Southern, published by Balakshin Printing Company, ©1942.
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
Historic Resource Study Whiskeytown National Recreation Area by Anna Coxe Toogood, May 1978, Denver Service Center, Historic Preservation Team, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, by Al M. Rocca, Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (May 3, 2010) ISBN10: 1451568533,ISBN-13: 978-1451568530
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