TWO DISCONNECTING MINES WITH FLOWSTONE FEATURES.

Filmed on location December 16, 2023.

I haven't found too many mines Shasta County with natural flowstone features in them; however, these small disconnecting mines are among the few I have found. Located in French Gulch inside the boundaries of the French Gulch Mining District of Shasta County, are these two small disconnecting mines with flowstone features in them. Usually, I see flowstone in natural caves of the region rather than inside the local mines here that I have been to and researched over the years as a local historian of the area. Flowstone is a sheetlike deposit of calcite or other carbonate minerals caused by the natural flow of water seepage over the years into the back, face, left and right ribs of the main haulage tunnel of a mine.

A SMALL ABANDONED MINE WITH A SHAFT.

Located in French Gulch in the French Gulch Mining District of Shasta County is this abandoned small mine with a raise or a shaft. The natural lighting from the raise inside the mine was pretty cool to see. It appears that this mine was mined for gold. This video was filmed on location December 16, 2023. Featuring Ryan Hammon from Explore with Ryan.

Tower House Historic District Abandoned Mine: A Stope & An Ore Pass

Ever climbed up an ore pass of an abandoned mine before? Not too many people have. An ore pass is a vertical or inclined passage for the downward transfer of ore connecting to a lower level of a mine connecting with an ore chute/ore shoot. We were expecting this mine to be plugged or gated within the boundaries of the Tower House Historic District near Whiskeytown, California, but it was wide opened, so we didn't bring a hard hat. This mine is one of those abandoned treasures which don't appear on any topography maps of the region and doesn't have a recorded history of it. Inside the mine you'll see a small stope as well which my friend Ryan Hammon and I discovered. 

Filmed on location December 16, 2023.

The Historic Flume Trail at Castle Crags State Park

Video filmed on location.

In this episode of Exploring Shasta County History, we will tour the remains of a historic water ditch and flume in the boundaries of the Castle Crags State Park, just 40 miles north of Redding, California. This water ditch and flume system dates to the 1890s and was constructed to channel water into the town site of Castella from Castle Creek and Indian Creek. Later on, miners utilized its water in the area for the extraction of gold at their mining claims. Some of these former sites along the present-day trail system have miner camp castoffs at their location to explore as well. This trail is an easy to moderate hike. 

Castella was a railroad station which was first called Castle Rock due to the highest dome of the nearby crags. Yet that name was short-lived, and in 1890 the United States Post Office headquarters in Washington D.C., designated the site which we know as Castella today, as Leland. The town of Leland was named in honor of Leland Standford, an American attorney, industrialist, philanthropist, and a member of the Republican Party. Standford served as the sixth governor of the state of California from 1862 to 1863. Standford owned a beautiful summer home at Lower Soda Springs in Shasta County, California. 

In 1890 the name of the town of Leland was changed again to Castella about the time this historic flume was erected to serve the community. The town site included a railroad depot, grocery store, hotel, school and a United States Post Office for local residents to send and receive mail. The area was mined for gold and logged for lumber as Castella boasted a population of 600 people at one-time. The town site still remains today along Interstate-5 in the Sacramento River Canyon and its United States Post Office is still in service to the public. 

Resources:

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 3, 1892

Castella Items - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 2, 1893

Castella Items - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 7, 1893

Castella News - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 3, 1894

Summer Resorts Up the Canyon - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 4, 1904

Castella Is Angry At S.P. - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 19, 1907

J.A. Rich, Miner Rescued Thursday Afternoon Several Miles West of Castella - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 30, 1907

Cannot Locate New Shasta Post Office - The Chico Record, newspaper of Chico, January 21, 1908

$39,000 Blaze Wipes Out Big Part of Castella - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 16, 1919

Castella Is Now a Thriving Town - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 9, 1923

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

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

The Three Sisters Mine

Situated upon Dutch Gulch near the townsite of French Gulch is the Three Sisters mine, a gold mine which was located during the year 1894 in the boundaries of the French Gulch Mining District of Shasta County, California. Historical records relate that this mining property contains a main haulage tunnel of an adit which measures to 1,350 feet and contains 800 feet of drifts, and an open shaft also known as a winze measuring at 120 feet, including a stope of 200 feet as well. Production notes for this mine states it was a lucrative producer of gold, yet the following minerals were also found on this mining property as well: arsenopyrite, pyrite and quartz. This mine has gone through various ownerships and bonds (or leases) through the years. 

The mine was owned and operated by Elias Ellery and his brother James Ellery. Production at this historic mining property ended in 1906. Presently, one of the adits on the property that Ryan and I found is covered in thorn-thick vines and is hard to get into, but it’s flooded with clear water. Water drains from the portal of the adit. Nearby this flooded adit are a couple of prospects with small tailings and a massive tailings pile which can be viewed from the main road looking up the ridge line of the gulch, but we couldn’t find the adit this waste rock came out of suggesting it may have been taken out or collapsed. On the property there is a squared stone structure of a small four corner building mixed with mortar as well. This is where my friend Ryan found a lonely square nail after shifting through the rock on the land near this stone structure. In one mine we found the bones of a dead animal as well. Filmed on location on November 17, 2023.

RESOURCES:

Mines and Miners - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 2, 1895

French Gulch Gleanings - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 16, 1895

French Gulch Gleanings - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 30, 1895

French Gulch Gleanings - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 3, 1896

Trouble About A Mine - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 12, 1896

Mines and Miners - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 29, 1896

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 2, 1897

Mines and Miners - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 31, 1897

Successful Mining Lease - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 2, 1897

Mines and Mining - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 17, 1898

Ore From French Gulch - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 13, 1898

Proofs Of Labor - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 24, 1898

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 8, 1899

Miners Who Have Done Work - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 3, 1901

OLD DIGGINGS MINING DISTRICT ABANDONED GOLD MINE PART 2

My return to this abandoned gold mine in the Old Diggings Mining District of Shasta County, California, only to find it being a twenty-five to thirty feet adit. I returned with my friends James, Ryan and Robert. Join us on this mine exploration which was filmed off the beaten path near Flanagan Trail off Flanagan Road which has been hidden for years along this trail system. The only thing known about it is that it's located in the boundaries of the Old Diggings Mining District of Shasta County and was mined for gold. Filmed on location November 4, 2023.

THE M.A. BURNS LUMBER COMPANY RAILROAD BOILER AT CASTLE CRAGS STATE PARK

A follow up to the M.A. Burns Lumber Company abandoned railroad 36' narrow gauge video that I filmed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHb14... with Robert Frazier of California Unearthed. The subject focuses on a boiler which was found along the railroad grade by state park staff in 1994.

WALKER MINE -STAMP MILL AND OPEN SHAFT MINE-

In this episode of Exploring Shasta County History, I invite you to come explore the history of the historic Walker mine which gave its name to Walker Mine Road in Redding and the nearby Walker Mine Trailhead. Today, there are a few reminders that this one-time famous lucrative producer of gold and copper even existed. Join Robert Frazier, host of California Unearthed, and I as we tour its remaining ten stamp mill and an astonishing open mine shaft which was connected to the Walker brother holdings. Originally, called the Josephine and Providence mine, it wasn't until 1888 when this mining property was purchased by the Walker brothers of Salt Lake City, Utah, who were well-known millionaire bankers of that locality and had an interest in the mining industry of the western United States. They changed the name of this mine to the California and Utah mine that year. Since then, numerous people have bonded or leased the mine from them and have purchased the mine to operate it. Commonly known as the Walker mine or the Walker Group of Mines it has been idled since 1941. Filmed on location on October 21, 2023.

RESOURCES:

McGregor, A. ©1890, Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Shasta Counties: California Mining Bureau. Report 10

Crawford, James John ©1894, Twelfth report of the State Mineralogist: California Mining Bureau. Report 12

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 23, 1896 

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 25, 1896

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 14, 1897

The Walker Mine - The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 7, 1898

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 14, 1899

May Sale Walker Mine - The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 6, 1900

Walker Mine May Soon Be Transferred - The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 23, 1900

Will Ship Ore to Kennett Smelter - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 13, 1905

Notes From Shasta's Gold-Quartz Mines - The Courier Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 21, 1909

Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, Siskiyou County, and Trinity County, by G. Chester Brown, ©1915 published by California State Printing Office.

Walker Mines in Old Diggings Have Been Sold - The Courier Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 11, 1929

The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 9, 1931

Walker Mining Group Transfer Recorded - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 9, 1939

The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 4, 1932

Trinity River Water to Be Used in Mining Plan; Walker Mine to Reopen - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 25, 1932

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

UPDATE: FINDING A SECONDARY MINE SHAFT AT THE MOUNT SHASTA MINE.

Filmed on location.

My last visit to this mine was in 2020 and on October 21, 2023, I returned to the Mount Shasta Mine in the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and is part of the Shasta Mining District. This site dates to 1897. Upon my return to the site, I found some familiar things like the old tailing/waste rock piles, a prospect, an adit, foundations of its stamp mill and the known incline shaft that's fenced off by the park service. However, I was least expecting to find something new...

What surprised me was locating a secondary vertical shaft on top of the main haulage tunnel of the adit. Possibly, it could be a raise as well from inside the main haulage tunnel which are practically the same thing, however it was a shock to me to find this plugged shaft. The known incline shaft has a fence around it and is right next to the trail with water in the incline shaft. While the new shaft is plugged at this historic mining site. I'm hoping to explore more of the area soon.

RESOURCES:

Mining and Scientific Press, 75 no. 18 (October 1897)

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 14, 1899

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 22, 1900

Mount Shasta Mine Sold and Paid For - The Courier Free-Press newspaper of Redding, February 16, 1912

Mount Shasta Mine Sold to H.O. Cummins - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 22, 1913

Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, Siskiyou County, and Trinity County, by G. Chester Brown, ©1915 published by California State Printing Office.

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

The Mount Shasta Mine: A Gold Mine on the Mt. Shasta Mine Loop Trail written by Jeremy M. Tuggle, September 16, 2020

THE MOUNT SHASTA MINE OF THE SHASTA MINING DISTRICT

The Richmond Mine Aerial Tramway Part 2

This episode of Exploring Shasta County History focusses on the Richmond Mine Aerial Tramway also known as the Hornet Mine to Matheson Tramway. It was built by the Mountain Copper Company LTD., in 1921, and this tram line was extended to the Richmond Mine in 1953. This site is located on BLM land most of it along OHV Trail No. 4. To find out more about this aerial tramway view the video. Filmed on location October 15, 2023. This site is located near the Shasta Chappie OHV Staging Area. OHV is higly recommended on this route or hike it like we did. 

Resources: 

Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, Siskiyou County, and Trinity County, by G. Chester Brown, ©1915 published by California State Printing Office.

Aerial Tramway To Be Built By Copper Company - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, April 30, 1921

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

The Richmond Mine Aerial Tramway

Filmed on location.

Resources: 

Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, Siskiyou County, and Trinity County, by G. Chester Brown, ©1915 published by California State Printing Office.

Aerial Tramway To Be Built By Copper Company - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, April 30, 1921

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

The M.A. Burns Lumber Company Railroad: an Abandoned 36' Narrow Gauge Logging Railroad At Castella

On this episode of Exploring Shasta County History, join Robert Frazier, host of California Unearthed, and I as we explore an abandoned logging railroad situated just outside of the Castle Crags State Park at Castella on the North Fork of Castle Creek which was laid in 1910 as part of the M. A. Burns Lumber Company holdings as a 36" narrow gauge line which was utilized for hauling lumber that this company was milling and producing. Later on, the company changed its name to the Castle Creek Lumber Company. This lumber company operated this route until 1929 and the tracks were removed and relocated to another undisclosed location in 1936 when this railroad grade became abandoned. Today, only the abandoned railroad grade and ties remain of this railroad logging operation. Filmed on location October 8, 2023.

OLD DIGGINGS MINING DISTRICT ABANDONED GOLD MINE

An abandoned gold mine off the beaten path near Flanagan Trail off Flanagan Road which has been hidden for years along this trail system. The only thing known about it is that it's located in the boundaries of the Old Diggings Mining District of Shasta County and was mined for gold. Filmed on location October 1, 2023.

The Betty May Mine of the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area -An Open Mine Shaft-

Located in the 1920s the Betty May Mine is now located within the boundaries of the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and over looks Whiskeytown Lake. My friend Ryan Hammon and I explored the abandoned mining property on October 1, 2023. It was a lucrative producer of gold during the 1920s and 1930s with miners toiling away in its mine shaft extracting gold from its veins inside. Come explore the site with us in this episode of Exploring Shasta County History. It's a rarity these days in this county to find an open mine shaft most are plugged.

Filmed on location October 1, 2023.

 

Abandoned Gold Mines of the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

Yesterday, was quite the mining adventure with Ryan Hammon, Riah Stevens and me. We found two abandoned gold mines in the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area that we explored. The first one we went to in the same area as the second one was welded shut, but the second mine proved exciting as we were able to get inside its gated entrance. We checked out some additional mines in the area as well which I have footage of that I'll work on releasing later this week. As for now I hope you enjoy this newest installment of Exploring Shasta County History:

HISTORY'S MYSTERY: A STONE STRUCTURE ON THE CLOVERDALE LOOP TRAIL

On September 5, 2023, while hiking along the Cloverdale Loop Trail near the former pioneer settlement of Piety Hill, in western Shasta County, California. I stumbled upon this stone structure. What is it? Maybe you can answer that. Is it a chimney? Is it historic, modern or mining related? Check out this mysterious stone structure in my newest YouTube video:

Clear Creek Area Abandoned Gold Mine

 An abandoned gold mine I found on September 4, 2023, on a local trail system in the Clear Creek area of western Shasta County, California. It's a small mine but come check it out with me. Watch the video here:

Filmed on location 9-4-2023.

MYSTIC MINING AT THE BOSWELL GROUP OF MINES

Video filmed on location. © 2022 & 2023

Was a medium from San Francisco really used to conduct mystic mining at the Boswell Group of Mines? I claim the account to be hogwash, but local media outlets of the time document these interesting accounts claiming that W.S. Boyd and his mining partner George W. Boswell utilized these spiritualists to gain success in their Boswell Group of Mines. Later on, this property was owned and operated by the Redding Consolidated Mines. Join my friend Robert Frazier, host of California Unearthed, and I, as we take you on a historical tour of these mystical mining grounds and see what remains of them today.

Resources:

Of Interest To Prospectors - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 10, 1890

Attention Prospectors - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 31, 1890

Some of Our Mines - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 19, 1891

Real Estate Transfers - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 8, 1897

1900 U.S. Census

Proof Of Labor Book 1, Page 367 - Miners Dream mine, recorded by W.S. Boyd on January 20, 1900

Proof Of Labor Book, 1 Pages 492-493 - Miners Dream mine, recorded by W.S. Boyd on September 10, 1900

Proof Of Labor Book 2, Page 226

Spiritually Worked Mining Property - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 9, 1901

Spirits Tell How To Work A Mine - The Red Bluff Daily News newspaper, August 16, 1901

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 9, 1902

Mrs. Ada Boswell Is Dead; Funeral This Afternoon - The Red Bluff Daily News newspaper of Red Bluff, March 15, 1922 

Construction Chief of the Boswell Mine Arrives - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 10, 1929

Building Powerline To Muletown Consolidated - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 11, 1929

Shasta Mining Area Active - The Blue Lake Advocate newspaper of Blue Lake, February 16, 1929

To Increase Force - The Blue Lake Advocate newspaper of Blue Lake, May 11, 1929

Redding Consolidated Must Pay the Estate of W.C. Stevens $11,000 - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 22, 1930

Personal Property At Old Boswell Mine Sold As Junk, $1,500 - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 27, 1931

H.F. Musser, Local Mining Man, Kills Self - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 31, 1931

Last Rites Are Held For H.F. Musser - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 2, 1931

Boswell Group Of Mines Leased - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 6, 1932

Mines Sold - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 6, 1933

Shasta Mine Group Leased - The Blue Lake Advocate newspaper of Blue Lake, April 16, 1933

Woman Files Many Claims In Shasta Area - The Blue Lake Advocate newspaper of Blue Lake, September 17, 1932

Gravity Mill Installed - The Blue Lake Advocate newspaper of Blue Lake, May 6, 1933

Miner Slightly Injured In 30-Foot Fall - The Blue Lake Advocate newspaper of Blue Lake, April 14, 1934

George Boswell Passes On Here At Age Of 78 - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 25, 1934

Cottonwood Cemetery, Established 1886.

Filmed on location.

Even though the Cottonwood Cemetery was established in 1886, the first burial here on this property was made in 1874. This video documents the amazing history of the historic Cottonwood Cemetery. Find out more in this episode of Exploring Shasta County History.

Resources: 

1867 California Voters Register

1870 U.S. Census

U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880

William McClure Wilson’s in the U.S., General Land Office Records, 1776-2015

The Bedford & Wright Family Feud of Anderson: And the Historic John F. Bedford Company Building at 2016 North Street.

 

Filmed on location.

A feud similar to Hatfield’s & McCoy’s of Kentucky and West Virginia? Not quite. A separate family feud? Yes, Shasta County’s own statewide famous feud is highlighted in this YouTube video from Exploring Shasta County History, learn about the Bedford & Wright family feud which statewide media coverage of the time period compared it to the nationally famous Hatfield’s and McCoy’s family feud which was the foundation for the television game show Family Feud. I also dive into the history of the building at 2016 North Street in Anderson, a historic building which was owned and operated by the Bedford family and was also part of a shooting during the feud here in Shasta County. Find out more on this episode of Exploring Shasta County History…  ©2021, 2022 & 2023

Resources:

1860 U.S. Census

John Franklin Bedford marriage to Ella V. Wright, June 2, 1857, Fulton, Georgia.

1866 California Voters Registration 

New Firm - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 16, 1867

Notice - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 16, 1867

1868 California Voters Registration 

1870 U.S. Census

Born - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 14, 1870

New Store at Anderson - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 4, 1873

New Store! - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 4, 1873

New Store! - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 15, 1873

In Brief - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 12, 1873

Sample - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 19, 1873

Bedford & Wright - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 30, 1873

Agricultural Implements - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 25, 1873

Born - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 18, 1873

Anderson - The Pacific Rural Press newspaper of San Francisco, May 10, 1879

Attempted Suicide - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, July 16, 1879

1880 U.S. Census

Anderson - The Pacific Rural Press newspaper of San Francisco, March 4, 1882

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 3, 1883

Anderson “Echoes” - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 12, 1885

Real Estate - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Anderson, June 23, 1888

Anderson - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 15, 1888

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 8, 1890

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 23, 1892

Anderson Flour Mill Burned -The Chico Weekly Enterprise newspaper of Chico, March 15, 1895

Married At A Ripe Age - The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 3, 1899

Climax of the Quarrel - The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 10, 1899

It May Be Sensational - The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 20, 1899

Elusive Doctor Davison - The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 20, 1899

Says He Married Her For Her Money - The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper of San Francisco, December 21, 1899

1900 U.S. Census

Sent Back To Shasta County - The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper of San Francisco, February 1, 1900

Family Row Nearly Ends in Murder - The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, March 14, 1900

Much Bad Blood and Bird Shot - San Jose Herald newspaper of San Jose, March 14, 1900

Mrs. J.F. Bedford Is Seriously Sick - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 2, 1901

Mrs. Virginia Bedford Dead - The Chico Weekly Enterprise newspaper of Chico, April 5, 1901

Death Of Mrs. Mary Lawshe - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 9, 1904

From Neighboring Towns and Adjacent Counties - The Chico Record newspaper of Chico, May 11, 1904

Anderson Has Disastrous Blaze - Chico Record newspaper of Chico, August 8, 1905

Red Bluff - The Chico Record newspaper of Chico, September 30, 1905

Packing House to Be Built - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 21, 1906

A Fruit Packing House To Be Built - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 22, 1906

Good Season for Fruit - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, September 3, 1907

Pioneer Merchant Is Dead - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, November 29, 1910

Died - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, November 29, 1910

Pioneer Merchant Dies At the Age of Seventy-Six - The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, November 29, 1910

Want Will Probated - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, December 3, 1910

James F. Bedford Beaten And Stabbed By Jeremiah Wright - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 24, 1911

James Bedford Beaten And Stabbed In Street -The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 24, 1911

Shasta Man Stabs His Old Partner - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, May 24, 1911

Stabbed By a Former Partner - Colusa Daily Sun newspaper of Colusa, May 24, 1911

Bedford-Wright Feud Like Those of Kentucky Hills - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, May 25, 1911

Victim of Assault Is in No Danger - Colusa Daily Sun newspaper of Colusa, May 25, 1911

Shasta Merchant Stabbed on Street - The Chico Record newspaper of Chico, May 25, 1911

James F. Bedford Doing Splendidly - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 25, 1911

Many Prisoners In Shasta  - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, May 26, 1911

Old Feud Ends with Assault - The Marysville Daily Appeal newspaper of Marysville, May 26, 1911

Was Attacked by Uncle - The Napa Weekly Journal newspaper of Napa, May 26, 1911

To Take Bedford To The Lane Hospital - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 29, 1911

Bedford Will Not Prosecute Wright - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 11, 1911

Bitter Feud Ends in Shasta County - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 11, 1911

Cracksmen Fail to Secure Loot - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, December 23, 1911

Will Subdivide Tract - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, January 1, 1913

Jeremiah Pearson Wright, Pioneer of Anderson, Dies At Oakland, Aged 71 Years. - The Anderson Valley News newspaper of Anderson, May 25, 1916

Card Of Thanks - The Anderson Valley News newspaper of Anderson, May 25, 1916

James F. Bedford Sues F.B. Collum $725 On Promisary Note - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 18, 1927

James F. Bedford, Pioneer Merchant, Passes At Home - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 21, 1936

J.F. Bedford's Largest In Town History - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 22, 1936

Bedford Estate Is Bequeathed To Wife and Mrs. Donnelly - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 30, 1936

Dunlap Buys Bedford Store - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 1, 1944

Dunlaps Store In Anderson Is Remodeled - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 7, 1944

The Town Of Anderson Grew From Teamsters Campground Site written by Rosena A. Giles - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 4, 1951

John Franklin Bedford (1834-1911) Find A Grave Memorial

Ella V. (Wright) Bedford (1838-1901) Find A Grave Memorial

James Franklin Bedford (1859-1936) Find A Grave Memorial  (Note: an error on this Find A Grave claims that James Franklin Bedford died in 1935. That is incorrect.) 

Susan Lily (Jones) Bedford (1861-1954) Find A Grave Memorial

Uel Lambkin Wright (1808-1877) Find A Grave Memorial

Mary (Pearson) Wright-Lawshe (1820-1904) Find A Grave Memorial

Jeremiah "Jerry" Pearson Wright (1844-1916) Find A Grave Memorial

Sarah Jane (Martin) Wright (1853-1905) Find A Grave Memorial

George W. Smith (1858-1891)

George W. Smith (1858-1891). The above photograph was taken in September of 1877, possibly at Redding, California, at the age of 19-years-old. The photographer is unknown. From the collection of Jeremy Tuggle.

This short blog chronicles the life of George W. Smith who was born in 1858 in California, his father, Gottlieb George Kaylor Smith, was 46 and his mother, Elizabeth Jane (Lamberson) Smith, was 25 at the time of his birth. He had three brothers and six sisters during his parents' union. George W. Smith was raised at Horsetown, a son of a local farmer in Shasta County, and he attended school in the area as shown in the 1870 U.S. Census. He later became a mill worker at the Eagle Creek sawmill near Eagle Creek, (now Ono). Smith was accused of poisoning the livestock of a local rancher named George Fenwick whose ranch was on the South Fork of Cottonwood Creek. 

On May 23, 1891, George W. Smith was caught by Fenwick trespassing on his property, and Fenwick charged at Smith in which a fatal quarrel took place with Fenwick shooting and instantly killing Smith on his land with a loaded gun. Smith died on May 23, 1891, at the Fenwick Ranch on the South Fork of Cottonwood Creek at the age of 33. The local sheriff was called to the scene and a coroner's inquest report was held by the local coroner the shooting was documented as suspicious and the sheriff took Fenwick into custody it was later determined that there was not enough evidence to hold George Fenwick for murder. Fenwick was discharged from custody and released from the Shasta County Jail in early June of 1891. George W. Smith (1858-1891) was my maternal great-great-great granduncle. He is supposedly buried on Rainbow Lake Road on land that is now private property. He is one of two burials at this small cemetery on Rainbow Lake Road the other burial is that of his younger brother Issac Jonas Smith (1870-1876) who died young.

Sources:

1870 U.S. Census

1880 U.S Census

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 30, 1891

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 6, 1891

THE NICHOL'S BOARDING HOUSE AT BALL'S FERRY, CIRCA 1880.

Above: a partially faded photograph of the Nichol's boarding house a two-story clapboard style farmhouse structure at Ball's Ferry, circa 1880, with the family and boarders of Stacy Mahlon Nichols standing in front of the building. From the collection of Jeremy Tuggle. 

Stacy Mahlon Nichols was a native of Loudoun County, Virginia who was born to Isaac Gibson Nichols and Louisa (White) Nichols on July 25, 1856. By 1860, his family settled at Mount Gilead, Virginia, where his father was a farmer and he attended school in that area. Later, they relocated to Springfield, New Hampshire County, West Virginia, where Stacy is documented at the age of thirteen-years-old but is recorded on the 1870 U.S. Census as "Tacy" which is incorrect. He became a well-educated person. 

On May 27, 1879, Stacy registered to vote at the age of twenty-two-years-old recording his place of residence as Shingletown where he was farming. Then on, June 4, 1879, Stacy Mahlon Nichols married Amanda Ellen Hammans, my paternal great-great grand aunt, and a daughter of Shasta County pioneers, Henry Hammans Sr., and Hannah (Moss) Hammans. They were joined together in holy matrimony at Darrah's Mill, by Justice of the Peace, J.S. Darrah, in eastern Shasta County, near Shingletown. To this union, Amanda bore Stacy five children consisting of:

1.) Mary Letetia Nichols (May 1, 1880 - August 19, 1881) [She is buried at Shingletown in the historic Ogburn-Inwood Cemetery. Her first name is mistakenly etched on her headstone as May]

2.) Grace Estelle Nichols (April 29, 1882 - July 29, 1972) married first: George Henry Bacon and married second: Isaac Benjamin Ury

3.) Bertha Irilla Nichols (November 15, 1884 - February 27, 1918) married William H. Martel

4.) Mabel Inez Nichols (July 3, 1886 - December 28, 1982) married first: James Garfield Jessie Durst and married second: Oscar Louis Zeis 

5.) Lola Gertrude Nichols (January 23, 1888 - May 7, 1937) married Elbert Cox Harrell

According to the 1880 U.S. Census, Stacy Mahlon Nichols is living in the 92nd Enumeration District, more notably situated at Ball's Ferry. His occupation was noted as a farmer. His household consisted of his wife, Amanda Ellen (Hammans) Nichols, their daughter Mary L. Nichols, and his sister-in-law, Nancy Jane Hammans. Around this time period Stacy pursued additional career opportunities and began running a boarding house out of the above building. In 1886, he registered to vote while living in the Ball's Ferry area, and after that he relocated his family to Ludwig's Bridge on Cottonwood Creek where they remained while Stacy and Amanda operated the boarding house together at Ball's Ferry.

Nichols also purchased the Ball's Ferry flouring mill (a mill which was erected by Alexander Love and formerly owned by Jonathon Carver.) Stacy Mahlon Nichols relocated this flour mill from Ball's Ferry to another milling site which was formerly owned by his father and situated on Ludwig’s Bridge at Cottonwood Creek and Nichols combined the two mills together. Nichols sold out to Andrew Leslie about 1889, and this mill site became known as Leslie’s Flour Mill. Later, it was owned by Luke Lukes and his brother Jason Lukes. The mill was sold about 1912 to Ed Carter, M.T. Howell and Otto Trautz and they relocated the flour mill to Cottonwood as the Cottonwood Milling Company.

Stacy Mahlon Nichols relocated his family south to Oakland, Alameda County, California, where his wife Amanda Ellen (Nichols) Hammans died on October 3, 1897. She is buried in the Mountain View Cemetery at Oakland. Stacy survived his wife and is recorded as living at Alameda, in Oakland, California, in 1898 and according to the 1900 U.S. Census. His occupation at that time is listed as a railroad inspector. A search for Nichols in the 1910 U.S. Census oddly failed to accumulate any results, but a 1911 City of Oakland Directory book lists him as living in Oakland and working as a watchman. 

The Shasta County pioneer Stacy Mahlon Nichols died on September 20, 1916, in San Francisco, California, at the age of sixty-years-old. He was buried in the Mountain View Cemetery at Oakland next to his beloved wife, Amanda. 

Above: back row, L-R: my paternal great-great grand aunt Amanda Ellen (Hammans) Nichols and her husband Stacy Mahlon Nichols. Front row L-R: Mabel, Grace and Bertha. Circa 1886.  From the collection of Jeremy Tuggle.

Resources:

1860 U.S. Census

1870 U.S. Census

1879 California Voters Registration 

Married - The Reading Independent newspaper of Redding, June 12, 1879

1880 U.S. Census

1898 California Voters Registration 

1900 U.S. Census

1907 City of Oakland Directory

1911 City of Oakland Directory

1912 City of Oakland Directory

1913 City of Oakland Directory

1914 City of Oakland Directory

1915 City of Oakland Directory

Stacy M. Nichols in the California, Death Index, 1905-1939

Stacy M. Nichols in the San Francisco Area, California, Funeral Home Records, 1850-1931

Stacy M. Nichols in the California, Wills and Probate Records 1850-1953

Salt Creek Group of Mines

The Salt Creek Group of Mines was worked by E.P. Connor as early as 1897, and this lucrative mining property was abandoned in 1916. The largest producer of gold of this mining property is the Corrine mine. Filmed on location June 6, 2023. Find out more about the Salt Creek Group of Mines in this video from Exploring Shasta County History...

  

Noble's Emigrant Trail - Historic Bear Creek and the Dersch Homestead Site

Filmed on location April 18, 2023.

On this episode of Exploring Shasta County History, Jeremy, dives into the history surrounding the historic Dersch Homestead at Bear Creek. Come check out what's left of Noble's emigrant trail a trail which was blazed and routed William H. Nobles opened in 1852 as a safer route and an easier alternative from the Lassen Trail led travelers, wagons, pack trains and freight trains using this route into Shasta County.

RESOURCES:

1850 U.S. Census

1852 California State Census

1860 U.S. Census

Solomon D. Baker, Declaration of Homestead dated March 27, 1862

Coroner’s Inquest Report – Mrs. William Allen dated September 10, 1864

Coroner’s Inquest Report - Helenor M. Jones dated September 21, 1864

Horrible Massacre By Indians - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 10, 1864

Another Indian Murder - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 17, 1864

Our Indian Difficulties - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 17, 1864

Volunteers -  The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 24, 1864

More Indians Killed - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 8, 1864

Indian Raid - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 25, 1866

Correspondence - The Red Bluff Independent newspaper of Red Bluff, August 29, 1866

Indians Overtaken and Killed - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 1, 1866

Death of Mrs. Dersch - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 1, 1866

The Settler’s Vengeance - The Red Bluff Independent newspaper of Red Bluff, September 5, 1866

1867 California Voters Registration

1870 U.S. Census

1880 U.S. Census

BP-005.1 Baker, Solomon Dodge Pioneer Plaque File on file at Shasta Historical Society

The Good Old Times In McClean County, Illinois written by Dr. E. Duis. Published by Bloomington. ©1874 pages 206-207.

DP-009 Dersch, George Pioneer Plaque File on file at Shasta Historical Society.

Our Storied Landmarks – Shasta County, California, written by May H. Southern, published by Balakshin Printing Company, ©1942.

Shasta Historical Society Pioneer Record - George Dersch, dated: March 23, 1943

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

Our Pioneers - The Dersches by Beverly Steele, Ridge Rider News newspaper of Shingletown, January 4, 1993

Our Pioneers - The Dersches Part II by Beverly Steele, Ridge Rider News newspaper of Shingletown, January 11, 1993

Our Pioneers - The Dersches Part III by Beverly  Steele, Ridge Rider News newspaper of Shingletown (no date)

Wintu Trails by Helen Steadman Hogue. Published by Shasta Historical Society ©1977. Printed by Redding Printing Company Inc.,

Noble’s Emigrant Trail - Dry Creek Twin Bridges

Noble's Emigrant Trail - Dry Creek Twin Bridges. A zoomed in view from Dry Creek Bridge. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on April 15, 2023.

The historic Noble's Emigrant Trail, a trail which was blazed and routed by William H. Nobles opened in 1852 as a safer route and an easier alternative from the Lassen Trail led travelers, wagons, pack trains and freight trains using this route into Shasta County, California. At the historic site of Dry Creek in eastern Shasta County, and just to the west of the historic Dersch Homestead site are twin bridges belonging to the route which were built in 1924 with the date etched into their concrete. These bridges were made of reinforced concrete slab arches, arched rails and girder beams, which makes them unique and one of a kind in the State of California, designed by C.R. Wiegel.

They were erected by the Severtson Construction Company over the eastern and western channel of Dry Creek at that location. They are a short distance east of the historic site of Fort Reading. To the naked eye they appear to be identical in shape and size, however, their measurements are not exact, bridge one measures at 44 feet long and 20.6 feet wide while bridge two measures at 34 feet long and 20.7 feet wide.

About twenty-seven years ago, Shasta County deemed them to be unsafe for passing motorists. Today, they are fenced off to public access with no trespassing signs around them which is why I'm blogging about this historical site rather than filming a YouTube video about it. Today, historic signs mark each bridge over Dry Creek but remain visible from a distance. A nearby road called Noble's Trail Road retains the name of the historic route as well.

Noble's Emigrant Trail - Canyon House Historic Site (in Redding.)

Join me on this episode of Exploring Shasta County History as I dive into the history of the Canyon House or Canon House which predated Redding about 20 years before its establishment in 1872. This settlement's location might surprise you, and very little remains preserve this oft-forgotten locality which was pretty prominent alongside Noble's Emigrant Trail. See who, what, and where this settlement which included a popular stopping place was in this new YouTube video. Filmed on location April 3, 2023. 

RESOURCES:

Lost - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 25, 1853

Married - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 6, 1853

Died - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 27, 1854

Dissolution - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 10, 1855

Canon House for sale! - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 17, 1855

Births - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 19, 1856

Racing - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 26, 1858

Canon House - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 17, 1858

Canon House Race Course - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 3, 1858

Road From Shasta to Canon House - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 9, 1859

The Shasta Couriee newspaper of Shasta, January 7, 1860

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 12, 1860

Struck By Lightning - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 30, 1861

Shooting Affair at the Canon House - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta April 20, 1861

Banner Again - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 19, 1864

Stage Upset - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 8, 1866

Board of Supervisors - February Term - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 6, 1869

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 1, 1873

Trails of 49' - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 27, 1930

Canyon House Had a Bad Name For Shooting Scrapes In Early Days - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 4, 1943

California, U.S., Pioneer And Immigrant Files, 1790-1950: Frederick McIntosh, July 1948. In the archives of the California State Library.

Trees, Graves Mark Site Of Canyon House written by Edna R. Hollenbeak - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 29, 1948

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

Find A Grave Memorial: Frederick McIntosh (died: 1854)

Find A Grave Memorial: Elizabeth Ann (McIntosh) Catey (1821-1854)

Redding Consolidated Mine's Abandoned Mine Shaft

In the late 1920's and 1930's the Redding Consolidated Mines owned the lucrative Boswell Group of Mines. These mines produced gold and were located by its original locator George Boswell in the 1890's. While geocaching with my friend James, son Carson, and my Mom, we found a plugged shaft belonging to their mining company in the Swasey Recreation Area on Mule Mountain Trail just west of Redding near the Redding Consolidated Mines property. Also known as the Redding Consolidated Mining Company, these mines have a detailed history in Redding and I'm currently editing a video about their history which will be released in the future. Stay tuned to Exploring Shasta County History. Enjoy this short video. Filmed on location April 29, 2023. 

The Original Site of Wright's Ferry

Filmed on location in February of 2023.

In this video you can join me on an adventure as I explore an old stage road leading down to and from the original site of Wright's Ferry at the mouth of Spring Creek, where Shasta County pioneers Eugene Wright and Otis Seamans formerly operated a ferry across the Sacramento River just 100 yards south of the mouth of Spring Creek at this location. Their ferry license was granted to them by the Shasta County Court of Sessions on October 14, 1851. I tried locating some of the ferry's iron mooring pins and ramps here which their watercraft would have used but none were found, however, it's possible that they might still exist under the water level of the river. Only the old stage road leading to and from the ferry on both the west and east sides of the Sacramento River at this location remains. Come see what we found in this historic area and learn about the early history of the ferry which was eventually relocated to another location on the Sacramento River. Later on, this ferry became the Waugh's Ferry.

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

The Beck Cemetery of Millville

Filmed on location October 28, 2022. 

The Beck Cemetery was established in 1857 at Millville. The first burial was that of Paul Heryford, a local farmer, who was born in 1794, in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Heryford died on October 3, 1857, at Pine Grove, in Shasta County, California, at the age of sixty-three years old from a congestive chill. His body was then transferred to this cemetery for burial. This cemetery lies within the boundaries of the Millville Cemetery District. Additional burials were made within this small cemetery. The last recorded burial occurred in 1877, but there are three unknown burials at this historic site in Shasta County.

Resources:

1850 U.S. Census

Millenium File for Paul Heryford available at Ancestry.com

Find A Grave Memorial: Paul Heryford 1794-1857

The Historic Wells Ferry Crossing Along the Sacramento River Near Anderson on Noble's Emigrant Trail: and the Sacramento River House

Filmed on location March 17, 2023

On this episode of Exploring Shasta County history, Jeremy takes you on a private tour of the historic Sacramento River House property at the present-day site of the Sacramento River Bridge 1 1/2 mile north of Anderson at the historic Wells Ferry crossing with its property owner, Scott Swendiman. The Sacramento River House was built circa (1875-1880) along the historic Noble's Emigrant Trail at that location, originally it was a ferry house belonging to the historic Wells Ferry, and it still stands today. Tuggle & Swendiman gives you an exclusive look into Swendiman's property here. Check out the remains of the ferry on the property which dates to 1852. In 1886 the Wells Ferry was replaced by the Anderson Free Bridge and there are remains of that bridge on this property as well. This is an episode you don't want to miss. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven't already. This is now a historic vacation rental, wedding and event venue which is available to rent online at the following website's:

https://www.sacramentoriverhouse.com/

https://www.vrbo.com/292309

https://www.reddingbridalshow.com/redding-ca-wedding-bridal-show-expo-blog/sacramento-river-house

Resources

Notice - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 22, 1854

Notice - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 11, 1854

District Court, November Term, 1854 - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 16, 1854

Notice - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 12, 1856

Valuable Ferry Property For Sale - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 2, 1870

Purchased - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 1, 1870

Supervisor Proceedings - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 19, 1870

Whirlwind - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 11, 1872

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 11, 1885

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 27, 1886

The Bridge Matter - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 6, 1886

That Bridge - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 13, 1886

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 10, 1886

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 29, 1886

Board of Supervisors - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 10, 1886

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 17, 1886

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 14, 1886 (vilas mill Shingletown contract 50,000 feet of lumber for new bridge)

Talkin' About Ferry Boats and Changes written by Rosena A. Giles - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 1, 1951

Shasta County Had Many Ferries written by Judge Albert F. Ross Jr., - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 28, 1963

Shasta County, California, U.S., Marriages, 1852-1904

First Ferry Crossing written by Christy Milan Duke for Enjoy Magazine February 2019.

Sacramento River House

Oak Bottom

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

The Niagra Mine at French Gulch

Above: inside the adit of the Niagra mine at French Gulch. This mine is on private property and this photograph taken with permission. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on January 14, 2023.

This quartz mine (or hard rock mine) is currently part of the Washington mine holdings at French Gulch in the French Gulch Mining District of Shasta County, just off of present-day French Gulch Road. It is located on private property. Although, this mine is not as old as the Washington mine, which was located by John Souter and John Syme in 1852, the Niagra mine was located nearby that historic mining property in 1857 while prospectors were chasing a vein of quartz which immediately excited the prospectors into digging out this adit and creating a main haulage tunnel for the mine at that time. Twenty-seven years later, in 1884, the mine was owned and operated by William T. Coleman, of San Francisco, who kept his men busy at blasting out new drifts of this mine, and his miners extracting the ore it produced. Then in 1891, this mine contained five drifts inside it which had been established over the years.

Inside, the walls of this mine contained granitic porphyry and slate in which they found an abundance of minerals which included gold, pyrite, and silver among others. These five drifts of the Niagra mine varied in length and were recorded between 300-feet to 1,380-feet. At that time, the price of blasting out these drifts cost Coleman between $3.50 to $13.50 per foot. Coleman planned future extensions of these drifts as well. The Niagra miners put in raises and winzes (winzes were also known as vertical shafts) inside this mine. The deepest shaft at the Niagra mine was recorded at 480-feet deep. An ore chute which was measured at 400-feet long existed for an easier process of loading the ore into the ore cars situated on an ore car track below it so the ore can be dumped into these ore cars and taken to the surface of the earth to be milled and processed.

The Niagra mine had an impressive stamp mill on this mining property which included 18-stamps to crush the ore of the mine to obtain the gold they sought after. While the loose gold was salvaged at the stamp mill its gold were amalgamated and alloyed into bricks while using mercury in the battery on the plates at the stamp mill. This process is more commonly known as a pan-amalgamation. Ten of these impressive stamps weighed 850 pounds each while the additional stamps weighed 600 pounds each.

Work was steady at the Niagra mine from 1891 to about 1920, and the Niagra mine continued its production of gold after that, however, work came to screeching halt once the Great Depression occurred which made a major impact in the region. Various people came in and purchased this mine after that, but production notes were not kept for this mine as a single producer due to most of the production notes merging into one account for the entire Washington mine holdings. So, it's not known exactly how much this single mine produced but it was lucrative.

The Niagra mine is located five miles north-west from the townsite of French Gulch. Niagra Road in the townsite of French Gulch was named after this mine. In 2004, the French Gulch Nevada Gold Mining Corporation purchased this celebrated mining property as part of the Washington mine holdings; a subsidiary company owned by the Bullion River Gold Corporation of Reno, Nevada. Since that time, this mining property has been bought once more and its now an active clean-up site.

RESOURCES:

The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, June 7, 1884

Appendix to the Journals of the Senate and Assembly ... of the Legislature ... - Google Books

The Mines Handbook An Enlargement of the Copper Handbook - founded by Horace J. Stevens, 1900 - A Manual of the Mining Industry of the World by Walter Harvey Weed, New York City ©1920

Albers, John P., 1961, Economic geology of the French Gulch, Shasta and Trinity counties: California Division of Mines and Geology Special Report

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

A Celebrated Producer of Gold: the Washington Mine by Jeremy Tuggle - The  Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 11, 2016

Touring The Historic Washington Mine 

The Dairy and West Street Home of John Nottlemann

Above: the Dairy and West Street home of John Nottlemann. The Nottlemann family appears standing in front pictured with their infamous cattle. Courtesy of Chuck Griffin.

Shown in the above image is the John Nottlemann house and dairy on West Street, in downtown Redding. Take a look at the cows and the adjoining dairy in the photo above. Local lore and legend claims that they utilized the nearby courthouse lawn as trespassers. It’s possible that these were the cows which were eating the grass, and leaving behind smelly piles of fecal matter which made the area on the west side of town stink for a few years. People complained about them and the smell to the Shasta County Board of Supervisors which resulted in Shasta County erecting a fence around the courthouse property in Redding to keep Nottlemann's cows off the grass and to protect the property from being damaged by them.

John Nottlemann (his surname is also found as Nottleman) was born on June 23, 1852, a German emigrant who arrived and settled at Redding in 1888 and established this successful business venture that year which lasted in business for a total of twenty-one years. According to his obituary we learn the following about his business practices: “in business he always made warm friends for himself and kept in their favor even at a cost of sacrifice.” During his lifetime, Nottlemann was active in the local chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the local chapter of the Ancient Order of Foresters. He also served as a fire fighter within the Redding Fire Department. 

Nottlemann married a German emigrant woman named Anna Schultz at Redding in 1891, and during their union two daughters were born to them consisting of Emma in 1892 and Frieda in 1895. During the interim of their births their father was naturalized as an American citizen on March 8, 1894, at Redding in the Shasta County Superior Court. The couple were divorced in 1902. It was the wife who filed for divorce against her husband. In divorce Anna was awarded by the court the family home on West Street and the adjoining dairy property after proving to them that John gave her a deed for the property which John continued to oversee business relations after the divorce was granted. She also received guardianship of their two children. John Nottlemann moved into a residential building on Chestnut Street after the divorce was finalized which is where he remained until his death. However, the court awarded John one horse, one wagon, and two cows and presumably the court was rumored to have ordered both parties to fence in their cattle so they wouldn't have fecal matter issues on the courthouse lawn, since Shasta County was wanting to take down their fence at that time and reduce further problems from their cattle at the courthouse property.

In 1907, John Nottlemann became a founding member of the Redding Dairying Association with local dairymen Allen Kite, Milton G. Kite, and Edmund Wyndham as founding members of this organization. Their mission was to protect and uphold the mutual business interests of the association for the proper protection of their patrons against the purchase of impure, unwholesome or adulterated dairying products and to establish a just and uniform price for any members of this organization. By reason of the advance price of hay, and mill stuffs and hired help in connection with dairying which at that time had materially increased the cost of producing dairy products. The set standards of dairy products rendered by the Redding Dairying Association for that time period follows below: 

"Retail:

Pint, per month, $1.75

Quart, per month $3.00

Three Pints, per month $4.50

One-half Gallon, per month $6.00

Wholesale:

1 Gallon, 30 cents per gallon.

3 Gallon, and over, 25 cents per gallon.

Cream, 30 cents per gallon."

John Nottlemann died on August 7, 1909, at the age of fifty-six-years-old. His occupation was usually rendered as a milkman or a dairyman. John is buried at Redding Memorial Park, in Redding. His ex-wife survived him, and she died at Redding on May 3, 1943, at the age of eighty-years-old. She is also buried at Redding Memorial Park in Redding.

Above: Anna (Schultz) Nottlemann and her husband John Nottlemann. 

Courtesy of Chuck Griffin. 

Resources: 

John Nottlemann, in the Shasta County, California, U.S. Naturalization Records, 1852-1932

1898 Shasta County, California Great Register

1900 U.S. Census 

Nottlemans Wife Wants A Divorce - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 14, 1902

Mrs. Nottleman Gets A Divorce - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 22, 1902

John Nottleman in the California U.S. Death Index, 1905-1939

Notice - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 28, 1907

John Nottleman Ill - The Chico Record newspaper of Chico, February 12, 1909

Condition Serious - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 4, 1909

John Nottlemann Suffers No More - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 8, 1909

1910 U.S. Census

1920 U.S Census

1930 U.S. Census

1940 U.S. Census

Anna Nottlemann, in the California U.S. Death Index, 1940-1997