A RAILWAY FROM BONITA TO DELAMAR: THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY & EASTERN RAILROAD.

The town of Delamar was established in the area in June of 1900 while construction on the Sacramento Valley and Eastern Railroad began on December 11, 1906, this railroad company was incorporated on January 8, 1907, the purpose of the Sacramento Valley and Eastern Railroad, was to conduct a 15-mile standard gauge, ore, delivery, and passenger train from Bonita 3 miles north of Kennett to the Bully Hill smelter at Delamar. It was completed in 1908 and operated until 1939, due to the flooding of Shasta Lake for Shasta Dam. Between 1942 and 1945 Shasta Dam was under construction and its reservoir flooded this railroad system under Shasta Lake. It's often seen during drought seasons. The grade and railroad bed with its ties are still intact under the lake along Pit River and Squaw Creek which is seen here in this general overview of its lucrative history. What's not well-known to railroad enthusiasts and local history buffs is the fate of Engine #2 which succeeded after Engine #1 was taken out of commission. Where is this second engine located and what became of it? Find out more in this episode of Exploring Shasta County History.

RESOURCES:

An Electric Railroad from Kennett to Bully Hill Mines - The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 20, 1902

Work Begins on the Railroad from Kennet to Bully Hill - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 11, 1906

Kennet-Delamar Road Files Papers - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 8, 1907

Incorporates To Build Railroad to Delamar - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 9, 1907

A New Station Called Pitt - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 5, 1907

Contract Let for Building the Railroad - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 9, 1907

Bully Hill Coke Stored at Pitt - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 19, 1907

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 17, 1907

Train To Delamar in Seven Months - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 18, 1907

Pitt Is the Name of the New Station - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 19, 1907

“BONITA” THE NAME OF NEW SHASTA TOWN - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, February 20, 1907

Greeks Arriving for the Railroad - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 1, 1907

Two Hundred Men Are Building Railroad - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 8, 1907

Carload of Steel Girders Arrives - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 10, 1907

Many Greeks Drowned Near Kennet - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 11, 1907

Twenty Greeks Were Drowned at Bonita - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 12, 1907

Eleven Greeks Drowned While Ferrying the River - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 12, 1907

Number Of Greeks Drowned Nineteen - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 13, 1907

Five Bodies Taken from River at Bonita - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 13, 1907

Names Of Victims at Last Are Known - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 13, 1907

Many Mules Go to Bonita - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 13, 1907

Names of the Dead Greeks - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 14, 1907

Fixing The Blame for The Death of Nineteen - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 14, 1907

Accidental Drowning Verdict of Jury - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 15, 1907

Hundreds In Line at Greek Funeral - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 16, 1907

Little Hopes Now for Recovery of Bodies - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 20, 1907

Hundred Greeks Were Discharged - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 2, 1907

Shasta County May Buy Pit River Bridge - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, May 18, 1907

Ten Tons to Pitt from Redding - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 7, 1907

Graders Knock Out Juice and Smelter Stop Work - The Marysville Daily Appeal newspaper of Marysville, July 13, 1907

Cars to Delamar by November 1st - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 16, 1907

By November Next - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, July 18, 1907

Rapid Work on the Pit River Railroad - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, August 29, 1907

Town Site Laid Out on Pit River - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 6, 1907

Track-Laying on the Railroad to Delamar Will Begin This Week - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 13, 1907

Getting In Shape - The San Jose Mercury newspaper of San Jose, October 22, 1907

Railroad Work Near Delamar - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, November 6, 1907

Railway to Electric Smelter - The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, December 15, 1907

First Load of Freight - The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, December 16, 1907

Bully Hill Smelter Has Been Remodeled - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, December 24, 1907

The Courier-Free Press, January 6, 1908

Another Railroad Is Now Completed - The Fresno Evening Herald newspaper of Fresno, January 16, 1908

Tracks Are Laid to Copper City - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, January 17, 1908

Copper City A Port of Entry - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 22, 1908

Railroad Completed as Far as Horse Creek - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, February 4, 1908

Tracks Laid into Delamar - The Chico Record newspaper of Chico, February 20, 1908

Delamar Furnace to Begin Reduction - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 22, 1908

Round Trip Between Delamar and Redding - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 26, 1908

Seek $110,000 Damages from Pit River Road - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 13, 1908

Telephone Line Completed - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, March 19, 1908

Local Traffic to Mining Towns to Be Great Factor - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 21, 1908

Summary Of News from Many Towns and Cities - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, March 24, 1908

Regular Trains from Delamar to Redding - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, March 25, 1908

Smoke From Stacks of Smelter at Delamar - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 28, 1908

New Enterprise at Copper City - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 14, 1908

Freight Rates on Delamar Railroad - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 24, 1908

Delamar Eats Up Big Store Team - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 3, 1908 

Special Train for A Sick Man - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 9, 1908

The Smelter Town Has Three Names - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 10, 1908

Seventeen Damage Suits Call for $110,000 from the Railroad - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 22, 1909

A High Valuation Is Placed on the Greeks - The Red Bluff Daily News newspaper of Red Bluff, January 29, 1909 

Blockade Is Lifted - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, February 25, 1909

Laying Track Up Pitt River - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 7, 1909

Sues Railroad for $50,000 Damages - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 22, 1909

Big Damage Suit Filed in Shasta - The Red Bluff News newspaper of Red Bluff, December 24, 1909

Steel Company to Lease Railroad - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, July 18, 1915

Railroad In Shasta County Has Deficit - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, December 13, 1916

Will Extend Road 4 Miles - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, October 5, 1920

Pit River Work Started - The San Francisco Call newspaper of San Francisco, October 6, 1920

Sacramento Valley And Eastern Railroad Shows Profit - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 29, 1922