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.