Ball's Ferry: the ferry, the townsite and the fishing resort.

From its beginnings as the site of Shasta County, California's earliest lumber operations in 1844 to its growth as a vital Sacramento River crossing during the late 1860s Ball's Ferry played a significant role in the development of northern California. This episode of Exploring Shasta County History explores how a small ferry landing evolved into a thriving community that served travelers, miners, and ranchers for nearly half a century, leaving a lasting legacy in Shasta County history. Please hit the like button, comment on the video, and smash that subscribe button. Until next time, enjoy…

RESOURCES:

1850 U.S. Census

1852 California State Census

1860 U.S. Census

Board of Supervisors - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 9, 1868

Left Town - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 19, 1868

1870 U.S. Census

1880 U.S. Census

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 21, 1884

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 20, 1884

A Flying Trip - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 17, 1885

That Free Bridge - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 5, 1885

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 4, 1886

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 13, 1890 

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 3, 1894

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 17, 1894

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 19, 1894

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 21, 1894

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 22, 1895

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 7, 1895

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 23, 1895

Balls Ferry Items - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 31, 1895

Balls Ferry Items - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 2, 1895

Tolls Again - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 12, 1895

The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 23, 1895

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 5, 1897

Supervisor Proceedings - The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 8, 1897

Balls Ferry Bridge - The Daily Free Press of newspaper of Redding, January 19, 1897

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 6, 1897

Papers Filed - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 27, 1897

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 8, 1897

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 11, 1897

From Ball's Ferry - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 20, 1898

A Ball's Ferry Tragedy - The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 24, 1898

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 3, 1899

Luke Lukes Sells Ball's Ferry Mill - The Free Press newspaper of July 13, 1901

Found His Pig in the Butcher Shop - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 8, 1902

Ball's Ferry Dances Through the Storm - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 14, 1902

Ball's Ferry Bridge Is Made Secure - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 19, 1902

Ball’s Ferry Is a Political Center - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 13, 1902

Ball's Ferry News Items - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 22, 1902

Some Doings of Ball's Ferry Folk - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 9, 1903

Ball’s Ferry Now a Boating Resort - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 17, 1903

Post Office and Saloon Building - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 18, 1903

Ball's Ferry Post Office and Store Burned - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 18, 1903

Ball's Ferry Fire Unsolved Mystery - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 19, 1903

360 Tons of Fruit from Ball's Ferry - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 12, 1903

Social Event at Ball’s Ferry - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 8, 1904

Power Plant at Horseshoe Bend - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 5, 1904

Ball's Ferry Has Library - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 16, 1904

Telephones and More Telephones - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 19, 1904

Has Lived for Nearly One Century - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 28, 1904 (telephone line.)

Ball’s Ferry is Saying “Hello” - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 3, 1904

Found A Coin Over Two Hundred Years Old - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 21, 1904

The Ball's Ferry Hotel is Sold - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 27, 1904

Big Prices for Dried Fruit - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 11, 1905

Found Dead in Bed in Hotel at Ball's Ferry - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 16, 1906

November 24, 1906

The Courier-Free Press newspaper, March 15, 1907 (power company hello line.)

Ball's Ferry - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 21, 1915

One More Ferry Landmark Gone - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 23, 1920

Balls Ferry Items - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 9, 1927

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

Ball’s Ferry Was Bustling Town of Many Varied Personalities Written by Rosena A. Giles - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 29, 1946

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

Echoes from the Past written by Rosena A. Giles - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 19, 1951

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

Balls Ferry Resort Sold - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 29, 1978

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