Diestelhorst's River Camp of Redding, California.

Filmed on location.

More than likely, you have been to this historic site within the City of Redding and know of its history but this presentation complete with photographs and video contains in-depth information and provides a much deeper look at the history of Diestelhorst’s River Camp, also known as the Diestelhorst auto camp which was established by John Diestelhorst in 1921. Diestelhorst was member of a Shasta County pioneer family. This site is one of the last surviving relics of a historic property in Redding, and one that contributed to the historic Route Highway 99, also known as the Pacific Highway, which became a luxurious roadside rest stop with swimming accessibility, dancing, concerts, and ample accommodations for automobiles along the scenic highway next to the state highway bridge. This site hosted many weary travelers utilizing this route over the years and business boomed for Diestelhorst. Find out more at the video above.

Resources:

Burning Chimney Fired a Dwelling - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 18, 1905

City Trustees Accept Plans for New Bridge - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 17, 1914

Bridge Plans Ready for Commissions O.K. - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 17, 1914

A.V. Saph - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 20, 1914

No Report on Bridge - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 12, 1914

Work On New Bridge Will Commence June 20 - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 12, 1914

George Baker Serves Notice on Redding - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 8, 1914

Baker's Cable Pole Is Taken Down - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 11, 1914

Many Men at Work on Redding Bridge - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 11, 1914

Bring them through Redding - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 3, 1915

George Baker First - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 30, 1915

Crosses Bridge - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 30, 1915 

City Begins Suit Against County - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 3, 1915 

Contractors Commence on State Highways - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 25, 1917

Get Busy on the Auto Park - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 26, 1919

Redding and the Chamber of Commerce - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Redding, September 23, 1919

Failure to Build Free Auto Camping Grounds Is Causing City to Lose $40 Per Day - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 10, 1919

Free Auto Camp Open - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 22, 1920 

Free Auto Camp Open - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 22, 1920

Showing of Tractors at Campground - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 24, 1920

Making Automobile Park Along River - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 25, 1921

Auto Campground - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 25, 1921

The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 30, 1921

Arch for Campground - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 15, 1921

Redding Has Finest Summer Camp in the North - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 16, 1921

Campers Attention - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 17, 1921

Enterprising - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 19, 1921

Favor Charge at Auto Camp This Summer - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 8, 1922

Classified Section - For Sale - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 20, 1922

Diestelhorst is to Have Large Open-Air Dance - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, California, April 17, 1923

Redding Will Hold Water Carnival in Old Swimming Hole - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 22, 1923

Dance Platform at River Soon Complete - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 15, 1923

Redding Will Hold Water Carnival in Old Swimming Hole - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 22, 1923

The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 16, 1923

Diestelhorst Gets Old Street Area - The Courier-Free Press of Redding, March 25, 1924

Impersonates Officer; Robs Campground - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 29, 1926

Sheriff Nabes Thief Suspect - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 29, 1926

Campground Thief - The Courier-Free Press of Redding, October 29, 1926

Sneak Thief Caught - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 30, 1926

Officers Busy on Traffic Mishaps - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 1, 1930

Flood Stage Reached by River; Inundation Near at Diestelhorst Place - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 15, 1936

Tension Relaxed as Respite Comes in Heavy Storms; River Is Falling - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 16, 1936

City Wins in Suit Over Right Away - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 7, 1936

Land for Span Is Purchased - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 24, 1938

The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 2, 1940

Redding Isolated - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 28, 1940

The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 1, 1940

Pictorial Story of Area's Greatest Flood - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 2, 1940

John Diestelhorst, Redding Pioneer, Dies - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 11, 1944

Early Photo's Offers Scenes of Redding's Past - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 23, 1972

Redding Urged to Buy Parkland written by Tony Shultz - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 1, 1972

Diestelhorst Property Still Wanted for a Park written by Al Morrell - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 11, 1973

George Diestelhorst Dies at Age 80 - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 7, 1973

Electrical Plant Proposal Will Be Aired - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 24, 1974

Redding Council May Purchase Land for Park - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 31, 1974

City of Redding Buys Diestelhorst Property - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 4, 1974

Flames Destroy Old Diestelhorst Estate - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 12, 1975

Earth Day Offering - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 19, 2011

Highlights from history - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 20, 2016

OAK BOTTOM WATER DITCH TRAIL - 1855.

In this episode of Exploring Shasta County History, join Robert Frazier, host of California Unearthed, and I as we hike a historic water ditch that was built in 1855. This water ditch was to give the local mines near Oak Bottom their water to be used in their extraction of ore, and other purposes as well. Come learn some of the history of the area in video as well. Filmed on location: May 3, 2025. Like, comment, and please share subscribe if you haven't yet.

Experiencing the Old Diggings Railroad Grade

Come experience the Old Diggings Railroad Grade with me and my friend Robert Frazier, host of California Unearthed, and learn the history behind this former railroad grade which is located on BLM land, and part of the Hornbeck Trail System in Shasta County, California. You may notice some new features I'm working with in my film editor like music and additional things to come, so this is the first of many to be released with a new look for my YouTube channel as well after recovering from a stroke I had back in January of 2024. It feels good to be back in action and as always, please like, share and comment on the video, best wishes...

RESOURCES:

New Railroad Is Being Rushed - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 28, 1906

Quartz Railroad Ready by October 1 - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 20, 1907

Quartz Hill Railroad Sold as Junk - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 1, 1918

Quartz Hill Steel Going To France - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 4, 1918

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

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