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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
