A Historic Downtown Redding Walking Tour, 6-28-2025.

In this episode you can learn some interesting facts about downtown Redding, and its history with this walking tour presented by Shasta Historical Society, and hosted by Gabriel Leete, whose been featured on my YouTube channel in past episodes as well. This tour features local historians Robert Frazier of California Unearthed and Jeremy M. Tuggle of Exploring Shasta County History. We spent the day educating a group of people and toured 17 plus historic sites on a 2.2 mile walk in downtown Redding. The following sites can be seen in this film here: Jesse Litle Shoemaking Shop, Bank of Shasta County, Shasta Historical Society, Old City Hall, Railroad Turntable Tracks, Railroad Semaphore, The Lorenz Hotel, Damburger and more. Please like share and comment, and if you haven't yet, please smash that subscribe button. I will see you on the next episode. 

SIMEON FISHER SOUTHERN AND THE HAZEL CREEK AREA

Simeon Fisher Southern, a native of Stephensburg, Kentucky, was born to Stephen Fisher Southern and Rebecca (Duncan) Southern, on September 6, 1822. As a boy, Simeon grew up on his father's farm as a farmhand assisting his father when he wasn't attending school. Southern was often referred to by the nickname of "Sims". He became well-educated during his adolescents. He became a well-respected man during his lifetime.  Later in life, he departed Kentucky, leaving his family behind, and traveled America living in the following states: Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Utah before venturing west to California where he settled at Shasta about 1854. 

Then in, 1855, Southern partnered with Charles F. Louis, another resident of Shasta, to own and operate the Eagle hotel which became the newest hostelry in the Queen City of the North, Shasta. His business ethics made his hostelry flourish with success against the more upscale hotels along Main Street during this era. It wasn't long before he found time to court an elegant woman named Sarah Emma Lafferty, also a Kentucky native, and the daughter of Thomas Lafferty and Elizabeth (Smith) Lafferty. By January of 1856, Simeon appears to have been operating the Eagle hotel by himself without the assistance of Charles F. Louis. 

Above: an advertisement for the Eagle hotel at Shasta proprietors: S.F. Southern and C.F. Louis. From the Shasta Courier newspaper edition of September 22, 1855.

Simeon and Sarah's romance continued to blossom, and they were married on February 26, 1856 at Shasta by E.K. Shed, Esq., a close personal friend and business partner of Simeon Southern. Earlier that year, Southern and Shed purchased the St. Charles hotel on Main Street at Shasta. This was Southern's second hostelry that he owned, a third hostelry was leased by him which was called the Empire hotel. It was located on Main Street at French Gulch and he operated this hotel with S.F. Black until 1858 when Simeon and Sarah decided to relocate from Shasta to Dog Creek in the Sacramento River Canyon. 

After settling at Dog Creek, Southern went into partnership with J.S. Cameron in operating the Dog Creek House, a little inn which proved successful due to the travelers of the Sacramento River Road, heading north and south bound through the canyon. Southern was elected as Justice of the Peace of the Sugar Loaf Township, which included Dog Creek and Hazel Creek. Simeon and Sarah later moved north to Hazel Creek where Southern erected a log cabin style building combined with a trading post on a plateau overlooking Hazel Creek which he owned and operated.

Sarah assisted her husband in the hotel as well. Simeon Southern eventually enlarged his building into a two-story wooden structure with luxurious and comfortable rooms for his guests. He also kept livestock at Sweetbrier in 1860, which he ended up owing $5.91 in delinquent taxes that year. He also built a mule corral on the hotel property at Hazel Creek.

Hazel Creek received its name from the many Hazelnut bushes which grew along the channel of the creek. Southern was not the first resident of Hazel Creek there were other people before him. In 1855, Hazel Creek was the site of lucrative gold strikes. Now Southern was enhancing the area. There were still mining claims nearby which were extensively mined when the Southern's moved there in 1859.

Above: people on the upper balcony and on the lower balcony and ground floor pose for a photograph at Southern's Hotel and Stage Station on H:azel Creek, date unknown. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

In 1867, the miners at Hazel Creek were finding very course pieces of gold sometimes mixed with quartz and weighing from an ounce to fifty dollars in value while ground sluicing the area. One of the advantages these miners had compared to other mining localities was the amount of free water from Hazel Creek which made the extraction process easier. The area was considered as very deep diggings in a rocky area which made it harder to mine the ore. Most of the miners spent their findings at Southern's trading post usually on new mining equipment and supplies they needed.

Two years later in July of 1869, an excerpt of an article from the Shasta Courier newspaper reported the following account regarding Hazel Creek: "Hazel Creek which empties into the Sacramento on the east side just opposite of Southern's Store, is paying better this season then it has for a number of years. McKenzie & Garret, Johnson & Co., Keaton brothers, and a number of others are making from $3 to $5 per day, to the hand. The gravel and dirt on this creek is of a burnt reddish hue and contains any amount of porous quartz, some of which is very rich in free gold."

In 1871, Southern's hotel became a prominent stage stop along the Sacramento River Road for the Greathouse Company of Shasta. This company was owned by George L. Greathouse, a brother-in-law of Sarah (Lafferty) Southern. Sometimes it was referred to as Southern's Station. About this time, it was reported that the Hazel Creek mines in the area were playing out and miners were getting unfavorable results. Southern, who had some mining claims of his own in the area proved the local media wrong about Hazel Creek, and it was then, that the Shasta Courier newspaper wrote the following column in October of that year:

"FROM HAZEL CREEK - S.F. Southern came in town Wednesday from Hazel Creek bringing undoubted evidence that the mines of that section are "giving out", in the shape of some well-filled purses of gold dust and a number of nice specimens." (SIC)

Another interesting column about Simeon Southern appeared in the Shasta Courier newspaper edition of October 18, 1873, which reports the following: "S. Southern, of Southern's station, came down this week to do a little trading with our wholesale merchants. Times have been hard in Sim's locality lately, and he could only bring down about ten pounds of gold dust this trip." 

During their union together Simeon Fisher Southern and Sarah Emma (Lafferty) Southern had the following children born to them: 

1. Ada Southern (1858-?)

2. William F. Southern (1859-1935) 

3. Ida Mae Southern (1864-1928))

4. Mae Hazel Southern (1867-1943) [Note: She became the first President of the Shasta Historical Society in Redding.]

5. Sarah A. Southern (1868-?)

6. Elzey Thomas Southern (1870-1932)

7. Fannie Emma Southern (1872-1948)

8. Nellie Belle Southern (1875-1908)

9. Jeanette Isabel "Belle" Southern (1877-1908)

10 . Simeon Fisher Southern Jr. (1879-1893)

During the latter part of September, in 1880, the 19th President of the United States Of America, Rutherford B. Hayes and his party consisting of First Lady, Lucy Ware (Webb) Hayes, General W.T. Sherman, and General Phillip Sheridan registered to stay at Southern's hotel after visiting Redding from Chico which won Simeon Southern's hostelry some praise in national media coverage due to the president's campaign tour in California.

The presidential party were on their way north from Redding to Yreka but they decided to make a stop overnight at Southern's hotel. The whole family met the entire presidential party that day. Simeon "Sims" Fisher Southern died on December 6, 1892 at Hazel Creek. 

In 1902, Southern's hotel and Stage Station were sold to timbering interests by Sarah (Lafferty) Southern, who controlled her husband's estate at the time. She sold out to Knight & Shelbey who erected the first sawmill in the Hazel Creek area. The area became known as Sims after Sarah's husband and Hazel Creek retained its name. Sarah (Lafferty) Southern then relocated south to Redding, when she survived her husband by twenty-seven years before she died. 

Above: this is the Sims Schoolhouse at Sims with its students and teacher posing for a photograph. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

At Sims, Knight & Shelbey had a small logging operation on location. They were transporting logs by horses and steam donkeys to their water-powered sawmill. Water was taken from Hazel Creek to operate it. A year later, in 1903, a new company came to fruition called Sims Lumber Company which had purchased the sawmill property and logging interests from Knight & Shelbey. 

During the decade of the 1910's Sim's became a campground for the California Highway Commission who was overseeing a series of surveys in the area for the north valley highway systems. It brought renewed activity to the area. In 1911, Southern's hotel and Stage Station became a tourist attraction due to its lucrative and vast mining history in the area. The demise of this hotel was not recorded, its unknown how long it stood. Sims Lumbering Company continued logging operations at Sims until 1913 when they sold out to George Ralph & Sons. 

Above: built out of box cars and situated along the railroad tracks was the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot at Sims. Circa 1910. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

Above: Sims became the campground for the employees of the California Highway Commission during their survey's of north valley highway systems in 1913. The California Highway Commission was established in 1895 as the main state highway bureaucracy in California. It was the predecessor of the California Transportation Commission which organized and replaced it in 1978. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society. 

The Ralph's enhanced the area with a new logging railroad to their sawmill  They also erected a water tank for their small steam locomotive which needed to fill its engine with water to transport the logs to and from the sawmill. In 1919, the Shasta Mill & Lumber Company purchased this sawmill and continued production in the area.

Between 1933 and 1939, Sims was called Camp Sims by the Civilian Conservation Corps which utilized the area as a camp ground for their crews. A plaque was placed at Sims which state the following: "With its wooded valley and beautiful river setting, Sims, was a haven to the boys from Company 978 who came from the busy cities of San Francisco, Oakland and other Bay Area communities. Camp Sims, like other CCC camps was administered and built by the U..S. Army. But it was the Forest Service who was in charge of actual work projects. Besides fire fighting, the boys from Camp Sims gained a real reputation for building three fire lookouts-Sims, Bradley, and Sugar Loaf, constructing part of Everett Memorial Highway, and building Panther Meadows [on the upper slopes of Mt. Shasta.]"

In 1933, a bridge was built to provide fire protection on the east side of the Sacramento River at Sims.  Today, Sims is designated as a historic site in Shasta County which features an easy walking trail and fishing access. Sims Road off Interstate 5 in the Sacramento River Canyon also retains its name in honor of Simeon Fisher Southern. 

Above: this plaque states the following: "This tablet marks the location of the famous Southern Hotel and Stage Station the original building was a log cabin built in 1859. During a half century many noted people who made early California history were entertained here in this hotel. Dedicated to the memory of Simeon Fisher Southern and his wife Sarah Lafferty Southern pioneers of the gold trail 1849-1855. Erected by their daughters May H. and Fannie E. Southern, May 30, 1931. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on October 17, 2020.

RESOURCES:


Married - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 1, 1856

Births - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 9, 1859

1860 U.S. Census

Delinquent Taxes - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 8, 1860

California Voters Register, 1866

Hazel Creek - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 31, 1867

Soda And Hazel Creeks - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 19, 1867

Upper Sacramento Items - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 20, 1869

Upper Sacramento Items - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 10, 1869

1870 U.S. Census

Items - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 18, 1871

From Hazel Creek - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 14, 1871

Brief Mentions - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 18, 1873

1880 U.S. Census

The Presidential Party Among the Hydraulic Mines - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, September 25, 1880

President Hayes At Yreka - The Humboldt Times newspaper of Eureka, September 28, 1880

Sawmill Is To Be Erected At Sims - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 13, 1913  

California, Pioneer and Immigrant Files, 1790-1950, for Simeon Fisher Southern.

May H. Southern’s scrapbook’s. Nine binders. Unpublished personal and researched material compiled by Southern. Available at Shasta Historical Society. 

Our Storied Landmarks – Shasta County, California, written by May H. Southern, published by Balakshin Printing Company, ©1942.

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

Shasta Historical Society Pioneer Record: Simeon Fisher Southern, dated May 8, 1943.

SP-035, SOUTHERN, Simeon F., Pioneer Plaque Program File, available at the Shasta Historical Society.

Shasta Historical Society - Genealogical Records 7-59: Southern, Simeon Fisher.

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

Place Names of Shasta County by Gertrude Steiger, published by La Siesta Press, ©1966

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

CELEBRATING 90 YEARS WITH THE SHASTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 1-18-2020.

On Saturday, January 18, 2020! Shasta Historical Society will be celebrating its 90th Birthday with a Party at the Shasta Arts Council building, 1313 Market Street, Redding, 7:00 p.m. I will be presenting the main power point presentation that night called, Celebrating 90 Years With The Shasta Historical Society, our panel will include additional guest speakers as well, including a wine wall and other fundraisers. Wine & beer will be available for purchase. Please come! All our friends are invited. For more information please contact the Society at 530-243-3720 or at their website: www.shastahistorical.org or visit the Facebook event listing at Shasta Historical Society’s 90th Birthday Party. Support the Shasta Historical Society today!

COURTESY OF SHASTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

Old Bella Vista Days (October 19th, and 20th, 2019) in Bella Vista

The Bella Vista Volunteer Fire Department and the Shasta Historical Society presents the first annual Old Bella Vista Days on October 19th and 20th in Bella Vista. Bring the family and enjoy the day. Save the dates for Old Bella Vista Days... featuring a classic car show, the Bella Vista Chili Cook Off, vendors and much more! Don’t miss out...  My wife Leah and I are on this committee.

#ShastaHistoricalSociety #OldBellaVistaDays #ShastaHistory #ShastaCounty

Shingletown, Circa 1900 Photograph

How cool is this! This is the newest accessioned photo into our archives at Shasta Historical Society, we acquired it today! I’ve been granted a copy of this photo which is getting edited. I took this snapshot of the picture because I couldn’t wait to share it amongst family and friends. 22 of the 28 people that are pictured have been identified below:

Front Row Sitting On Ground L-R: Archie “Arch” Taylor and William “Billie” Taylor.

Sitting: L-R: Carrie (Barnes) Tuggle (1875-1949), Elizabeth (Finger) Schuler, and Mrs. Mary C. Scharsch.

Back Top Row Standing: R-L:  Louisa M. Loomis (baby), Mrs. Estelle Loomis, William “Billy” S.B. Townsley (man with gray beard behind Mrs. Loomis), unidentified male child, Harvey “Harve” E. Taylor, Nancy Taylor, unidentified female child, George F. Schuler, John Schuler, unidentified male, Lou Taylor, and James “Jimmie” M. Barnes.

Left Side Lower Row Standing R-L: Melinda (Ferrel) Tuggle (directly behind Carrie (Barnes) Tuggle and Elizabeth (Finger) Schuler. Addison J. Tuggle (1866-1916),  Adleta Maybelle Tuggle with her mother Carrie (Barnes) Tuggle {blurry} (1894-1932). Unidentified female child. Unidentified male in back of Addison J. Tuggle. Unidentified male child in front of Addison J. Tuggle.  John Hall with walking stick pointing up. Lydia (Barnes) Shamp, Unidentified person, Madie Myers, Albert Schuler, and Emma Schuler.

Place: Shingletown, circa 1900. My paternal great-great-great grandmother, Melinda (Ferrel) Tuggle  was born January 17, 1826 and she died on March 17, 1901, at the age of seventy-five years old. She is buried in the Parkville Pioneer Cemetery. Melinda lived on Ash Creek at Shingletown. Addison J. Tuggle had his place at Balls Ferry. She arrived in Shasta County in 1862. This is the only known photograph of her.

Above: original group photo. Lightly faded in parts.

Above: Circled: Addison J. Tuggle (1866-1916) and his mother Melinda (Ferrel) Tuggle (1826-1901), Carrie (Barnes) Tuggle (1875-1949) with her daughter Adleta Maybelle Tuggle (1894-1932)

The Historic Igo Schoolhouse

The historic Schoolhouse located at the Shasta District Fairgrounds in Anderson. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on June 19, 2019.

In 1872, Igo pioneer and resident Charles N. Kingsbury, an active miner and a native of New York, erected a one room school house which was used as a school in the town of Igo on the property of the present Igo-Ono School. The wood was hauled into Igo from Shingle Creek at Shingletown. It included a well and an out-house.

The school lacked running water and electricity. A wood stove was used to heat the one room school house during the winter months and cold rainy days. One teacher educated the students from grades kindergarten through eighth grade. Some years the teacher taught A board of trustees was established to preside over financial affairs, repairs and to help guide the school into the future. Being a trustee of the school was a paid position just like the teachers did.

An interior pic. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on June 19, 2019.

In 1941 the town of Igo received their first electricity, and so did the school house. The decade of the 1950s brought a new feature to the school house, running water. It was utilized by the Platina Union School District until 1960 when the last class was taught by Mrs. Lucy Plumb. In 1970 the building was relocated by truck to Anderson at the Shasta District Fairgrounds.

Original restoration took place by the Shasta Historical Society between the years 1989-1991. Since that time the organization has made many additional restorations to the building so it can be enjoyed by future generations to come and up to code on safety regulations. The Shasta Historical Society keeps the historic Igo Schoolhouse open during the Shasta District Fair, and some times during Anderson Explodes. 

The original stove wood still housed inside the building. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on June 19, 2019.

Teachers:

*Note: Teachers prior to 1901 are not well documented.


1901 - A.E. Downing

1904 - Mrs. L. Cunningham

1905 - Mary Stevens

1906 - Mrs. Alex Cox

1907 - Maude M. Sears

1908 - Addie Baker

1909 - Mrs. Mary Kingsbury

1910-1912 - Mrs. Lulu Swanson

1913-1915 - Pauline Rimer

1915-1918 - Mrs. Pearl Miller

1919 - Mrs. Sydnie Jones

1920 - Arleta Hubbard

1921-1944 - Mrs. Sydnie Jones

1944-1958 - Mrs. Amy Jones

1958- 1960 - Mrs. Lucy Plumb



RESOURCES:


The Igo Schoolhouse 1872-1970 printed by Shasta Historical Society

Igo School printed by Shasta Historical Society

Igo School 371.23 available on file at the Shasta Historical Society in Redding.

Igo School Board Minutes Circa 1964/1965

Don't Close Books Yet On Igo School by Mark DeSio -Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 14, 1989

The Last Days of the Igo Schoolhouse by Donald J. Bagley

The Igo Schoolhouse 371.23 

Mae Helene (Bacon) Boggs (1863-1963); A Pioneer, A Historian and A Preservationist

Above: Mae Helene (Bacon) Boggs standing in the door way of one of the south-side ruins at Shasta in 1930. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society. 

Mae Helene Bacon was born to Charles Bacon and Sarah Elizabeth (Smith) Bacon on February 16, 1863, she was a native of Pike County, Missouri. Mae’s father eventually died and then in 1871, Sarah decided it was time for them to live with her brother in Shasta, California. Sarah and Mae boarded a boat which took them to St. Louis on the Mississippi River. At St. Louis they connected with a covered wagon which took them to California. 

At the age of eight years old this journey became an adventure that Mae never forgot during her lifetime. Upon their arrival in Shasta, they immediately moved into the residence of Williamson Lyncoya Smith, an early California pioneer who arrived at Hangtown in Placer County on August 6, 1850. Two years after his arrival in California the pioneer ventured north to Shasta where he settled that year. Williamson was Sarah’s brother, and Sarah enrolled her daughter into the school at Shasta. This is where she continued her schooling and Mae Helene Bacon became a well-educated person. 

Eventually, Mae’s uncle became the division superintendent of the California-Oregon Stage Company which operated in Shasta between 1853 and 1888. Then, Williamson Smith also purchased stock within the newly established McCormick-Saeltzer Company of Redding which incorporated as a business on May 7, 1877. Williamson became a founding owner of this general merchandise store. When Smith died of heart failure on May 31, 1902, it was Mae who obtained her uncle’s interest in the McCormick-Saeltzer Company, and she became a heavy stockholder inside the company, this move made her wealthy. 

Above: Williamson Lyncoya Smith (1830-1902). His ashes are kept in the San Francisco Columbarium in San Francisco. Aside from being employed by the California-Oregon Stage Company in Shasta he also purchased stock in 1877 establishing the McCormick-Saeltzer Company of Redding. Mae Helene (Bacon) Boggs obtained his interest. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society. 

In 1900, Mae relocated from Shasta to San Francisco and then she met and married Angus Gordon Boggs on August 6, 1900, in that city. Angus Boggs was a prominent hard working and wealthy citizen of San Francisco. According to the 1910 U.S. Census of San Francisco, he was a promoter of mining stock in the area, and he kept supporting his wife until his death on January 20, 1920, at the age of sixty-two. Mae Helene (Bacon) Boggs inherited her husband’s estate, and she became wealthier. 

On Easter Day, April 20, 1930, Mae Helene (Bacon) Boggs of San Francisco returned to her childhood home in the town of Shasta with her friends Edna (Behrens) Eaton of Redding and her son the late Shasta County Superior Court Judge, Richard B. Eaton. At first glance she was heartbroken to see her hometown in disrepair and in ruins. Shasta had been neglected over the years; it was formerly the county seat of Shasta County from March 6, 1851, to May 19, 1888, when the City of Redding became the county seat that day. 

Above: The first McCormick-Saeltzer Company store of Redding was located at the south-east corner of Butte & California Streets in Redding. Then in 1888, the owners moved into the building which is pictured above. The second building which was located between Yuba and Placer Streets in Redding. This photo was taken circa 1920. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society. 

Boggs fondly remembered the town in its glory days and wanted to act fast to preserve its historic district. Her first priority was establishing a historic monument dedicated to the Knights of the Whip, the stage drivers that held the ribbons of the stage on the dusty roads in Shasta County and pay tribute to them. Then on, August 6, 1930, her vision became a reality as a monument was dedicated on the north side of Main Street in Shasta, and a duplicate on Bass Hill. She received additional help from the Native Sons of the Golden West and the newly created Shasta Historical Society, which was established on January 18, 1930, in Redding. Together they played an important role in preserving Shasta’s historic district. 

Mae Helene (Bacon) Boggs began embracing a passion for historic preservation as she began restoring the former “Queen City of the North” for future generations to enjoy. She began purchasing land in Shasta which contained historic structures on the property. With the help of the above organizations Boggs began the restoration within Shasta’s historic district which included the south side ruins, during the late 1930s. In 1937, the California State Parks Commission assisted them in their effort to preserve the historic town of Shasta, and from this partnership the Shasta State Historic Park came into fruition.

Of course, much more work was underway in Shasta by the above groups and Boggs herself. It wasn’t until June 12, 1950, that Shasta Historic State Park was opened to the public in the historic town of Shasta. The State Park office in Shasta was located in the (old) brick courthouse which was built in 1862 on the north side of Main Street. The courthouse was restored and preserved as well as it became an intriguing museum with a vast collection of archives and special collections that they received upon donations of local relics related to Shasta’s history. 

In 1942, Mae Helene (Bacon) Boggs published a book called; My Playhouse Was a Concord Coach: An Anthology of Newspaper Clippings and Documents Relating to Those Who Made California History During the Years of 1822-1888. This book was an extensive body of work documenting California’s rich and compelling history through newspaper articles and written material. Of course, the early history of Shasta County was not overlooked in it. In San Francisco, Boggs rallied for women’s rights, and she became a well-known person in northern California. 

Above: the interior of the second McCormick-Saeltzer Company building of Redding, circa 1921. It was located between Yuba and Placer Streets in Redding. This building stood until January 13, 1940, when it was destroyed by fire. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society. 

The name of the future dam site was heavily debated some of its early name proposals which were suggested by the Federal Government were the following: Coram Dam, Kennett Dam and McColl Dam. It was Mae Helene (Bacon) Boggs who named the dam- Shasta Dam, and she also named the adjacent lake, Shasta Lake. She named these important places after the town of Shasta. Shasta Dam was engineered by Frank T. Crowe the owner of Pacific Constructors Incorporated, and construction began in 1938 and it’s construction was completed in 1945. When the Bureau of Reclamation held their grand opening for Shasta Dam, they invited Mae to attend the ceremony. 

Above: L-R: Earl Lee Kelly, Director of the California State Department of Public Works, Mae Helene (Bacon) Boggs, and John C. Paige, Commissioner of the U.S. Department of Public Works. This photograph was taken on September 12, 1937. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society. 

At the present (Old) Shasta may be referred to as a ghost town by some people, yet it is a place of living history. Boggs had lived to see her dreams become a reality as she died at the age of one hundred years old on August 1, 1963, in San Francisco. She was a tremendous friend and benefactor of the Shasta State Historic Park. The Shasta State Historic Park now includes numerous historical landmarks and a working museum which employs its own park rangers under the California State Park System. 

Due to the efforts of the pioneers before us who made Shasta their home and succeeded in thriving businesses in that town, the town has reached a thriving population of 1,771 people over time, living amongst this state park. Shasta is accessible by Highway 299 West in Redding which intersects Main Street at Shasta and leaves Shasta heading towards Weaverville. From Weaverville it’s accessible from Highway 299 East and intersects Main Street at Shasta leaving Shasta towards Redding. It’s a short fun-filled family trip if you choose to go, and a visible reminder of the early gold rush days in Shasta County. 

Today, there are numerous places named after this philanthropist and pioneering woman, Mae Helene (Bacon) Boggs. One of them is a government building at 2460 Breslauer Way in Redding called the Mae Helene (Bacon) Boggs Building. There are also two special collections of local historical relics named after her, most notably they are the Boggs Collection in the Redding Library, and the Boggs Collection at the Shasta State Historic Park Museum. 

RESOURCES: 

W.L. Smith Is Taken To The Crematory - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 2, 1902 

Erecting The Memorial In Old Shasta - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 17, 1931

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 

In Memory Of A Famous Knight of The Rein by Harry P. Bagley, the Sacramento Bee newspaper of Sacramento - October 17, 1942 

SP-033 Smith, Williamson Lyncoya Pioneer Plaque 

Shasta Historical Society Pioneer History - W.L. Smith dated January 20, 1943 

Mrs. Boggs Dedicates Her Life To Pioneers by Ward Bushee, the Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding - December 27, 1949

Mae Helene Bacon Boggs 1863-1963 Pioneer-Philanthropist-Centarian written by Judge Richard B. Eaton, The Covered Wagon 1964, published by Shasta Historical Society, pages 42-45. 

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 

Boggs gave California art collection to Shasta State Park by Jack Frost - Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 14, 2013 

For a Famous Name, We Owe Thanks to Mrs. Boggs. By Marc Beauchamp - Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 26, 2009 

California State Parks Museum Collections

Exploring Shasta County history with Jeremy M. Tuggle

Welcome to my new Blog Spot, Exploring Shasta County History, created by Google! If you enjoy Shasta County history then this is the place for you to be. I'm very passionate about local history, I own most of the photographs that will be used on this Blog Spot. If I don't own the rights to publish the photographs then a ‘used courtesy of’ will be granted to those who allow me to post their pictures.

 

Before we dive into the rich and compelling history of Shasta County, here is some information about me.  My name is Jeremy M. Tuggle and I was born in Redding in 1982. I earned the rank of Eagle Scout from Boy Scouts of America in November of 2000, earning the highest award one can achieve in scouting. I graduated from the class of 2001 from Central Valley High School in Shasta Lake City.

I am employed at the Shasta Historical Society as their Visitor And Historical Services Associate and I also work for In Home Health Services providing care for my great grandmother. I am a descendant of 11 Shasta County pioneer families recognized by the Shasta Historical Society, the majority of my family settled between 1849-1889 in Shasta County. I am the author of two published books, Rooted in Shasta County (2003) and A Journey Through Time: Ono and the Bald Hills (2008) including various articles on local history.

As the Visitor and Historical Services Associate for the Shasta Historical Society, I visit the local schools, senior citizen homes and various organizations in our area. During my presentations I give intriguing programs and lectures about Shasta County history. I am also an active and lifetime member of the Shasta Historical Society and a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of California.

 

My wife, Leah and I, have one son, Carson. Carson's identical twin brother, Jason, died shortly after birth.  Just recently, on October 2, 2017, the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Major Pierson B. Reading Chapter of Redding honored me with their Community Service Award, a prestigious National award honoring my work in historic preservation in the community throughout my personal and professional life and a Chapter Achievement award. I was very pleased and honored to receive these awards from them. One minor detail I need to mention is that this web-site is not associated with the Shasta Historical Society in any form. Thank you for visiting.

Jeremy M. Tuggle giving a power point presentation to the Shasta Miners and Prospectors Association in Anderson. This photo was taken by Leah Tuggle on August 17, 2017.

The attending crowd at a presentation given by Jeremy M. Tuggle on August 17, 2017.