The Former Shasta May Blossom Mine and Property (now Abandoned Under Shasta Lake.)

When local prospector and miner Nicholas W. Keith, a native of North Carolina, and a resident of the Sacramento River township, struck the mineral vein of the Shasta May Blossom, in 1900, he discovered that this mineral vein was hosted in a body of shale and rhyolite along with dense limonite which contained a lenticular ore body comprising of the following minerals: gold, silver, and copper. He then christened it as the Shasta May Blossom. The origin of the name is uncertain.

The Shasta May Blossom mine was situated upon First Creek in Sections 14 and 15, Township, 34 North, Range, 3 West, of the Mount Diablo Base and Meridian, near the town of Bully Hill, also known as Delamar and Winthrop, which was practically one mile north of Bully Hill, and inside the mining boundaries of the Pittsburg mining district. Presently, this mine lays abandoned under the water of Shasta Lake upon the Squaw Creek arm. On August 25, 1901, it was reported by the local media that Morton Lindley purchased the Keith copper group of mines, in the Pittsburg mining district from Nicholas W. Keith for an undisclosed amount of money. Included in this transaction was the Shasta May Blossom mine consisting of 300-acres of mineral land, at that time.

Above: a branch office of the Shasta May Blossom Copper Company Consolidated at Copper City, in Shasta County, California. Circa 1936.

It was Lindley who organized the Shasta May Blossom Copper Company Consolidated headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, with a branch office of this mining enterprise located in the town of Copper City, as shown above. It's also referred to as the Shasta May Blossom Mining and Smelting Company, in various reports regarding this lucrative mining property. It was the Granite Creek Smelting and Refining Company, of Boston, Massachusetts, who became the parent company of this newly established mining enterprise with an initial capital stock of $10,000.00. 

Lindley formerly resided and mined in Shasta County between the years 1889 and 1892, becoming well acquainted within our region. After his residency in Shasta County, California, he relocated east and became employed with the Granite Creek Smelting and Refining Company as their General Manager in Boston. During November of 1901, the first enhancement work began on this lucrative mining property. A local newspaper described the following events: 

"Three men are now working in the Shasta May Blossom mine near Delamar. The prospect looks fine and is pronounced as being gossan carrying a white quartz. The tunnel is something over 100-feet. Many eyes are upon this property and to almost all miners here, things look mighty good. Morton Lindley is superintendent." 

Above: the main adit of the Shasta May Blossom mine with a wooden portal. Circa 1900-1906.

The above column was the start of this mining enterprise driving an 800-foot incline shaft beneath the Earth’s surface on First Creek to its face. This incline shaft formed two upper tunnels as well as a third lower tunnel which they continued further developments in. Inside the upper tunnel was a ledge of minerals which presented itself to the miners who were extracting the ore from this site along the ribs of the mine, and this same ledge showed in the middle tunnel as well. This mining company continued extracting the ore from it and investigated it further.

The main adit of this mining property, as shown above, is situated on the east slope of the hill at an altitude of 1,250-feet according to record. It measured at 720-feet and thence due north for another 26-feet. Stulls were added along the ribs and backing of the tunnel to keep portions of this mine from collapsing. A method called gobbing, (or in layman terms: stacked rock) existed within the tunnels giving miners extra room inside each tunnel of this mine to work around the loose and major rock they couldn't haul out. At 320-feet from the portal a drift measuring to 120-feet existed. In this drift is an 18-foot vertical winze in which a small lens of ore was discovered to contain gold and silver which was documented by the mining company. A later report mentioned that there was an ore bin on the property and ore tracks as well with ore cars.

County reports also describe a second adit north of the main adit at an altitude of 1,350-feet which once existed, and another called the Porter tunnel, which trends west for 600-feet was actively mined on this mineral land as well. At 250-feet from this adit, a separate portal included a 100-foot raise in its tunnel which connected with the Earth's surface. An ore-shoot inside this mine measuring at 40-feet long and 4 to 6 feet wide existed as well. The raise of this tunnel was assayed once containing 6 percent copper and $8 in gold and silver to the ton. A third former adit was also dug out to 80-feet long containing cuts and a sulfide lens with measurements of 50-feet long and 8-feet wide. The sulfide lens contained the following minerals: pyrite and chalcopyrite.

Above: A map showing Sections 14 and 15, Township, 34 North, Range, 3 West, of the Mount Diablo Base and Meridian, near the town of Bully Hill, in Shasta County, California. Source: Cal Topo.

Morton Lindley was very pleased with the progress of his men at this lucrative mining site on First Creek. On October 9, 1903, the Free Press newspaper of Redding, heralded the following article within their publication stating:

"The first hole to be drilled by the new plant at the Shasta May Blossom mine near the famous Bully Hill mine was sent in Wednesday, and Morton Lindley, the general manager of the May Blossom was present to see the new machinery started up. The big air compressor and diamond drill is operated by the latest improved expansion air engine and the plant works to the entire satisfaction of the management. The force of men are now at work cutting a large tunnel 165 feet below the old workings and expect to encounter in the new tunnel the same big vein that was struck in the upper works. Developemnt thus far on the May Blossom shows the existence of an enormous body of high-grade copper ore, carrying a large percentage of gold. Mr. Lindley was in Redding Thursday and will return to the mine Friday." (SIC)

Early on, miners used lighted candles inside the Shasta May Blossom mine to see their way through their tunnels and to finish the work they needed to get done with. By December of 1903, this lucrative mining property on First Creek obtained its power which was furnished by a large air expansion engine on the property due to the mining enterprise not being able to secure power from the local power company to utilize electricity. Under Lindley's command newer adits were formed totaling to 2,000-feet upon the property with open cuts which existed by 1908, however, its production stopped that year, due to the discovery of chalcopyrite inside the mine forcing its production of ore to stop.

Above: the lucrative mining property of the Shasta May Blossom Copper Company Consolidated is shown here on First Creek. According to records this mining enterprise produced $1,000,000 in mineral production during their first five months of operation under Morton A. Lindley's lead. Later on, it was estimated that this mining enterprise was producing between $6,000 to $10,000 daily by the time this photo was taken. The Bully Hill smelter appears in the background. Date unknown. Source: California State Archives.

After a three-year closure the Shasta May Blossom Copper Company Consolidated reopened their lucrative mine upon First Creek in 1911, with a force of men numbered at 20, under the command of Superintendent, William Wright. They resumed hard rock mining once again while extracting gold, silver and copper from this mining property. On the outside of the Earth’s surface prospectors conducted probing activities in hopes of a striking additional veins for further development as well. Due to the start of the first World War on July 28, 1914, this company shut down all mining operations and became idled during the interim of the war years. During it’s closure at this mining property, it was guarded by a watchman named Benton A. Graham who was a resident, of Bully Hill, Graham was employed by its energetic owner Morton Lindley. 

Four years later, the first World War ended on November 18, 1918, and the mining company returned their attention to this mining site that year. A change of ownership occurred in 1919, from Morton Lindley to J.B. Hughes, a resident of Winthrop, becoming the owner of this mining company. At that time, it was Shasta County Sheriff James L. Richardson and H.B. Ward, who made it difficult for the company to continue their mining production on this mining site due to Richardson and Ward who purportedly claimed to have purchased shares of stock within this mining company. Together they placed this property through litigation in court which was brought to suit by it’s rightful owner J.B. Hughes for a judgement of over $3,000 in the Superior Court of Shasta County, and to recover some of this mining property near Bully Hill from them which they claimed to own.

Then on, April 10, 1920, the mining case of the Shasta May Blossom Copper Company Consolidated Vs., James L. Richardson and H.B. Ward was settled as shown in the following column from a local media outlet.  Richardson and Ward lost and J.B. Hughes won. See below...

Above: the Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 10, 1920.

In July of 1920 the mining property changed hands again to its new owner Albert J. Pickett. Then on, September 9, 1920, the new owner located six brand-new mining claims in the Pittsburg mining district on the Shasta May Blossom mining property called the Shasta May Blossom Numbers: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, South Extensions which were immediately recorded with the county recorder's office that day at Redding, which added to the lucrative mining claims on the property. 

The Shasta May Copper Company Consolidated brought in powerful diamond drills and sunk a hole to a depth of 170-feet, while continuing it’s ore production here. New core samples were extracted and assayed as well during this time period. Another tunnel on the property called the Porter tunnel was also placed into production. Sporadic mining activities took place after March 1921, due to legal battles within the Supreme Court, over the mining property. 

Most records were not preserved by this mining company. Eventually, their mining property grew larger in 1923, with George G. Dean locating 29 brand-new mining claims for Albert J. Pickett for the Shasta May Blossom Copper Company Consolidated as shown below:

Above: the Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 30, 1923.

Apparently, the Shasta May Blossom Copper Company Consolidated passed into the ownership of Albert J. Pickett who filed a million-dollar lawsuit against the former owner, J.B. Hughes in the Shasta County Superior Court due to Pickett having to relocate several or more missing mining claims within in this lucrative mining property, which were either purportedly destroyed or plugged by Hughes and his employees. For years this mineral land was held up in litigation by the court system from further production until a new owner took control. 

The mine changed ownership again about 1926 to J.W. Marshall. Work resumed on the property by the company’s guard Benton A. Graham who completed work for Marshall at this mining property which was recorded in proof of labor reports filed with the county recorder's office at Redding, which Graham contributed for his employer as well. 

By 1927, Benton A. Graham was still employed with the Shasta May Blossom Copper Company Consolidated as their watchman according to local media reports. Sporadic mining was completed upon this mining property by Graham. By the start of World War II on September 1, 1939, it was forced to close down again due to our country being at war. This lucrative mine’s demise was due to the construction of Shasta Dam between the years 1938 and 1945. In 1942, the United States Bureau of Reclamation began flooding the newly established reservoir for Shasta Lake, World War II ended on September 2, 1945, and this mining property currently remains under water to this day.

Resources:

1900 U.S. Census

Morton Lindley Gets Keith Copper Group - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 23, 1901

Boston Men Bond Keith Group - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 24, 1901

The Shasta May Blossom - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 1, 1901

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 25, 1901

Shasta May Blossom Like the Bully Hill - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 1, 1902

After More Mines About Bully Hill - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 8, 1902

Work at the Shasta May Blossom– The Daily Free Press, Thursday, July 24, 1902

Aubury, Lewis E. The copper resources of California: California Mining Bureau Bulletin 23: 65. , 1902

How Copper Is Produced in Shasta County, Northern California, published by the Shasta May Blossom Copper Company Consolidated by the Standard Investment Company of San Francisco, California. Copyright 1902.

State Treasurer Visits Mines - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 25, 1903

First Hole Drilled on May Blossom - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 9, 1903

Preparing For Extensive Work - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 30, 1903

Robert McDermott Dead - The Chico Record newspaper of Chico, March 27, 1909

The geology and ore deposits of the Bully Hill mining district, California by A.C. Boye. Am. Inst. Mining Engineers Bull. 85, p. 57-105. Copyright 1914.

Morton Lindley, Who Opened the Mammoth Mine in Shasta County, Dies in San Francisco - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 23, 1915

Attached the Shasta May Blossom Mine - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 8, 1916

Shasta May Blossom Mine Is a Shasta County Daisy - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 2, 1917

Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, Siskiyou County, and Trinity County, by G. Chester Brown, ©1915 published by California State Printing Office.

Notice of Sale of Real Property Under Execution - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 12, 1919

Coroner Larkin Made Sheriff - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 21, 1919

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 1, 1920

Forbidden to Sell Shasta May Blossom - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 21, 1920

Mining Claim Suit to Begin All Over Thru Restraining Order - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 23, 1920

Mining Case Settled - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 10, 1920

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 15, 1920

Locates Nine Mines - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 30, 1920

More Blossoms - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 9, 1920

Million Dollar Suit Is Filed - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 28, 1923

Mining Man Dies from Fall - The Blue Lake Advocate newspaper of Blue Lake, April 19, 1924.

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 27, 1924

Files Twenty-Nine Location Notices - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 30, 1930

On Shasta May Blossom - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 1, 1926

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 5, 1927

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

Shasta May Blossom – Western Mining History

Shasta May Blossom Prospect Near Ingot, California | The Diggings™

Shasta May Blossom prospect (Keith group), Bully Hill, Bully Hill District (Winthrop District), East Shasta Copper - Zinc Mining District, Klamath Mountains, Shasta County, California, USA

OFT FORGOTTEN PLACES IN SHASTA COUNTY (PART II)

This is the second installment of oft forgotten places in Shasta County, in this edition we will continue to examine the lesser-known localities that formerly existed in our region.

An agricultural community called Alfa which was named after the settlement's primary crop was situated eight miles north and west of the town of Swazey, (now Glenburn), in Fall River Valley. According to records it was the United States Postal Service headquarters in Washington D.C., that appointed Alexander C. Hill, a local farmer, and native of North Carolina, to be its first postmaster on March 14, 1888. Hill served as its only postmaster until July 11, 1896, when its post office was discontinued, and the mail was rerouted to the Dana United States Post Office that same day, in the town of Dana.

Alfa had a large population in town and in nearby settlements to have a newspaper established there called the Alpha Advance, which was established in April of 1888. This local media outlet first started heralding local news blurbs from Alpha in the Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding that month. It was a regular feature, until the January 5, 1889, edition of the Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding printed the following column:

"The Alfa Advance will be an "all at home" printed paper with Claude McDermit, as editor, vice H.J. Richmond, resigned."

Alexander C. Hill, and his wife Isabelle, had four children and they remained in the area after the closure of the Alfa United States Post Office. Alexander C. Hill died two years after the post office closed on June 2, 1898. His wife Isabelle succeeded him in death, and she died on December 9, 1904, she is buried in the Dana Cemetery.

Brewster was another small community which came to fruition eight miles south of Dunsmuir, and located in Shasta County, California. A United States Post Office was established there in 1893 with Alexander Levy, as the first postmaster. It was said that Levy named the community Brewster after a geological surveyor named William H. Brewster who previously visited the locality. This town site lasted until 1895 when it was discontinued. 

Chromite was another small settlement which was located in the Sacramento River Canyon by local miners who located this black mineral ore nearby. In 1907 this mineral was being mined at the base of Castle Crags. Chromite's lustre is comprised of greasy, metallic, sub-met, and is part of the isometric crystal system. Chromite is utilized as a refractory in the production of steel, copper, glass and cement.

The settlement was located south of Sims and gave its name to the Chromite Spur near Hazel Creek when the miners started loading the cars on the track with this mineral. The settlement was active about 1889 through 1907.

Located five miles southwest of Redding was the community of Dolde which was settled in 1890. It was named after their first postmaster Arnold C. Dolde, a local merchant in the area. In April of 1893, this United States Post Office was discontinued due to its last postmaster C.H. Manning resigning and being appointed as postmaster at Fall River Mills, in eastern Shasta County, California. Today, nothing remains of this former townsite. 

Above: the townsite of Jillsonville, in Shasta County, California. Circa 1912.

Courtesy of Steven Walker.

It was Franklin W. Wheeler who located the vein of the Gladstone mine in Cline Gulch, near the town of French Gulch in 1886. The main producer of ore from this mine was the Ohio mine. It became the second largest producer of gold in French Gulch which rivaled the towns lucrative Washington mine. In 1912, the town of Jillsonville came to fruition on this mineral land even though it lacked a United States Post Office it began utilizing the French Gulch United States Post Office to send and receive mail. At the time it was owned by the Hazel Gold Mining Company, which was owned and operated by Issac O. Jillson, an energetic miner and prospector, who the townsite was named for.

By order of the above mining company the townsite was meant for married couples and families as ordered by the Hazel Gold Mining Company. Single men had to live in the bunkhouse on the mining property. The company erected a 23-room bunkhouse on the property for single men, a schoolhouse, a hospital, a dance hall and an electric railroad on the property. Jillsonville was active into the 1920's. What remains of this ghost town today are a few remaining foundations, tracks, rock walls with lots of artifacts from broken bottles to pottery and broken pipes with additional items lodged in the ground that we were able to preserve. When I was employed with the Shasta Historical Society in 2015, we took part in an archaeological dig and study on the property, with the present property owner, and the above items were found by us.

Above, the townsite of Little Italy, in Shasta County, California in 1916. Little Italy can be described as a hillside locality. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

Established in 1900, and situated near the booming town of Kennett and upon the main road to the Mammoth mine and smelter was the town site of Little Italy. It was named for its large Italian population; it was also known Dago Town. "Dago Town" was a derogatory term to describe the Italian population within the community which wasn’t favored by local residents. Little Italy never had its own post office it used the Kennett United States Post Office to send and receive mail. This was quite common for smaller towns in California to use the nearest post office close to them. Kennett was established as a town in 1884 by the Central Pacific Railroad.

Little Italy was located near the Mammoth mine and smelter site which was owned by the Mammoth Copper Mining Company at Kennett. Little Italy boasted a number of saloons, a bank, and a hotel. One of its most enterprising people in town was Antonio Carattini who spearheaded the bank and owned a large interest of property there. He was also the energetic owner of the Mt. Shasta Hotel and a local restaurant. Due to this community an Italian newspaper was established at Kennett by Marco E. Arrighini that was called the Italian-American newspaper which local residents of Little Italy subscribed to. The children of the Little Italy townsite attended school at the Kennett School in Kennett as they walked there each day

In December of 1904 another townsite which spung up, in Shasta County, was located three-quarters of a mile south of Kennett and was called Bernhard. The town of Bernhard was established by Bernhard Golinsky, a native of Germany (he named the town for himself) and was located near Squaw Creek on the road past the Mammoth Hospital in Kennett. His family owned the Golinsky Hotel and Bernhard Golinsky served as postmaster of Kennett for a short time. Bernhard was laid out into the following streets: Bernhard Street, Flosa Street, Frieda Street, Lloyd Street, Reta Street, and Rubie Street. The first recorded birth in the town of Bernhard was a boy who was born to Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Woodward on August 31, 1905. 

Like Little Italy, Bernhard also used the Kennett United States Post Office to send and receive mail. At a later date both townsites Little Italy and Bernhard were “unofficially” annexed into Kennett. On June 3, 1915, Little Italy suffered a $30,000, fire in the heart of the townsite. The major losers were Marco E. Arrighini and Antonio Carrattini. The fires origin was never determined but it ignited in the Bella Vista hotel, a three-story hotel which was erected in 1905 at a cost of $10,000, by Benghi, Franchetti, and Perez.  It was later abandoned and sold at a Sheriffs sale for $500 to Giacoso and Belloni, who turned the empty building into a local warehouse and utilized its basement as a stable where two horses were burned to death in this fire.

Additional buildings were also burned to the ground. Total losses were: Carrattini, $15,000, amount of insurance, $9,000 Arrighini, $5,000, insurance $2,500, Giacoso and Belloni, $3,000, and additional owners, $2,000, for the additional owners their insurance wasn't noted for them, the townsite never rebuilt the buildings they lost after this fire. Little Italy and Bernhard's demise was the fall of the town of Kennett which was later incorporated as a city in 1911 and then the city became unincorporated in 1930 and lost its post office in 1942. The Kennett United States Post Office closed due to the construction of Shasta Dam, between 1938-1945. The impact that the dam had on the city was catastrophic. Bernhard, Little Italy and Kennett now lie under water in the deepest part of Shasta Lake.

Above: the official map of the townsite of Bernhard is shown which was surveyed by Alf Baltzell, on December 16, 1904.

Above: Homer Whiting Loomis (1817-1882).  

Loomis was a settlement which was first settled in 1859 by a Canadian settler named Homer Whiting Loomis, a pioneer who arrived in Shasta County, California, during the 1850s. He originally bought land on the east side of Stillwater Creek near present-day Loomis Corners, and erected a house there for him to reside in. This is where Loomis farmed planting wheat, barley and hay. He also raised cows and hogs on his property. 

 

During 1861, he purchased land on the opposite side of Stillwater Creek to enlarge his property. This is where Homer established an inn which included a stagecoach stopping place which did a remarkable business in the area with the California-Oregon Trail crossing there. On April 11, 1878, the United States Postal Service headquarters in Washington D.C., established a post office called Loomis in honor of Homer W. Loomis and they appointed Loomis as its first postmaster.  However, Loomis suggested the name Pine Grove, but the name was denied by the United States Postal Service.

The suggestion of the name Pine Grove to be used for the post office came from the local school in the area which was established in 1875 as the Pine Grove Schoolhouse. The United States Postal Service discontinued the post office at Loomis on May 14, 1879.  The post office was located inside his stopping place on what is now present-day, Old Alturas Road. 

In 1882, Leon Leighton was teaching school at Loomis and purchased Homer Whiting Loomis’s property from him before Loomis died on May 26, 1882. Years later, another United States Post Office was established in the former townsite by the United States Postal Service headquarters in Washington D.C., called Leighton after Leon Leighton. The United States Postal Service appointed Samuel W. Stallings to serve as the first postmaster here on June 3, 1889, according to official records, he was later succeeded by Laura Bermerly, on September 22, 1890, and she was succeeded as postmaster by Ida M. Leighton, on January 22, 1891, Leighton was succeeded as postmaster by John L. Hensel, on June 16, 1893. 

According to official records Hensel was the last and final postmaster of this United States Post Office, which was discontinued February 5, 1894, with the mail being rerouted to Redding. The former town of Loomis also known as Leighton is still referred to by many people as Loomis Corner’s.

Above: Homer Whiting Loomis erected this residence on the situated on the east side of Stillwater Creek. This building no longer exists. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

Lisbon was a small settlement which was located south of Castella, in the Sacramento River Canyon, which had a United States Post Office established there on January 26, 1886. This townsite boasted a population of 15 people. Their first and only postmaster was Henry W. Walbridge who held the position until November 3, 1886, when the mail was rerouted to Bayles (now Delta). 

Records indicate that Scobieville was practically a townsite on wheels. It was located on the line of the railroad from Redding to Dunsmuir which relocated along the rail line between the years 1882 and 1887. It was named for Colonel James Ross Scobie, a native of Scotland, who was Superintendent of the masonry construction for the Southern Pacific Railroad.

Above: James Ross Scobie (1835-1902), the namesake of Scobieville. Later he followed the trade of a Stonemason, and afterwards became a Contractor for Stone Masonry work, principally for the Southern Pacific Company. Courtesy of California State Archives. 

John L. Zinn, a native of Virginia was a shoemaker, prospector and miner by trade who settled in Township Number 5 in 1880 with his wife Cathan and their family. By 1886 the Zinn family was living at Buckeye, and he eventually relocated his family to the Viola area in eastern Shasta County, California. About 1888, the settlement of Zinn came to fruition in that that region with Zinn selling town lots and newcomers buying them to settle there. During the following year, the United States Postal Service headquarters in Washington D.C., established a post office there on August 24, 1889, and appointed John L. Zinn as its first postmaster.

Eventually, Homer M. Maxwell succeeded Zinn as the town's postmaster on February 3, 1890, and Maxwell witnessed the decline of the townsite with the mail route eventually being rerouted to the Shingletown United States Post Office on April 25, 1890, and on that same day, the Zinn United States Post Office was discontinued. Can you imagine yourself living in some of these localities today if they had successfully worked out?

RESOURCES:

Board of Equalization - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 6, 1862

The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 28, 1871

1880 U.S. Census

News From the Railroad Front - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 29, 1883

J.W. Malone’s Letter - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 27, 1883

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 3, 1883

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 10, 1883

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 8, 1883

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 5, 1884

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 12, 1884

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 2, 1884

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 17, 1884

Sims Items - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 27, 1889

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 22, 1893

A Runaway - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 1, 1898

California U.S. Voter Registration 1886

California U.S. Voter Registration 1892

California U.S. Voter Registration 1896

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 5, 1889

Postmaster Appointed - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, February 4, 1890

Freight Wrecked at Chromite Spur -The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 24, 1900

Chrome Mine Case Raises Novel Point - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 6, 1901

A Derailed Box Car Causes Long Delay - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 13, 1902

Platinum in Shasta County - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 14, 1903

Smelter Town of Kennett is Growing - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 2, 1904

Bernhard Will Be Towns Name - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 6, 1904

Balaklala Smelter to Be Located on the Bernhard Townsite - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 7, 1905

Lots for Sale - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 10, 1905

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 16, 1905

Cottages at Bernhard - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 2, 1905

Bernhard Houses Being Rushed Along - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 11, 1905

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 5, 1905

Chromite Mined at the Base of Castle Crags - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 8, 1907

Three Cornered Fight in Kennett - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 20, 1910

Held On Serious Charge - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento - July 17, 1910

Kennett Merchant Makes Assignment - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 19, 1912

Bought Keswick Property - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 26, 1915

Kennett Had A $30,000 Fire in Little Italy - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 4, 1915

A. Carattini Is Called Beyond by Pneumonia - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 19, 1918 

Three More Pneumonia Victims in Kennett - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 20, 1918

Carattini Goes to Final Resting Place Monday - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 22, 1918

Arrighini Sells to His Partner - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 7, 1921

Marco E. Arrighini Pioneer Resident of Shasta County, Dies at Age 73 - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 23, 1930

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

French Gulch: miners went away - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 10, 1983

Park Sought for Old Mine - Written by Kibkabe Araya. The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 9, 2011

Gold & Lore: Kennett was once a thriving city, competing with Redding for prominence - Written by Jeremy Tuggle. The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 22, 2016

Sallee Purchases the Reid Mine at Old Diggings for $20,000 in April of 1906

Above: Last Payment On Mine - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, April 12, 1906

In April of 1906, James Martin Sallee, a native of Florida, and the former owner of the Bully Hill and Rising Star mines in the Pittsburgh Mining District of Shasta County, who the towns of Sallee and South Sallee were named for in which are now situated under the Squaw Creek arm of Shasta Lake at Bully Hill, purchased the Reid Mine in the Old Diggings Mining District at Old Diggings for a total of $20,000. Sallee purchased this mine from its original owners: Edward A. Reid (the namesake of mine), Mrs. Artie J. Reid (Reid's sister-in-law), and John Salnave. Then in 1913, with the help of his son Harvey J. Sallee the father and son team erected the aerial tramway of the Reid mine for more information on this historic aerial tramway please visit my YouTube video below and my article at the following links:

YouTube video:

 

Article: 

OLD DIGGINGS ALSO KNOWN AS HART: A MINING COMMUNITY

Source: Last Payment on Mine - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, April 12, 1906

Historic U.S. Route Highway 99: Bailey's Cove Walk And Drive Towards O'Brien Inlet

Here is one section of historic U.S. Route Highway 99 which is usually under the water line of Shasta Lake when this reservoir is full. This portion only comes out of the water when we're in drought, and some of this historic route is still above the water line year round but is an oft-forgotten section of the route by locals who drive it regularly as motorist drive into O'Brien Inlet from Bailey's Cove. Today's water level is: 932.31-feet below full pool elevation. This video was filmed on August 27, 2022.

SHASTA LAKE DROUGHT: TOWN CREEK DAM AT BULLY HILL AND AN ARIAL ORE CAR TRAMWAY

Filmed on location on April 30, 2022.

The town of Delamar was established in the area in June of 1900, as for the Town Creek Dam I'm not positively sure on dates of construction but my estimate would be about 1907 to 1910 era due to the construction of the Sacramento Valley and Eastern Railroad which is associated with this small concrete dam. Construction on this railroad began December 11, 1906, and the Sacramento Valley And Eastern Railroad was incorporated on January 8, 1907, the purpose of the S.V. & E.R., 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.

This railroad is the same railroad as seen in my previous YouTube video available here: 

Above: This video was filmed on 7-9-2021!

This video was filmed on location on April 30, 2022, the water level for Shasta Lake on that day was 945.62-feet elevation wise below full pool or 121.38-feet below the crest of Shasta Dam. My resources for this video are located here:

Resources:

Goes With The Bully Hill – The Daily Free Press, July 14, 1899

The Bully Hill Deal – The Daily Free Press, July 14, 1899

Deed To Bully Hill Mines Files For Record Today - The Daily Free Press, July 18, 1899

The Daily Free Press, Tuesday, July 18, 1899

Where The Smelter Will Be Located  – The Daily Free Press, July 19, 1899

Copper City Gets De Lamar Smelter  – The Daily Free Press, March 12, 1900

A Combination Smelter  – The Daily Free Press, July 20, 1899

Mines And Mining News – The Daily Free Press, July 20, 1899

Mines About Bully Hill – The Daily Free Press, July 21, 1899

The De Lamar Smelters A Sure Go  – The Daily Free Press, March 19, 1900

The New Smelter Town – The Daily Free Press, March 20, 1900

The Daily Free Press, March 21, 1900

In Pioneer Days – THE SHASTA COURIER, March 24, 1900

The Shasta Courier – March 24, 1900

Delamar And Sallee Show Rapid Growth - The Daily Free Press, March 26, 1901

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

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

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

Round Trip Between Delamar and Redding - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 26, 1908

The Smelter Town Has Three Names - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 10, 1908

Sacramento Valley And Eastern Railroad Shows Profit - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 29, 1922

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 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

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

Above: Town Creek Dam at Town Creek at Bully Hill on the Squaw Creek arm of Shasta Lake. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on April 30, 2022.

PORTIONS OF THE HISTORIC RAILROAD AT POLLOCK IS NOW OUT OF THE WATER AT SHASTA LAKE, 9-4-2021

 

PORTIONS OF THE HISTORIC RAILROAD AT POLLOCK IS NOW OUT OF THE WATER AT SHASTA LAKE, 9-4-2021. SHASTA LAKE IS CURRENTLY 163.67-FEET BELOW THE CREST OF SHASTA DAM OR 903.33-FEET ELEVATION WISE BELOW FULL POOL.

THE HISTORIC HEADTOWER AT SHASTA LAKE BEHIND SHASTA DAM

Above photo: Public Domain.

This is the historic Headtower which is seen in many of my videos on YouTube and in pictures on my social media accounts. It was built in 1940 and was used primarily to deliver concrete to the workers of Pacific Constructors Incorporated (PCI) who were building Shasta Dam. It stood at over a towering 460 feet. There were storage compartments in the Headtower as well one of them was the cable room which is seen in a recent video. This historic Headtower is only visible during drought seasons on Shasta Lake. 

Above: the Headtower. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.

Above: the historic Headtower. The water level of Shasta Lake was recorded at 148.45-feet below the crest of Shasta Dam. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on August 6, 2021. 

SMOKEY CONDITIONS: LAKE SHASTA HAZARDOUS AIR QUALITY, 8-6-2021.

SMOKEY CONDITIONS: LAKE SHASTA HAZARDOUS AIR QUALITY, 8-6-2021. WITH THREE MAJOR FIRES BURNING NEAR SHASTA COUNTY: the McFarland fire, the Antelope fire and the Dixie fire. THE REDDING AREA INCLUDING SHASTA LAKE HAD A HAZARDOUS AIR QUALITY OF 500 YESTERDAY, IT WASN’T LIKE THIS EARLIER THAT DAY. WE WERE TRYING TO GET OFF THE LAKE AND HEAD HOME. LAKE SHASTA WAS AT 148.45–FT., BELOW THE CREST OF SHASTA DAM ON 8-6-2021. SHASTA DAM AND PARTS OF THE LAKE WERE BARELY VISIBLE.

The historic Headtower at Shasta Dam is starting to show.

The historic Headtower which was built in 1940 to deliver concrete to the construction workers on Shasta Dam is showing at Shasta Dam. The lake level is currently about 89 - 90 feet below the crest. It was last seen during the drought season of 2014. It is hardly ever seen except in drought seasons. This Headtower stood over a towering 460-feet.

Filmed on location on 4-21-2021.