Elias Anderson (1817-1907), the Founder of Anderson, California.

 

How did the City of Anderson receive its name? Who was the person this burgeoning present-day city is named for? When was the City of Anderson incorporated? Find out more about Elias Anderson and the city which bores his surname in this newest installment of Exploring Shasta County History from local historian and author, Jeremy M. Tuggle. 

RESOURCES:

Elias Anderson in the California, U.S., Pioneer and Immigrant Files, 1790-1950; available on Ancestry.com

1830 U.S. Census

A HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, MISSOURI.

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

1850 U.S. Census

School Districts of Shasta County 1853-1955 compiled by Veronica Satorius

1860 U.S. Census

Died - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 27, 1861

List Of Post Offices -The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, December 19, 1863

Died - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 4, 1867

1867, Shasta County Voters Registration 

1870 U.S. Census

New Store! - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 1, 1873

The Shasta Courier newspaper July 19, 1873

Lots For Sale in the Town of Shasta Co., Cal. - The Sentinel Newspaper of Red Bluff, October 24, 1874

Died - The Reading Independent newspaper of Redding, August 14, 1979

1880 U.S. Census

History and Business Directory - Shasta County - 1881 by B.F. Frank and H.W. Chappell. Redding Independent Book and Job Printing House, Redding, California, ©1881.

1885, Shasta County Directory

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps - Anderson, California, 1881-1947

A Big Fire at Anderson - The Chico Weekly Enterprise newspaper of Chico, January 28, 1887

Anderson In Ashes - The Marysville Daily Appeal newspaper of Marysville, January 30, 1887

The Fire at Anderson - The Chico Weekly Enterprise newspaper of Chico, February 4, 1887

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 2, 1889

The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 6, 1889

1899, City & Business Directory of Shasta County

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 30, 1899

1900 U.S. Census

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 23, 1901

Death of a Pioneer Woman - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 4, 1903

Aged Lady Passes Away - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 6, 1903

Oldest Man in County Lives at Anderson - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 23, 1906

Founder Of Anderson Dies at Advanced Age - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento,

Oldest Man in County is Dead - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 1,1907

Anderson To Incorporate - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, February 5, 1912 

Found Dead in Bed in a Home in Anderson - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 28, 1931

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 Plaque file: AP-023 - Anderson, Elias, available on file at the Shasta Historical Society

979.424 - Anderson. Shasta Historical Society, Vertical files. 

979.424 (324) Anderson (history) unknown author

Shasta Historical Society Pioneer Record: Elias Anderson, dated April 8, 1943

Shasta Historical Society Genealogical Records 7-59: Elias Anderson

Shasta Historical Society Genealogical Records 7-59: George H. Anderson

Shasta Historical Society Pioneer Record: George H. Anderson, dated: January 18, 1945

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

The Town of Anderson Grew from Teamsters Campground Site written by Rosena A. Giles - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 4, 1951

Way Back When - Myrtle McNamar, published by C.A.T. Publishing of Redding, California, 1952. 282 pages.

City of Anderson owes its name to early-day farmer written by Elizabeth Dellow - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 30, 1963

In the Shadow of the Mountain a Short History of Shasta County, California, by Edward Petersen ©1965

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

Elias's Town Has Grown by John Lawson - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 18, 1969

The House That Elias Anderson Built - The Anderson Press newspaper of Anderson, March 24, 1976

Anderson house plan studied - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 9, 1976

Anderson project will be backed - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 9, 1976

Anderson gets plea to repair old house - The Redding Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 2, 1978

Anderson House Wins Reprieve - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 6, 1980

Anderson House To Be Saved - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 4, 1980

House: Time Running Out - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 14, 1980

Old Anderson House Doomed - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 15, 1980

Historic Anderson House Has to Go by Pat Lakey - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 8, 1980

9579.424 (324) Anderson by Laura Gurwell, January 12, 1987

History of the office of Shasta County Recorder, 1851-1994

Timeline:

 1851-1851 - John C. Burns

 1851-1852 - Jesse R. Robinson

 1852-1855 - Thomas W. Dawson

 1855-1857 - William S. Jenkins

 1857-1859 - H.J. Van Horn

 1859-1864 - James R. Durick

 1864-1867 - George D. Forbes

 1867-1868 - Samuel Cooper

 1868-1871 - Grant I. Taggart

 1871-1872 - Milton S. Babcock

 1872-1877 - William H. Bickford

 1878-1888 - Franklin C. Tiffin

 1883-1886 - Thomas B. Smith

 1886-1890 - Albert F. Ross Sr.

 1890-1892 - Alexander R. Andrews

 1892-1902 - John R. Lowdon

 1902-1914 - Abraham L. Webb

 1914-1934 - Henry C. Woodrum

 1934-1953 - Winona V. Simmons

 1953-1978 - Mildred Montgomery

 1978-1990 - Marjorie A. Kively

 1990-1994 - Virginia A. Loftus

 1994 - A. Cris Andrews

Compiled from listings available at Shasta Historical Society in Redding.

The International Order of Odd Fellows Building at Redding

The International Order of Odd Fellows hall with wagon's and buggies in front of it. (Public domain.) 

In 1888, the International Order Of Odd Fellows, Reading Lodge No. 271, at Redding had a two-story brick building constructed by carpenters Farhner & Herron, at the present site of 1445 Butte Street. The Holt & Gregg Company was awarded the contract to do the brick work. Construction costs exceeded over $14,000. The Odd Fellows and other fraternal organizations still use this building. 

The common name for this lodging house style of architecture is Italianate style, and the building was designed by A.A. Cook. The upstairs included a spectacular lodge room 30 x 47 feet, with a raised platform four feet wide around the hall. The building included ventilation and lighting. The ground floor of the building included three stores.

Once the building was completed that year, they were able to remove their possessions from the Good Templars hall which is where they previously met, also located on Market Street, that building was built in 1877 and it was destroyed by fire in July of 1890. The Redding branch of the I.O.O.F., was established in Redding as the International Order of Odd Fellows, Reading Lodge, No. 271. This lodge was commissioned to organize by F.P. Dann and Thomas Burton Smith on February 20, 1878 at Redding. Then on March 6, 1878, the lodge was instituted by Smith.

The Odd Fellows was a fraternal organization who assisted in helping others during times of distress  and sickness. The Odd Fellows offered help to men who wanted to improve their life and character. Drinking was prohibited while being a member of this society. They assisted in burying the dead as well.

L-R: Redding Odd Fellow founder Thomas Burton Smith (1844-1919) and his wife Martha (McFarlin) Smith (1851-1941). Martha (McFarlin) Smith was my paternal great-great-great-great aunt. Martha was a member of the Daughters of the Rebekahs, a branch of the I.O.O.F., for women. This photograph is from the collection of Jeremy Tuggle.

RESOURCES:

History and Business Directory - Shasta County - 1881 by B.F. Frank and H.W. Chappell. Redding Independent Book and Job Printing House, Redding, California, ©1881.

Certificate of Organization – I.O.O.F. Reading Lodge 271

I.O.O.F. Hall – The Republican Free Press, Saturday, April 28, 1888

BIG BLAZE – The Free Press, Saturday, July 19, 1890

Redding The First Hundred Years by Edward Peterson, ©1972, page 16. Printed by

Historic Structures - Compiled by the Department of Planning & Community Development, April 1986

International Order of Odd Fellows Building by Shasta Historical Society