Welcome to Exploring Shasta County history...
With this blog, I am bringing to life the stories of the early day pioneers and some of the oft-forgotten history of a bygone era in Shasta County, California. I'll also focus on important events after the turn of the 20th century. I would like to reflect upon current historical sites of the modern age as well.
This is copyrighted by Jeremy M. Tuggle.
This video was filmed on location on June 11, 2022.
It was Shasta County pioneer Charles Camden who named Crystal Creek after its crystal-clear flowing water in its channel. It was also Camden who built this present-day historic water ditch along its channel with his paid laborers between 1854 and 1856. However, what was the reason behind it? Find out more in my newest video about this amazing water ditch system and trail here, and if you have time be sure to visit this place with your friends and family at the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. You will need a park pass to enter. The trail is an easy hike with incredible views of Crystal Creek along the way, and it's a one-way only 0.8-mile hike. Bring water, food and snacks with you to enjoy this trail. Enjoy, the video.
As Shasta Lake continues to be in drought there are many oft-forgotten relics and historical sites which keep emerging from the depths of this lake. On the McCloud River arm of this lake is a historic site pertaining to Ellery Creek. At this location the remains of a rock or stone structured building is visible which was operated by Shasta County pioneer and fish expert Jeremiah Blizzard Campbell, a native of New Jersey, and his son, Joseph Campbell which was built in the early twentieth century. This site was a fish egg collecting station for trout and they would eventually store these eggs in their incubators in this building until they hatched. Find out more about the area and about the Campbell's in my newest video to date. This video was filmed on location at that point on May 28, 2022. On that day the water level for Lake Shasta was 120.61-ft., below the crest of Shasta Dam or at 946.39-ft., elevation below full pool.
Historical Notes on The Rainbow and Dolly Varden Trout written by J.H. Wales, The Covered Wagon, 1946, pages 29-30. 46 pages. Published annually by Shasta Historical Society.
Baird written by Alice L. Seamans, The Covered Wagon 1976, pages 7-10. 82 pages. Published annually by Shasta Historical Society.
Memories of Baird written by Eleanor (Reading) Templeman, The Covered Wagon, 1976. pages 10-11. 82 pages. Published annually by Shasta Historical Society.
Occasional Paper of the Redding Museum - Paper No. 1 by Margaret Guilford-Kardel. Published by Redding Museum of Art & History Center, Redding, California. Available at the Shasta Historical Society.
May H. Southern’s scrapbook’s. Nine binders. Unpublished personal and researched material compiled by Southern. Available at Shasta Historical Society.
Livingston Stone, Pioneer Fisheries Scientist written by Frank E. Raymond, The Covered Wagon, 1991. Pages 17-27. 104 pages. Published annually by the Shasta Historical Society.
The Hunt Family Cemetery is seen from below on Oak Run Road. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on September 15, 2018.
Located in Millville is another pioneer cemetery which is not well-known to the general public. This is the historic Hunt Family Cemetery, a private cemetery, which was created by Shasta County pioneer, Daniel Granvil Hunt. Hunt was a well-respected local farmer and rancher of the area who established this cemetery on September 1, 1855, for the burial of his mother Isabella (Wright) Hunt (1807-1855), a native of Kentucky according to the 1850 U.S. Census. The families of Daniel Granvil Hunt and Joseph Ray Hunt lie at rest in this cemetery located off of Oak Run Road, in Millville, in the Millville Cemetery District.
Limited access is available to the property. In 1995, descendants of the pioneer Hunt family, and the Millville Historical Society, erected a monument marking this historic cemetery, which is cared for by the Millville Masonic Cemetery, of Millville. According to the cemetery records at the Shasta Historical Society and the records on Find a Grave.com there are approximately 28 interments here.
Above: Daniel G. Hunt (1830-1921) was a son of Nathan Hunt and Isabella (Wright) Hunt, who was raised and well-educated in the local schools of Missouri. Daniel arrived at Hangtown, California (now Placerville), in 1850, at the age of nineteen years old, and he eventually settled in northern California making Millville, in Shasta County, his home working as a farmer and rancher. He married Sarah Martha Heryford, and they had eleven children. Daniel is also buried in this historic cemetery with his wife, his headstone states: "D.G. Hunt - a native of Huntsville, Missouri." Daniel died at the ripe age of ninety-one years old. (From the collection of Jeremy Tuggle; see resources below.)
Above: the monument marking the historic site of the Hunt Family Cemetery. An error occurs on the marker stating September 1, 1885, is when the cemetery was created, but Isabella (Wright) Hunt died on September 1, 1855. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle, on September 15, 2018.
Old Resident of County, D.G. Hunt, Dies - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 25, 1921 *(Disclaimer: His Find A Grave Memorial states he died in 1927, see link below.)
Death Summons Shasta Pioneer - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 27, 1921 *(Disclaimer: His Find A Grave Memorial states he died in 1927, see link below.)
Daniel Granvil Hunt (1830-1927) - Find a Grave Memorial
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
March 18, 1848 - Major Pierson B. Reading and his Native Americans discover gold on Clear Creek at Reading's Bar, making the second gold discovery in the state, Shasta County’s third major industry begins. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.
Major Pierson B. Reading (his surname is pronounced like the color red) was the first European-American settler in Shasta County and he made the second gold discovery in California on Clear Creek in Shasta County, California; after James W. Marshall made his initial gold strike which sparked the California Gold Rush. On March 18, 1848, history was made, and the first of two Reading Bar's were established, the first being on Clear Creek in Shasta County, and the second being established on Reading's Creek in Trinity County, California. In this video the viewer gets to see both locations and learn about the history behind them.
Video filmed on location.
Above: Major Pierson Barton Reading (1816-1868). This Carta de Vista was taken in 1862. Photographer unknown. From the collection of Jeremy Tuggle.
A low Whiskeytown Lake reveals one of its many hidden secrets as Jeremy M. Tuggle poses in front of it for a photograph on March 19, 2022.
Resources:
Shasta - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, April 13, 1852
Shasta - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, June 14, 1852
California Legislature - Fifth Session - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, April 15, 1854
Trinity River Correspondence - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 20, 1854
From Weaverville - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 6, 1855
Trinity River Correspondence - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, February 17, 1855
Trip To Weaverville - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, October 13, 1855
Report of the Wagon Road Committee - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, June 20, 1857
Organization Of The Wagon Road Co. - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, June 27, 1857
Wagon Road Meeting And Report Of Survey - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, July 25, 1857
Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors - Aug. Term - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, August 8, 1857
Wagon Road Meeting - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, August 15, 1857
The Wagon Road - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, August 15, 1857
The Trinity Wagon Road - The Shasta Republican newspaper of Shasta, August 22, 1857
Weaverville Wagon Road - The Sacramento Union newspaper of Sacramento, September 1, 1857
Hurrah For The Wagon Road - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, October 3, 1857
Wagon Roads - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, October 16, 1857
The Sacramento Valley And Weaverville Wagon Company - The Shasta Republican newspaper of Shasta, October 16, 1857
Shasta And Our Neighbors - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, November 7, 1857
The Wagon Road - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, November 28, 1857
Progress Of the Wagon Road - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, December 26, 1857
Trinity Wagon Road - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, February 6, 1858
Wagon Road To Weaverville - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, March 27, 1858
Improvements As We Go - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, March 27, 1858
The Trinity Wagon Road - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 2, 1858
The Road - The Shasta Republican newspaper of Shasta, January 16, 1858
The Louden Road - The Shasta Republican newspaper of Shasta, March 13, 1858
Increased Travel To The North - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, September 11, 1858
Staging To Weaverville - The Shasta Republican newspaper of Shasta, April 24, 1858
Trail To Weaverville - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 24, 1858
To Weaverville - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, May 1, 1858
Teams To Weaverville - The Shasta Republican newspaper of Shasta, May 15, 1858
A Bad Road - The Shasta Republican newspaper of Shasta, November 20, 1858
Bill Lowden declares... - The Trinity Journal newspaper of Weaverville, December 18, 1858
The Redding And Weaverville Stage - by May H. Southern, January 22, 1933, sketch by Mabel Lowden Moores, 388 - P. 1086; VF 388.0 Roads/Trails Misc., Roads/Trails 1086, available at Shasta Historical Society in Redding.
Historic Resource Study Whiskeytown National Recreation Area by Anna Coxe Toogood, May 1978, Denver Service Center, Historic Preservation Team, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, by Al M. Rocca, Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (May 3, 2010) ISBN10: 1451568533,ISBN-13: 978-1451568530
This video focuses on the family history and burial site of Susan Lorenz, who established the iconic Lorenz Hotel in Redding, Shasta County, California. This video focuses on what I didn’t relate in my earlier article which I wrote and published here:
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