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The following is a list of Historic
Landmarks in Shasta County, in the order they were officially recognized
by the State of California.
Landmarks are buildings, sites,
features, or events that are of statewide significance
and have anthropological, cultural, military, political,
architectural, economic, scientific or technical, religious,
experimental, or other historical value.
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NO. 10 - Reading Adobe: This
was the home of Pierson Barton Reading (1816-1868), a California pioneer of 1843.
He was a major in Frémont's California Battalion which fought in the Mexican
War. He was a signer of the Capitulation of Cahuenga and discovered gold in 1848.
Major Reading is buried nearby.
Near entrance to Reading Island Park, 213 Adobe Rd, 5.8 mi E of Cottonwood.
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NO. 11- Noble Pass Route: William
H. Noble, accompanied by a party of citizens, showed the route for a wagon road
across the Sierra Nevada in May 1852. It was from this point that emigrants got
their first glimpse of the Sacramento Valley.
Lassen Volcanic National Park, on park Hwy, 0.2 mi E of park marker no. 60, 3.7 mi from NW entrance on State Hwy 44
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NO. 32 - Reading Bar: Major
Pierson B. Reading and his Indians washed out the first gold in Shasta County
on a bar at the mouth of the canyon of Clear Creek in March 1848.
Clear
Creek Bridge, on Clear Creek Rd, 6.9 mi W of old Hwy 99 W Redding.
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NO. 33 - Southern's Stage Station: This
is the site of the famous Southern Hotel and Stage Station built by Simeon Fisher
Southern. The original building, a log cabin, was built in 1859. During a half-century
many noted people who made early California history were entertained in this
hotel.
On old Hwy 99, 0.7 mi SW of Sims exit, 6.9 mi S of Castella
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NO. 58- Old California-Oregon Road: This
marks the location of the main artery of travel used by pioneers between the
Trinity River and the northern mines of California and Oregon.
NW corner of Hwy 99 (P.M. 7.12) and Spring Gulch Rd, 1.7 mi N of Anderson
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NO. 77- Old Town of Shasta: Founded
in 1849 as Reading's Springs, the town was named Shasta June 8, 1850. It was
the second county seat for Shasta County, 1851-1888, and the metropolis of northern
California during the 1850s. Here, until 1861, the road ended and the Oregon
pack trail began. It is the home of the Western Star Lodge No. 2, F. & A.M.,
whose charter was brought across the plains in the Peter Lassen party of 1848.
In 1851, Dr. Benjamin Shurtleff, pioneer physician and Shasta's first and only
alcalde, built his home. The Shasta Courier was founded in 1851. The entire business
section of Shasta was destroyed by fire in 1853.
Location: Shasta State
Historic Park, State Hwy 299, NW corner of Main Stand Trinity Alley, Shasta
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NO. 78 - Clear Creek: Five miles up the creek,
at Reading's Bar, is the site of the discovery of gold by Major Pierson B. Reading
and his Indian laborers in 1848.
Old Hwy 99 and Canyon Rd, S Redding
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NO. 116 - Battle Rock: Battle of the
Crags was fought below Battle Rock in June 1855. This conflict between the Modoc
Indians and the settlers resulted from miners destroying the native fishing waters
in the Lower Soda Springs area. Settlers led by Squire Reuben Gibson and Mountain
Joe Doblondy, with local Indians led by their Chief Weilputus, engaged Modocs,
killed their Chief Dorcas Della, and dispersed them. Poet Joaquin Miller and
other settlers were wounded.
On lawn at entrance station, Castle Crags State Park, 1 mi W of I-5 (P.M. 63.6), Castella
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NO. 120 - Dersch Homestead: Here
in 1850 'Doc' Baker established a stopping place for emigrants on the Lassen
and Nobles Trails. George and Anna Maria Dersch took up a homestead on the land
in 1861. A history of troubled relations between Indians and settlers led to
an Indian raid on the ranch in 1866 in which Mrs. Dersch was killed. A posse
was formed and killed most of the Indians at their Dye Creek Camp.
Rte 1, Box 273, Dersch Rd at Bear Creek, 10 mi E of Anderson
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NO. 131 - Whiskeytown: Settled by gold
miners in 1849, the town was first called Whiskey Creek for the stream on which
it was located, but later the name was changed to Whiskeytown. A barrel of whiskey
lost off a pack mule christened the stream with the popular drink of that day.
The town is inundated by Whiskeytown Reservoir.
Intersection of Whiskey Creek Rd and State Hwy 299, 11.3 mi W of Redding on Hwy 299
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NO. 148 - Bass Hill: On the summit of
Bass Hill a remnant of the California-Oregon stage road crosses the Pacific Highway
and descends to the Pit River. Because this was a favorite 'holdup' spot in stage-coach
days, a marker has been placed there in memory of W. L. Smith, division stage
agent of the California and Oregon Stage Company, and of the pioneer stage drivers
along this road.
Bridge Bay Resort parking lot, Bridge Bay turnoff and I-5, 6 mi N of Central Valley
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NO. 166 - French Gulch: Founded nearby
by French miners in 1849, the town of Morrowville, relocated here, was the center
of one of the state's richest gold producing areas. Total production was over
$20,000,000. One of California's first stamp mills operated at the nearby Franklin
Mine. From 1856 to 1858 French Gulch was the trailhead on the western branch
of the California-Oregon Trail. St. Rose Catholic Church was founded in 1856.
As a supply and stopping place, the town rivaled Shasta.
3 mi E of Hwy 299 (P.M. 8.6) on Trinity Hill Rd, French Gulch
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NO. 355 - Fort Crook (site of): Established
July I, 1857 by Lieutenant George Crook for protection of the immigrants and
settlers, Fort Crook was later commanded by Captain John W. Gardner and Captain
McGregor. The boundaries of the fort were set at one mile in every direction
from the flagpole. Abandoned June 1, 1869.
SE corner of McArthur Rd (County A -19) and Soldier Mtn Dr 2 mi NW of Glenburn
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NO. 377 - Pioneer Baby's Grave: Charles,
infant son of George and Helena Cohn Brownstein of Red Bluff, died December 14,
1864. He was buried near land established by the Shasta Hebrew Congregation as
a Jewish cemetery in 1857, one of the earliest such cemeteries in the region.
Since there was no Jewish burial ground in Red Bluff, Charles' parents made the
arduous journey to Shasta to lay their baby to rest. Concern for the fate of
the grave led to the rerouting of Highway 299 in 1923.
0.75 mi W of Shasta on State Hwy 299
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NO. 379 - Fort Reading: Fort Reading,
established on May 26, 1852 by Second Lieutenant E. N. Davis, Co. E, 2nd Infantry
on the orders of Lieutenant Colonel George M. Wright, was the first and largest
fort in Northern California. It was named in honor of Pierson Barton Reading
and stood in a clearing of 10 acres. The fort was abandoned in June 1867.
0.6 mi E of intersection of Deschutes and Dersch Rds, 6 mi NE of Anderson
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NO. 483 - Father Rinaldi's Foundation of 1856: In
the summer of 1853 Archbishop Alemany of San Francisco sent Father Florian Schwenninger
to take over the mission of Shasta County. In the later part of 1853 a small
wooden church was built. In 1855 Father Schwenninger moved over to Weaverville
and Shasta's new priest, Father Raphael Rinaldi, decided to build a structure
of cut stone to replace the small wooden church that had served since 1853. In
1857 the cornerstone of the church was laid, but for some reason its walls never
rose, the foundation can still be seen (1963).
NW corner of intersection of Red Bluff Rd and Crocker Alley, Shasta
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NO. 519 - Bell's Bridge: Erected in
1851 by J. J. Bell, this was an important toll bridge on the road from Shasta
City to Tehama. Bell's Mansion, erected in 1859 on Clear Creek, was a favorite
stopping place for miners on their way to the Shasta, Trinity, and Siskiyou gold
fields.
SW corner of old Hwy 99 and Clear Creek Rd, Redding
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NO. 555 - Lockhart Ferry: Established
by Samuel Lockhart in 1856 as a link in the first wagon road from Yreka to Red
Bluff, the Lockhart Ferry crossed below the confluence of the Fall and Pit Rivers
near this spot. After a massacre in December 1856, the ferry was reestablished
in 1857 below Fall River Falls.
On State Hwy 299 (P.M. 91.3), NW of Long St, 0.3 mi W of Fall River Mills
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NO. 759 - Site of First School in Fall River Valley: In
1868, the first school in Fall River Valley was built near this spot. The windowless
building was of log construction and measured 20 feet by 30 feet. About 1870
the first sawmill in the valley was built at Dana, and lumber was obtained to
put a floor in the schoolhouse and build school desks.
On State Hwy 299 (P.M. 99.0), 0.4 mi W of Lassen Co line, 3.6 mi E of McArthur
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