Old Town of Shasta

Shasta County · Shasta State Historic Park · location approximate

Founded in 1849 as Reading's Springs and named Shasta June 8, 1850, it was the second county seat for Shasta County, 1851-1888. It was the metropolis of northern California during the 1850's. Here the road ended and began the Oregon pack trail until 1861. Present 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 entire business section of Shasta was destroyed by fire in 1853. The Shasta Courier was founded in 1852.

1971 register text, presented as a historical document. It uses the period's terms for Native people; the state's landmark listings still carry most of this wording, and the California Office of Historic Preservation maintains the program's current texts.

Many of these plaques have since been recast or their texts revised. The California Historical Landmarks program and its current texts are maintained by the California Office of Historic Preservation. California Office of Historic Preservation ↗

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Marker data: State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation, California Historical Landmarks (1971)

More markers nearby

Father Rinaldi's Foundation of 1856under 1 mi
Pioneer Baby's Graveunder 1 mi
Whiskeytown6 mi
Reading's Bar7 mi

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