Shasta Historical Society

08/28/2026

We are excited to announce our September Program that will be showcasing the history and future of a north-state staple, Whiskeytown Environmental School. Join us on Saturday September 19th, and as always it is Free to our members.

08/25/2026

The Craddock Building, constructed by the early Shasta County pioneer family, sat on the corner of Market and Tehama Streets. It housed the family store, medical offices, and even our first City Hall here in Redding.
On April 23, 1938, a destructive fire swept through the 1400 block of Market Street, causing an estimated $10,000 in damages to the building. The Redding Fire Department managed to contain the blaze, but it severely gutted multiple rooms on the building's second floor. The family persevered, restoring the building, which stood for many more decades.

08/11/2026

Shasta High School Grads Share this information with fellow alumni:
SHASTA HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI LUNCH 2026
When: 10/10/2026 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: Redding Win River Casino Ballroom
Lunch: Club Salad, Roll, Cookie, Soft Drinks with meal
No Host bar service available
Agenda: Arrive early to visit; 50/50 Raffle; lunch served at noon; Silent Auction finalized at 2:00 pm; stay until 4:00pm

Cost: $25 Make Check Payable to:

SHASTA HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Send Check to: c/o Michelle Maupin-Cornelius
P.O. Box 990792, Redding, CA 96099
OR pay online at ticketbud.com
This will add a processing fee
Payment includes entry, lunch, and $10 casino play
Deadline 9/15/2026

08/01/2026

Thank you to the amazing Daughter's of the American Revolution, Major Pierson B. Reading Chapter, for their hard work and dedication to preserving our local history! The ladies have worked to place a Point of Historical Interest sign near Major P.B. Reading's Adobe site in Cottonwood, for all to recognize the significance of both the land and the family.

A little history on Major Pierson B. Reading:

The Mexican government authorized a land grant to Major Reading in 1844. After California became territory of the United States in 1848, the U.S. Land Commission began to consider hundreds of petitions for these land grants to determine legitimacy and ownership. Reading’s petition went through the legal process and the U.S. Supreme Court finally confirmed title of the land to Reading in January 1856.

The land grant was called San Buenaventura which is Spanish for Saint Bonaventure. Buenaventura and Bonaventure mean “Good Fortune.” The land grant covered 26,632 acres within a 3-mile-wide by 15-mile-long strip of land between Cottonwood Creek in the south, Salt Creek in the north, the Sacramento River along the eastern border, and foothills to the west.

On the land grant, Reading built an adobe house in 1847. It was 80 feet long and had 4 rooms. In 1854, he built a two-story wood-framed house with 8 rooms beside the adobe. The adobe building was then converted into servants’ quarters, a kitchen, a laundry, and a storeroom.
Surrounding the house and adobe were barns, stables, smokehouse, bunkhouse, woodshed, chicken house, corral, wagon & machine sheds, and carpenter & blacksmith shops…everything one needed to be mostly self-sufficient. Using the house and adobe as his headquarters, Reading was active in mining, transportation, business, and politics. Near and dear to his heart, he farmed and ranched a couple thousand acres of his land grant. He kept horses, cattle, and beehives. He grew fruit such as pears, peaches, plums, grapes, and melons. He harvested wheat, barley, and corn. He was first to introduce olive orchards to the northern end of the Sacramento Valley. He also planted the first cotton crop of marketable size and value in California.

During his life, Major Reading sold many parcels of land. Following his death in 1868, the remaining land fell into foreclosure as it had been used as security for a loan. The family sold all the remaining land except for the 2400-acre homestead plus another 640-acre parcel. In 1881, the main house burned down while the adobe survived. Over the years, the adobe building slowly fell into decay due to weather, the elements, and vandalism.

07/28/2026

Join us here at the society for our official Redding Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting this Thursday July 30th at 4:30.

07/24/2026

We still have free tickets available. Reserve your spot for Sunday.

This months program had to be America's favorite past time, right? Join us Sunday July 26th at 7:15PM for a "Historical" night at the ball park. Space is limited for Third Base Club perks, so if you are a member reach out to get on the roster (530-243-3720 or [email protected]). Not a member? Why not? We offer free monthly programs like this every month, publications packed with Shasta County history, and your tax free donation helps us with the mission of preserving and promoting our rich local history!

07/15/2026

This months program had to be America's favorite past time, right? Join us Sunday July 26th at 7:15PM for a "Historical" night at the ball park. Space is limited for Third Base Club perks, so if you are a member reach out to get on the roster (530-243-3720 or [email protected]). Not a member? Why not? We offer free monthly programs like this every month, publications packed with Shasta County history, and your tax free donation helps us with the mission of preserving and promoting our rich local history!

07/03/2026

Happy First Fridays in Downtown Redding and the eve our 250th Birthday America!!! Come on down and see us at the society tonight where we are showcasing America's favorite passtime and its roots in Shasta County. Grab some food, drink, and enjoy some music right across the street at Whistlestop Park.

05/07/2026

Shasta County’s golden legacy is rooted in the "Klamath Knot," a geological marvel where ancient volcanic forces pushed rich hydrothermal veins through the Copley Greenstone and Bragdon Formations. While early prospectors sought surface dust, industrial powerhouses like the Gladstone and Washington mines proved that the North State was home to world-class deep-vein deposits. These sites transformed rugged wilderness into a thriving mining hub, defining a period where the earth’s secrets were being revealed one "pocket" at a time.

The sheer scale of individual discoveries documented in our archives continues to inspire, featuring names that have become part of local lore. In 1903, Dick Johnson famously uncovered $300 in nuggets while simply working in his garden, an event followed years later by John H. Sherman’s spectacular $423 find in 1921. That same year, the mining duo of Miller and Stein recovered a massive 21-pound quartz specimen containing two solid pounds of gold, and by 1924, Patrick Holland added to the record with a legendary $515 "slug." From Mrs. O’Bryan spotting a nugget in the road in 1928 to the high-pressure veins of the Midas Mine, these accounts put to mind that our history is a tangible part of the landscape we call home.