Shasta State Historic Park, located six miles west of Redding on Highway 299, was the center of 1850s gold mining in California. In 1849, Shasta, the “Queen City” of the northern mines in the Klamath Range, served as the main shipping point for supplies and money between the mines and San Francisco. Today, a row of old, ruined brick buildings is what’s left of the “Queen City” of the Gold Rush.

The County Courthouse is restored to its 1861 appearance, the year when it was converted from commercial uses to become the Shasta County Courthouse. The courthouse has been converted into a museum that contains exhibits about Native Americans (including Pit River Indian basketry), pioneer life, frontier justice (with a courtroom, jail and gallows) – and a fine art collection. The Boggs Collection contains over 100 years of California art.

Across the street from the courthouse, the Litsch Store Museum gives visitors a look at an old-fashioned general store. Operated from the 1850s to 1960, the Litsch Store features wooden barrels that stored everything from pickles to whiskey and shelves packed with canned goods, yardage and derbies. Also featured in the park is a restored barn and stagecoach. For more information visit http://www.shastacascade.com/showrecord.asp?id=586.

Tweet This Post