Dunsmuir is a city in

Siskiyou County, California Siskiyou County ( ) is a county (United States), county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 44,076. Its county seat is Yreka, California, Yre ...

. It is on the upper

Sacramento River The Sacramento River () is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, the river flows south for before reaching the Sacramento–San Joaquin River D ...

. Its population is 1,707 as of the 2020 census, up from 1,650 from the 2010 census. Dunsmuir is currently a hub for tourism in

Northern California Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...

, with

Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...

passing through it. Visitors enjoy fishing, skiing, climbing, or sight-seeing. During the

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...

railroad era, it was the site of an important Central Pacific (and later

Southern Pacific The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names ...

)

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

yard, where extra steam locomotives were added to assist trains on the grade to the north.

Commerce and tourism

Located in the

Shasta Cascade The Shasta Cascade region of California is located in the northeastern and north-central sections of the state bordering Oregon and Nevada, including far northern parts of the Central Valley (California), Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada mou ...

area of

, Dunsmuir is a popular destination for tourists. Visitors come to fish trout in the

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

and McCloud Rivers, or to see and climb

Mount Shasta Mount Shasta ( ; Shasta people, Shasta: ''Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki''; Karuk language, Karuk: ''Úytaahkoo'') is a Volcano#Volcanic activity, potentially active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. A ...

Castle Crags Castle Crags is a dramatic and well-known rock formation in Northern California. Elevations range from along the Sacramento River near the base of the crags, to over at the summit of the tallest crag. Located just west of Interstate 5, betwe ...

or the

Trinity Alps The Trinity Alps are a mountain range in Trinity County and Siskiyou County in Northern California. They are a subrange of the Klamath Mountains located to the north of Weaverville. Geography The Trinity Alps are within the Pacific Coast R ...

. Visitors ski (both alpine and cross-country) and bicycle, or can hike to the waterfalls, streams and lakes in the area, including nearby

Mossbrae Falls Mossbrae Falls is a waterfall flowing into the Sacramento River, in the Shasta Cascade area in Dunsmuir, California, United States. The falls are located just south of the lower portion of Shasta Springs. Access to the falls is via a mile-long i ...

, Hedge Creek Falls,

Lake Siskiyou Lake Siskiyou is a reservoir formed by Box Canyon DamBox Canyon Dam
NPDP Da ...

, Castle Lake and

Shasta Lake Shasta Lake, also popularly known as Lake Shasta, is a reservoir in Shasta County, California, United States. It began to store water in 1944 due to the impounding of the Sacramento River by Shasta Dam, the ninth-tallest dam in the US. Sh ...

. Dunsmuir is located on the Upper Sacramento River, a blue ribbon trout stream that attracts fishermen from all over the world. Wild rainbow trout abound in the river. Additionally, the city has a private stocking permit from the Department of Fish and Game. The city currently has a "Big Fish Program" and stocks the river within the city limits with trophy-sized rainbow trout up to . These stockings take place during the summer months. Catch-and-release fishing is permitted in the river during the off-season, so fly-fishing is available year-round. The town is also a destination for historical and cultural tourists, as the town has preserved an authentic 1920s and 1930s look and feel. Dunsmuir's long connection with the railroad draws

railfans A railfan, train fan, rail buff or train buff (American English), railway enthusiast, railway buff, anorak (British English), gunzel (Australian English), trainspotter (British English) or ferroequinologist is a person who is recreationally in ...

to enjoy the sights and sounds of the railroad in the steep Sacramento River canyon. Dunsmuir is officially a Union Pacific "Train Town" and enjoys many financial benefits because of its relationship with the railroad. During the summer, the city hosts many local weekend festivals, including "Dogwood Daze", "Railroad Days" and the "Tribute to the Trees" al fresco dinner/concert along the river in the city's pristine park, home to Dunsmuir Botanical Gardens. The city also has another river's edge park, Tauhindauli Park, over which passes the I-5 freeway, and several popular easy-access fishing spots.

History

Sites in and near Dunsmuir have been inhabited for over 5000 years. At least three waves of early peoples swept through area, establishing residence. At the time of the first European-American contact in the 1820s, the site of Dunsmuir was within the range of the Okwanuchu tribe of Native Americans. During the 1820s, early European-American hunters and trappers passed through Dunsmuir's site, following the

Siskiyou Trail The Siskiyou Trail stretched from California's Central Valley to the Columbia River in Washington State; modern-day Interstate 5 follows this pioneer path. Originally based on existing Native American foot trails winding their way through ri ...

. In the mid-1830s, pioneer horse and cattle drives came up the Sacramento Canyon, delivering livestock from Mexican California to the new settlements in the

Oregon Country Oregon Country was a large region of the Pacific Northwest of North America that was subject to a long Oregon boundary dispute, dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 19th century. The area, which had been demarcat ...

to the north. In 1841, an overland party of the famous

United States Exploring Expedition The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...

passed through the area. The

California Gold Rush The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...

led to increased traffic along the Siskiyou Trail through Dunsmuir's site, leading to the first non-Native American settlers at

Upper Soda Springs Upper Soda Springs is on the banks of the Sacramento River in Dunsmuir, California, USA. It consists of approximately 15 acres (60,000 m2) of level ground on both sides of the River, the surrounding hillsides, and continues north along the easter ...

in north Dunsmuir in the early 1850s. The discovery of gold at

Yreka, California Yreka ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Siskiyou County, California, United States, near the Shasta River; the city has an area of about , most of it land. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,807, reflecting an increase from 7, ...

dramatically increased movement through the site of Dunsmuir, and a toll bridge and stagecoach hotel were built at

. In 1887, the completion of the

Central Pacific Railroad The Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) was a rail company chartered by U.S. Congress in 1862 to build a railroad eastwards from Sacramento, California, to complete most of the western part of the "First transcontinental railroad" in North Americ ...

along the line of the Siskiyou Trail led to the creation of the modern town of Dunsmuir. The railroad developed a division point on the flats south of Upper Soda Springs, where railroad steam engines would be serviced, and added to trains to push them up the steep grades north of town. A roundhouse and turntable were built. All this activity required the creation of a town, initially known as 'Poverty Flats' or 'Pusher'. South of the present downtown and north of Castella is an area known as Nutglade, which was previously known as Dunsmuir and before that, Cedar Flat. So the name moved north from the South rail yard to the main rail yard. During the railroad heyday, Dunsmuir was the largest town in this County which is the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. In 1888, Alexander Dunsmuir, second son of British Columbian coal baron

Robert Dunsmuir Robert Dunsmuir (August 31, 1825 – April 12, 1889) was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician. He was recognized as a National Historic Person by the government of Canada in 1971. Early life Dunsmuir was born in Hurlford, Scotla ...

, was passing through, and according to contemporary accounts, was so taken with the beauty of the area that he offered to donate a fountain to the new town, if they would rename the town in his honor. By the early 1900s, Dunsmuir was the largest town in Siskiyou County, and for a long time had been the largest California city north of Sacramento. The construction of the Pacific Highway along the Siskiyou Trail in the mid-1910s brought more tourists. By the mid-1950s, the railroad transitioned from steam to diesel locomotives, and the substantial workforce in Dunsmuir was not needed, resulting in the town's contraction. Interstate 5 runs through the canyon along with the railroad and the upper Sacramento River. California Theater

As a result, Dunsmuir retains today much of the charm and scale of the 1920s and 1930s, and has been designated on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. The downtown area is now a designated historic district. The California Theater, after fifty years without an organ, were able to acquire and re-install their original Wurlitzer instrument. In July 1935, two fugitives were passing through town. Police Chief F.R. "Jack" Daw, and California Highway Patrol Officer C. "Doc" Malone went to catch them. The criminals ambushed the officers wounding Officer Malone and killing Chief Daw. One of the criminals, Clyde Johnson, was caught and put in jail in Yreka to await trial. A group of vigilantes from Dunsmuir went to Yreka, broke Johnson out of jail and lynched him. To this day the identity of those vigilantes has never been formally acknowledged. It is said to have been the last public lynching in California.

California's largest hazardous chemical spill

On the night of July 14, 1991, a

train derailed into the upper

at a

horseshoe curve A horseshoe curve is a class of climbing curve in a roadbed that reverses turn direction (inflection) twice on either side of a single tight curve that varies through an angle of about 180 degrees or more. Such curves are more commonly found ...

of track known as the Cantara Loop, upstream from Dunsmuir. Several cars made contact with the water, including a tank car. On the morning of July 15, it became apparent that the tank car had ruptured and spilled its entire contents into the river – approximately 19,000 gallons of the soil fumigant

metam sodium Metam sodium is an organosulfur compound with the formula . The compound is a sodium salt of a dithiocarbamate. The compound exists as a colorless dihydrate, but most commonly it is encountered as an aqueous solution. It is used as a soil fumig ...

. Ultimately, over a million fish, and tens of thousands of amphibians and crayfish were killed. Millions of aquatic invertebrates, including insects and mollusks, which form the basis of the river's ecosystem, were destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of willows, alders, and cottonwoods eventually died. Many more were severely injured. The chemical plume left a 41-mile wake of destruction, from the spill site to the entry point of the river into

. The accident still ranks as the largest hazardous chemical spill in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

history. The Upper Sacramento River is now largely recovered from the spill though some species (crayfish and frogs) have not yet come back. The watershed is carefully stewarded by The Upper Sacramento River Exchange. The popular fishery is again healthy. Recent changes to angling regulations have opened the Upper Sacramento River to catch-and-release fishing all year round. Five-pound trout have often been caught right in the city.

City parks and botanical gardens

Dunsmuir has numerous parks located throughout the city. Dunsmuir City Park and Botanical Gardens is a

municipal park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and other incorpora ...

and

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

maintained by Dunsmuir Botanical Gardens Inc., a non-profit

501(c)(3) organization A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

of volunteers within Dunsmuir City Park. It requires public support to maintain the Gardens, which are on City of Dunsmuir property under the general control of

Siskiyou County Siskiyou County ( ) is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,076. Its county seat is Yreka and its highest point is Mount Shasta. It falls within the Casca ...

, via the Board of Directors of the Dunsmuir Park & Recreation District. In 1924,

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...

and

Bob Meusel Robert William Meusel (July 19, 1896 – November 28, 1977) was an American baseball left fielder, left and right fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for eleven seasons from 1920 through 1930, all but the last for the New York Yanke ...

visited the park as part of a barnstorming tour, playing an exhibition baseball game against Dunsmuir locals. Tauhindauli Park and Trail is on the former site of

resort along the Sacramento River canyon. It consists of approximately of level ground on the bank of the river, the surrounding hillsides, and continues north along the eastern bank of the Sacramento River to the Dunsmuir City Park, in the heart of Dunsmuir. Long a local fishing spot, swimming hole, and site of both historical and ecological significance, the site has been improved to enhance its recreational opportunities and aesthetics. Environmental work and levee restructuring has improved flood control for the entire town. The Tauhindauli

river restoration Stream restoration or river restoration, also sometimes referred to as river reclamation, is work conducted to improve the environmental health of a river or stream, in support of biodiversity, recreation, flood management and/or landscape develop ...

project created a park with pathways winding through native grasses and plants, with fishing access and picnic areas. For ecological and flood-control purposes, riparian forests and meadows have been restored close to their original condition. Levees have been moved and built up for maximum protection for the park from river erosion and to restore the watershed to the natural habitat which provides food for animals. The Park can be accessed from River Avenue. to the south and Stagecoach Road to Upper Soda Springs Road in the canyon. Tauhindauli Park and Trail was a project of the Dunsmuir Garden Club. Funding for this project came principally from the Cantara Trustee Council and the

California Department of Fish and Wildlife The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), formerly known as the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), is an American state agency under the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages ...

Historic resorts and waterfalls

Shasta Springs Shasta Springs was a popular summer resort during the late 19th and early 20th centuries on the Upper Sacramento River in northern California. It was located just north of the town of Dunsmuir, and just north of Upper Soda Springs along the Si ...

was the name of a popular summer resort on the Upper

, during the late Nineteenth Century and early Twentieth Century. It was located just north of the City of Dunsmuir, California and just north of

along the

in northern

is on the banks of the

in Dunsmuir, California. It consists of approximately of level ground on both sides of the River, the surrounding hillsides, and continues north along the eastern bank of the Sacramento River to the Dunsmuir City Park. The State of

and the City of Dunsmuir are creating a new park on this historic site. The Upper Soda Springs site contains a

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripar ...

ecosystem and includes its namesake

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. It is usually still, but may be sparkling ( carbonated/ effervescent). Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at t ...

springs. In large part because of its location on the

, the site mirrors the history of the state and of the

American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is census regions United States Census Bureau As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the mea ...

is a

waterfall A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...

flowing into the Upper

, in the

area in Dunsmuir, California. The falls are located just south of the lower portion of

. Access to the falls via a mile-long hiking

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...

on the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...

tracks is currently closed, as Union Pacific and the City of Dunsmuir figure out a safer route to the falls. Hedge Creek Falls is a

on Hedge Creek, in the

area in Dunsmuir, California. There is a small cave located behind the waterfall, allowing visitors to walk behind the cascading water. Shortly after the waterfall, Hedge Creek flows into the

south of

. There is a viewing platform over the river, with a view of

. Access to the waterfall and viewing platform is via a short hiking

. The trail starts at a small park off the Dunsmuir Ave/Siskiyou Ave exit on

. The close proximity to Interstate 5 makes the waterfall a very popular stopping point for passing motorists. Charles E. Bolton, better known as Black Bart, robbed the Roseburg, Oregon to Redding, California stage near Dunsmuir on October 25, 1879. Evidence found at the time indicated that Bart hid in the shallow cave behind the falls prior to the holdup. This was one of three holdups committed by Black Bart in this area. Normally he operated much further south.

Climate

Dunsmuir has an

oceanic Oceanic may refer to: *Of or relating to the ocean *Of or relating to Oceania **Oceanic climate **Oceanic languages **Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)" Places * Oceanic, British Columbia, a settlement on Smith Island, ...

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Csb'', bordering on ''Csa''), featuring cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers with cool mornings. Its temperatures are similar to those of the nearby cities of

Yreka Yreka ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Siskiyou County, California, United States, near the Shasta River; the city has an area of about , most of it land. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,807, reflecting an increase from 7,7 ...

and Medford (about north in the state of

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

) but Dunsmuir receives three-and-a-half times as much precipitation. There are an average of 59 afternoons with highs at or above and an average of 104 mornings with lows of or lower, using the most recent 1991–2020 climate period. The record high of has occurred on four separate occasions: August 8, 1981; August 9, 1984; July 30, 2022; and July 31, 2022, and the record low of occurred on December 21, 1990. The warmest overnight low was on June 26, 1981, and the coldest afternoon high was on December 21, 1990. The average dates of the first and last freeze are October 20 and April 24, respectively. Despite the long freeze period, extreme cold is uncommon, and some winters go without seeing a single night fall below . This most recently occurred during the winter of 2019–2020. The average annual precipitation is , with over 50% falling in just three months: December, January, and February. There are an average of 98 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest "water year" was from October 1982 to September 1983 with and the driest from October 2020 to September 2021 with . The most rainfall in one month was in January 1995. The most rainfall in one calendar day was on December 31, 1996. Snowfall averages , falling on 13 days. The most snowfall in one season was from July 2022 to June 2023, and the least snowfall in one season was from July 2014 to June 2015. The most snowfall in one day is on February 24, 2023.

Geography

Dunsmuir is located at . According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , 97.86% of it land and 2.14% of it water. At an elevation of approximately above sea level, a unique setting is created by the Sacramento River in which class 3 whitewater rapids are usually created during summer run off through a town of about 2,000 residents. In plain view from some of the city's public streets, this may be one of the few places in western North America where three categories of "twos" (population, elevation, and whitewater difficulty) are met or eclipsed. (Eastern US example: the Cherry River at Richwood, WV) Mt. Shasta's lava layers filter the drinking water and eliminate the need for filtration or treatment; thus the town's marketing slogan, "Home Of The Best Water On Earth". Three water fountains are located on Dunsmuir Avenue in the Historic District. Two of the fountains previously ran 24 hours a day, however have since been changed in 2015 to only flow on demand due to water conservation measures placed on the state of California by Governor Jerry Brown.

Demographics

2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Dunsmuir had a population of 1,707. The population density was . The racial makeup of Dunsmuir was 1,404 (82.2%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 18 (1.1%)

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 30 (1.8%) Native American, 23 (1.3%) Asian, 1 (0.1%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 53 (3.1%) from other races, and 178 (10.4%) from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

of any race were 202 persons (11.8%). The whole population lived in households. There were 798 households, out of which 191 (23.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 269 (33.7%) were married-couple households, 86 (10.8%) were

cohabiting Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become incr ...

couple households, 226 (28.3%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 217 (27.2%) had a male householder with no partner present. 278 households (34.8%) were one person, and 127 (15.9%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.14. There were 437

families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...

(54.8% of all households). The age distribution was 302 people (17.7%) under the age of 18, 113 people (6.6%) aged 18 to 24, 380 people (22.3%) aged 25 to 44, 471 people (27.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 441 people (25.8%) who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 47.9years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males. There were 1,091 housing units at an average density of , of which 798 (73.1%) were occupied. Of these, 439 (55.0%) were owner-occupied, and 359 (45.0%) were occupied by renters. In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $47,708, and the

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $40,124. About 7.2% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line.

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported a population of 1,650. The population density was . The racial makeup of Dunsmuir was 1,443 (87.5%)

, 32 (1.9%)

, 17 (1.0%) Native American, 15 (0.9%) Asian, 4 (0.2%)

, 30 (1.8%) from other races, and 109 (6.6%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 167 persons (10.1%). The Census reported that 1,650 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 763 households, out of which 180 (23.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 276 (36.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 84 (11.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 51 (6.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 80 (10.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 6 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 271 households (35.5%) were made up of individuals, and 99 (13.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16. There were 411

(53.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.77. The population was spread out, with 320 people (19.4%) under the age of 18, 110 people (6.7%) aged 18 to 24, 354 people (21.5%) aged 25 to 44, 584 people (35.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 282 people (17.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males. There were 1,110 housing units at an average density of , of which 416 (54.5%) were owner-occupied, and 347 (45.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 15.6%. 886 people (53.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 764 people (46.3%) lived in rental housing units.

Government

Dunsmuir has a City Manager form of government with an elected five-person Council, a Chamber of Commerce, a mayor, and two school districts. The current mayor is Matthew Bryan. The Dunsmuir Fire Department and The Dunsmuir Fire Protection District operate together under a Joint Powers Authority (JPA). The department has an automatic aid agreement with the Castella Fire District and all three are overseen by a single Fire Chief. The fire department runs on average 400 to 500 calls per year. The original city fire department was founded in 1897. In 1992 the City of Dunsmuir Police Department was disbanded and law enforcement services for the city were contracted to the Siskiyou County Sheriff Department. Dunsmuir contracts for 7,200 hours of service per year which provides the city with a Sergeant and four Deputy Sheriffs. The sheriff department answers around 2,500 calls for service annually.

State and federal representation

In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...

, Dunsmuir is in , and . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, Dunsmuir is in .

Transportation

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

's ''

Coast Starlight The ''Coast Starlight'' is a Amtrak Long Distance, long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak on the West Coast of the United States between Seattle and Los Angeles via Portland, Oregon, Portland and the San Francisco Bay Area. The train, ...

'' stops daily in both directions at the Dunsmuir Amtrak station, located on one of Dunsmuir's two commercial streets, both in the historic district. This is the only stop in Siskiyou County, and the northernmost Amtrak station in California, located at a midpoint between Redding and

Klamath Falls, Oregon Klamath Falls ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The city was originally called ''Linkville'' when George Nurse founded the town in 1867. It was named after the Link River, on whose falls the city ...

. The County bus service, the Stage, from Dunsmuir north through the county (Mt. Shasta, Weed, Yreka, etc.) connects to Amtrak. The station is maintained by city residents and local rail enthusiasts, and includes a museum, telephones, restrooms and shelter from the weather. The town itself is a

railroad museum A railway museum is a museum that explores the history of all aspects of rail related transportation, including: locomotives (steam, diesel, and electric), railway cars, trams, and railway signalling equipment. They may also operate historic e ...

with an operating

turntable A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding phys ...

. The city is bisected by

, linking

and Oregon to the north, and Redding and

to the south. Dunsmuir Municipal-Mott Airport is the city-owned public-use airport, located north of the

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...

Notable residents

Ray Coleman Ray Coleman (15 June 1937, Leicester – 10 September 1996, Shepperton) was a British author and music journalist. Career Coleman was the former editor-in-chief of ''Melody Maker'' known for his biographies of The Beatles. Besides ''Melody Ma ...

, Major League Baseball outfielder, was born in Dunsmuir. *

Nick Eddy Nicholas Matthew Eddy (born August 23, 1944) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, ea ...

, professional football player, was born in Dunsmuir. * Ernie Wasson, horticulturist and author, lives in Dunsmuir. *

Robert Williams Robert, Rob, Robbie, Bob or Bobby Williams may refer to: Architecture * Train %26 Williams#Robert Edmund Williams, Robert Edmund Williams (1874–1960), Canadian-American architect * Robert Williams (architect) (1848–1918), Welsh architect a ...

, astronomer and former president of the

International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU; , UAI) is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach, education, and developmen ...

, was born in Dunsmuir.

In popular culture

* The central conceit of the story is that the town of Dunsmuir is comparable to

Brigadoon ''Brigadoon'' is a musical with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and score by Frederick Loewe. The plot features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every 100 years; on ...

in that it exists only intermittently.

References

External links

*
Dunsmuir Chamber of CommerceImages of Dunsmuir
from th
Eastman’s Originals Collection

Special Collections Dept.
University of California, Davis.
Dunsmuir Railroad Depot Historical Society
{{authority control Cities in Siskiyou County, California Populated places on the Sacramento River Trinity Mountains (California) Incorporated cities and towns in California