Whiskeytown was an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in Shasta County,

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 ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Although once a bustling mining town, it was flooded to make way for

Whiskeytown Lake Whiskeytown Lake is a reservoir in Shasta County, California, Shasta County in northwestern California, United States, about west of Redding, California, Redding. The lake is in the Whiskeytown Unit of the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recr ...

in 1962, now part of Whiskeytown–Shasta–Trinity National Recreation Area. All that remains is the relocated store, a few residences (mostly occupied by National Recreation Area personnel), and old mines that are above the water level of the lake. Whiskeytown is registered as a

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meetin ...

History

Whiskeytown was one of Shasta County's first gold mining settlements during 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 ...

of 1849, though at the time it was called Whiskey Creek Diggings. There are two stories for how the settlement might have gotten its name: The first states that a barrel of whiskey fell from a pack mule and into the creek that ran by Whiskeytown; the second attributes the name to the legend that miners at Whiskeytown could drink a barrel of the hard liquor a day. The area became known as a source for gold. Nearby

Redding, CA Redding is a city in and the county seat of Shasta County, California, and the economic and cultural capital of the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California. Redding lies along the Sacramento River, north of Sacramento, California, Sacrame ...

's newspaper ''The Record Searchlight'' reports miners averaged $50 in gold per day ($2,039.41 in 2024 dollars), and in 1851 a 56-ounce gold nugget was found. The first woman arrived in town in 1852, and by 1855 about 1,000 gold miners lived in Whiskeytown. The post office was opened in 1856, but the federal government didn't allow the Whiskeytown name to be attached to it because it was considered inappropriate. Finally, in 1952, the federal government agreed to name the post office after the town. Construction of the Whiskeytown Dam began in 1960, and the basin began to fill with water in 1962. Some Whiskeytown buildings were moved to higher ground, but others remain underwater. The dam was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Whiskeytown has a

hot-summer 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 ...

, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Whiskeytown was on September 6, 1988, while the coldest temperature recorded was on December 21–22, 1990.

Present day

Today, what was once a bustling mining town is a popular lake and recreation area. Whiskeytown Lake, part of the

Central Valley Project The Central Valley Project (CVP) is a federal power and water management project in the U.S. state of California under the supervision of the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR). It was devised in 1933 in order to provide irrigation and ...

, draws people looking to swim, sail, kayak, or fish, among other activities. On clear days, the outlines of buildings that were once Whiskeytown can be seen at the bottom of the lake, according to ''The Record Searchlight''. Whiskeytown Cemetery was moved during the construction of the dam. All the graves were exhumed and transported to higher ground. Today, Whiskeytown Cemetery is maintained by locals, and is somewhat of a hidden tourist destination as well, due to its unusual and festive decor. Graves are decorated with flowers as well as trinkets such as toys or the deceased's favorite snacks or cocktails.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in California Former settlements in Shasta County, California Ghost towns in California 1962 disestablishments in California Populated places disestablished in 1962

History

Climate

Present day

See also

References