Robbers Rock

Robber’s Rock

and the Last Stage Robbery in California

By Claudia East

            It was a warm afternoon on July 5, 1908, the three gentlemen passengers and one lady passenger jostled along in the Fort Jones bound stage.  The team of horses and the passengers had nearly made it to the top of the pass from Yreka.  Just as they were coming up on a sharp turn an armed masked man stopped the stage.  The driver, Fred ‘Cougar’ Vetterline thought about continuing on their way until the gunman cocked his gun and he saw the head and shoulders of another from behind the big rock with a six shooter pointed at his head.  According to old news accounts the bandit demanded the Wells, Fargo & Company strong box be thrown down. 

            After trying for a time the robber couldn't get the strong box open, so he asked the driver, Vetterline, if he could borrow his axe.  Apparently his response was, “sure, I’m not using it.”  The robber chopped the metal bound box open and removed an undisclosed amount of money and returned the damaged safe to the stage with all other documents and mail intact.  The robber did also lessen the load for the passengers and driver by taking their money and watches.  The driver, Vetterline, had $1.50 and after the robber took his money he told the thief he would need money to buy a drink in Ft. Jones once they got there, so the robber gave him back fifty cents.

            In the account of the robbery by the Yreka Journal one of the passengers gave an interview and explained “The bandit was a jolly fellow.  He joshed and talked with the passengers.  When he broke the driver’s axe he told him he was sorry and he would buy him a new one.”  The Journal went on to report that the robber was “a slender man of medium height and had a handkerchief over his face. The other robber was so concealed that no description of him could be given.”

            No one was ever arrested for this last stage hold up and there were no clues as to the identity of the robbers.  Following the incident there were all sorts of theories and ideas, even Black Bart was named at one point, even though his last robbery was 30 years earlier!  In the 1965 edition of The Siskiyou Pioneer one can find stories about this robbery and the theories that were presented by local historian and attorney at law, Fred Burton.

            Robber’s Rock can be located a short distance before the summit on Highway 3 between Yreka and Ft. Jones, just down on the Yreka side and towards the southern side of the road.  It isn't easily identifiable until one pulls off the shoulder of the road and looks.  The Humbug Chapter of E. Clampus Vitus has placed a plaque on the rock with a brief account of the robberies that were recorded at this spot. 

            This last robbery was not the cause of the namesake of this particular rock, there were others before, at least four documented robberies, but local lore claim there were many unrecorded hold ups there.   Today it doesn't look like much of a hiding place, but if one looks at the old road that goes down the hill from the rock and imagine what it took for a team of horses to pull that grade, and understand that road builders have filled in a lot of the grade and built road material around the foot of the rock, in addition to blasting off the top of the large boulder.

            Taking a drive up to Robber’s Rock is a pleasant drive and a visit to the rock and surrounding area can almost take one back to 1908.

*This article appeared in Jefferson Backroads, December 2012.  Copyright, Claudia East.

Indian Peggy ~ Local Heroine

Indian Peggy

By Claudia East

            Indian Peggy was a very colorful heroine of Yreka.  Many stories and facts have been mixed over the years so that the actual authenticity of what actually happened has been clouded.  So with the possibility of errors this story is shared.  However, with that said we say with confidence Indian Peggy saved Yreka and the former miner’s town of Humbug City from a surprise Indian attack in the early 1850s.

            When the miners came looking for gold that was their feverish purpose, and natives were oftentimes looked upon as barriers to overcome in the quest for riches.  There were often bad feelings on both sides, the miners intruded on the Indian lands and had little respect for tribal hunting grounds, and the Indians were often ill treated.  As the result the local Indian tribes were often fearful and hostile towards the “white” miners who had little regard for the environment and took and used whatever they needed to find the precious gold.  As a result of these factors groups of natives decided to try and rid their homeland of the menace and their practices and formed a large war party.  The plan was a surprise attack on Humbug City and then on to Yreka.

            Indian Peggy was an unusual and exceptional woman; she had friends on both her native side, and with the whites.  She could see that this potential raid on the miners could turn into a bloody war and both sides would lose dearly.  She would lose family and friends she had known for her whole life, as well as her white friends she had recently come to know.  It was 1852 and only a year after gold was discovered.  Indian Peggy took it upon herself to save everyone from this potential massacre.  She lived nearby on a Rancheria and walked several miles to Humbug City and warned the people there and convinced them to retreat to Yreka.  As the miners got to Yreka the news of the impending raid spread very quickly.  When the Indians came upon Humbug City and found it deserted they knew they had lost the element of surprise, they pulled back and withdrew from their plans of attack knowing they would be the targets instead.

            Indian Peggy had renewed status with the miners and the settlers because of her warning of the impending attack.  There are stories told for years that after her warning Indian Peggy would come to town and help herself to things she needed, or would knock on a door and ask for things like blankets, warm clothing or food ~ apparently she was seldom refused.  Indian Peggy lived to be at least 100 and died in 1902.  Following her death, it is said that the high school at Yreka even closed so students could attend her funeral.  It has been reported that Tyee Jim, Chief of the Shasta Nation, gave the eulogy all in his native language.  It is said that there were a good number of people, both Indian and white in attendance on that day.

            In 1951 the Siskiyou County Historical Society placed a marker at her grave.  It reads:  “Indian Peggy born about 1800.  Died October 26, 1902.  Beloved member of the Shasta Tribe.  A friend of Indians and Whites.  Saved Yreka by warning them of an Indian Attack.”  Her marker sits near the current Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds.

*Note:  There are several stories and accounts of Indian Peggy in local publications. These are but a few:  The Siskiyou Pioneer publications from the Siskiyou County Historical Society have information about Indian Peggy in the 1971, 1951, and 2001 issues.  There is also a story about Indian Peggy at the California State Parks website.  The Siskiyou Daily News ran a story on Indian Peggy between 1998 – 2000 by Nancy Drennon.

J. P. Churchill Building

Gone, but not forgotten!

Located on the northwest corner of Main and Miner Streets, Yreka, CA



Photo:  Courtesy of Yreka Preservation


In 1851 while Yreka was in its early infancy, Jerome Churchill arrived at the “flats” and erected a general merchandise store in a tent on what is now the Northwest corner of Miner and Main.  Almost everything constructed during that time was temporary -- merchants stayed in business as long as the miners came and money was to be made.  Unfortunately Churchill’s tent, according to research, burned twice during the first few years, so in 1855 he built a permanent structure from brick for his store on the corner of Main and Miner.  In 1871 the “great conflagration” happened and the building was burned out.  One third of Yreka burned that fateful day in July.  The building was repaired from the walls and continued to be home to a general merchandise store for a number of years.

It is not known when the general merchandise store was moved elsewhere, but for several years the building was home to at least two or three different saloons.  It housed the Last Chance Saloon, (not to be confused with the long established Last Chance Saloon previously in neighboring Hornbrook) and later the Branch Saloon (later renamed the Bella Union Saloon).  It is roughly estimated that the building was home to the saloons between 1890 and 1915.

In 1919 a newspaper article said that the Electric Supply Company was busy moving into the building and that the back half of the building would become home to the California-Oregon Power Company (COPCO) for a repair shop.   It was only two years later that the California-Oregon Power Company purchased the building from Churchill and occupied the entire structure.  [If you have a copy of the book, Yreka, Images of America you can view a portion of this building as it appeared when owned by the power company on page 20.]

In 1933 the power company was getting prepared to replace the building with a newer more modern one that would be two stories high and sport a full basement.  For several reasons this never materialized and the offices were moved.  For a number of years COPCO was at home in the DeWitt & Peters Building (the current Elks Building) at the corner of Miner and North Oregon Streets.

In 1934 major changes were happening in Yreka.  The State of California decided there was a definite need to widen Main Street a full twenty feet from city limit to city limit.  Main Street at the time served as the State Highway 99 and the traffic had increased considerably from former days.  To accommodate the new requirements twenty feet was slashed from property fronting Main Street.  In some blocks the entire twenty feet was taken from one side only, at other places it was half on one side and half on the other.  The State wanted a straight shot through town.

Once the construction was finished, the Lot 1, Block 28 at the northwest corner of Main and Miner was an empty lot.  The building had been razed and the J. P. Churchill Building was gone forever.  The current building located at this spot was completed in 1937.  Today this corner is home to the Miner Street Sports Bar.

Copyright, Claudia East

Auto Parks in Yreka!

An early photo of the Yreka Auto Park situated along Yreka Creek.

Between the advent of the popularity and affordability of the automobile with the improvements made in roadways and "highways", especially the Pacific Highway which opened in 1913 (later rebuilt in newer sections and dubbed Highway 99) travel became a very popular past time for individuals and families. Yreka, the County Seat of Siskiyou was happily situated in the main route as the road traveled right through the center of town.

Most of the main roads or routes went from town to town as travelers would have a better opportunity to meet up with needed services. Taking along camping gear was also a "convenience" issue as folks knew breaking down was a possibility away from towns. It was also very convenient as well as an adventure! Many travelers thought themselves as pioneers and were able to camp on the outskirts of towns or anywhere along the road, it was inexpensive and many vacation destinations offered little in the way of accommodations.

In 1916 a editorial type article was written in The Siskiyou News stressing the need for an Auto Park in Yreka. The beginning of the article stated: "Yreka is acquiring a reputation among tourists for its lack of hospitality!" The article went on to argue that most towns along the state highway has a small piece of land for this purpose, the town businesses have profited from sales of groceries, gas, auto repair and other needs of the traveler.

Within a short time Yreka did have an auto camp, and eventually more than one that met the needs of the camping enthusiast. A interesting recount of staying in Yreka in 1922 by a family that wrote in their local paper (from Estherville, Iowa) said of their experience:

"We camped for the night at Yreka a pretty little place in the foot hills of the Shasta Mountains, where we were provided with free camp grounds with free water, electric lights, 'shower baths, comfort station and brick ovens for cooking."

Later on these free Auto Camps turned into offering small cabins for the traveler and more comforts and convenience. There are a few of these later enhanced auto parks that have remnants of earlier days still visible here in Yreka, but are quickly fading.

Copyright: Claudia A. East

Yreka on the Silver Screen

The Gillis Mansion on North Oregon Street, Yreka was turned into the home of the reining "cattle baron".

In September of 1977 the Quinn Martin Company (who produced full length TV movies) came to Yreka and the surrounding area and filmed what was to be titled “Legend at Sundown” entirely in Siskiyou County. Later during the editing the name of the film was changed to the title of “Standing Tall”. It was a movie that depicted the depression-era times of Montana. The story was about a young rancher, Shasta, who is given a rough time by the reigning cattle baron. One individual, Leeland Cook, who appeared in the movie was a former Yrekan and went on to appear in many western movies. Also starring in the movie was Linda Evans, then most known for her roles in the TV series, Big Valley. In addition Robert Forester plays the hero, Luke Shasta and was opposite the villain in the script with the ruthless cattle baron, Chuck Connors. (of “The Rifleman” fame) The role Connors played was described by the Siskiyou Daily News as “a villain who has absolutely no redeeming traits”.

Below are interesting tidbits:

· In the film a scene was filmed at the Ft. Jones Community Hall and the building was turned into the Benteen Community Hospital.

· Rodeo scenes were shot at Pleasure Park Area in Etna and local residents dressed up in 1930s style clothing and became part of the rodeo crowd.

· The Gillis Mansion on the corner of North Oregon and Yama Streets was used for interior scenes. The home (in the movie) belonged to the “evil” cattle baron (Chuck Connors). The filming was done during daylight hours, but the windows were draped with black curtains on the outside to simulate nighttime.

· The “first voice” one hears when the movie begins is the voice of Ron Lillard. Ron a local man, was the manager of the Siskiyou Golden Fair at the time. During the opening credits he is heard as a country-western disc jockey on a car radio.

· Some of the places (as listed in 1978) to look for in the film include: Lake Siskiyou, the former Siskiyou Stockyards, Little Shasta’s Johnson Ranch, Edgewood’s Gragnani Ranch, the town of Callahan as the town of Benteen, the Park Motel in Yreka and the City Hall at Fort Jones. Also the line shack at the Ben Brazie Ranch, mountain scenes at the Fred Burton Ranch (Forest House Ranch), party scenes at the Gillis Mansion, (then the Gordon Dunlap Home) and a kitchen scene at the Roland Dexter home in Montague.

Note: Information was obtained from a file in the Meamber Collection at Yreka Preservation. The Meamber's assisted the filmmaker in providing historical information about the Depression Era and about Siskiyou County and Yreka for this film.

Copyright: Claudia A. East, 2010. This article, written by Claudia East, was recently published in the monthly newsletter, Echoes, by Yreka Preservation.