The King and White Building

231 Miner Street, Yreka, CA

The building that sits on the corner of Miner and Fourth Streets today was built while Yreka was in its early boom days. Records show that it was in use as early as 1854. The locally well known 1858 hand drawn map and layout of Yreka shows the King and White building, and by 1855 the Yreka Journal was printing notices and advertisements for the King and White building. They sold paint, oil, glass crockery, glassware, harnesses, spurs, bridles and a wide variety of merchandise. It was lauded as the “fireproof” brick building at the corner of Miner and Fourth Streets.

During the 1860's the address for this building was known to be 40 Miner Street. In 1871 during the “Great Conflagration” of July 4, this building was partially burned and obliterated a wood building that was built at the rear of the store along Fourth Street. The total loss of buildings and goods was valued at $3,000. Within two months time the owner was bringing rock and brick for an “addition” to the building to be built at the back section to replace the wooden section that had been burned.

In 1896 it was announced that the Bee Hive (a general store) would occupy this building, owned by R. H. DeWitt. Mr. DeWitt partially remodeled the building by putting in a new plate glass front. The Bee Hive was in this location only a few years, when in 1898 DeWitt and Peters built a new much larger building at the corner of Miner and Oregon Streets. The structure is still standing today, and is known as the Elks Lodge. In 1898 Churchill and Son purchased this building and did much more renovation to the building. In March of 1898 the Yreka Journal reported: “Mr. Churchill has overhauled the Old King Store recently vacated by the Bee Hive. The inside is about all torn out, and a new front wall to hold two large plate glass windows is being constructed. A new ceiling is being built on the interior.” This new store carried a variety of goods in addition to drugs. They advertised as being Druggists, Booksellers, Stationers, and offering Kodaks and complete photographic Supplies, Candy, Molasses, Maple Syrup and Wall Paper. The Churchills carried on their business at this location until 1916 when it was purchased by Frank Ackerman, the manager of the store for Mr. Churchill.                            

The Ackerman Drug Store operated here until 1932 when it was sold to Maguire and Greene who also operated a Drug Store here. The Maguire and Greene Drug Store operated until 1976 when the store was closed.

From about 1856 until the early 1930's there was another structure to the West. It actually made Fourth Street very narrow, jutting out into the street. This was the former Pashburg Building. Eventually the building was torn down and Fourth Street was widened to what we see today.

Source of information: From the files of Yreka Preservation contributed articles and information by Donald Carey, Harland McDonald, and Archie Noonan.

Allen Newton House 1895

Photo: Copyright, Claudia East, 2009



Currently sitting near to the Gold Street School is the Allen Newton House located at 325 North Gold Street, Yreka, CA a lovely Queen Ann Style Victorian. The home was originally built in 1895 and located near 202 North Main Street, currently a commercial building location. Allen Newton married local girl, Minnie Pashburg in 1894 so it is likely this was the home he built for his new bride and their future life together. When the building was first constructed it was located on the "Main Street" visible and directly accessible from the road. During the late 1920's or 1930's the house was moved back on its lot to make room for a small gas station in the front area to service travelers on Highway 99 (Main Street). Sometime after 1950 commercial buildings began popping up along the route and the home was obscured from direct view. The gas station eventually disappeared and commercial buildings took its place as well as the yard in front of the house. In about 1988, almost 100 years later, the home was moved to its present location and the owners lovingly restored the home. For those of you who have a copy of our book, Yreka, Images of America Series, one can see a partial picture of this home behind the speed boat, "Slo-mo-shun" on page 124.

Allen Newton born about 1867, was the son of a pioneer, Dr. Joel Newton, who lived in nearby Fort Jones. Mr. Newton served as the Siskiyou County Clerk for a period, and then went into the grocery business with his father-in-law, John Pashburg, Sr. and his brother-in-law, John E. Pashburg. The business was located on Miner Street and sat where the intersection of Miner and Fourth now appear. (The Pashburg Store information can be found in a previous post on this blog.) In 1923 Mr. Newton passed away without having children. His wife continued to live until 1956 and died at the age of 85.

Some of the historical information about this home was gleaned from a brochure passed out during the 1989 Annual Home Tour by the Yreka Historic Preservation Heritage Committee. Other information came from census, fire maps, and local history.

Henrietta Pashburg ~ Yreka Artist

Small dish hand painted by Henrietta Pashburg, circa 1910.

Photo copyright: Claudia A. East

Henrietta Pashburg was one of those "Victorian Ladies" that made her living painting. Hand painted china was a very popular item for many years. Henrietta was born in Yreka, California on June 25, 1876 to John and Mary (Fiock) Pashburg. She grew up in Yreka and her father made a living originally as a tobacco merchant and later offered more general merchandise. The store was on the corner of Miner Street and Fourth and is no longer standing. (You can read a post about this store and see an image here: Pashburg's Store

Henrietta graduated from the (then) quite new and wonderful Siskiyou County High School in 1896 according to records obtained from the Siskiyou County Museum. At the time of her graduation the school was only two years old. (You can read about the high school and see an image here: Siskiyou County High School. She lived in Yreka and participated in civic events was a member of the Stella Chapter # 39, Order of Eastern Star, Yreka. She even exhibited at the California State Fair in 1892 according to information on her artistic history. History indicates that she lived and worked in Yreka for a number of years before finally moving to San Francisco on a permanent basis sometime prior to 1922. While in Yreka Henrietta apparently had her own shop on Miner Street for some time but detailed information has not yet been found.

Times were likely exciting for a young woman at this time, women were actively promoting women's rights and suffrage and breaking out of more "traditional" roles. Henrietta (often going by Etta) was likely not the "typical" young Victorian woman. Apparently independent and self sufficient until she married her long time love, Mr. James Alexander Cobain, on August 9, 1932 in Reno, Nevada.

Henrietta lived and had a painting studio in San Francisco for many years but returned "home" as her family continued to live and work in Yreka or the immediate area. In 1922 she was noted in Who's Who Among Women of California. Henrietta lived a long life, passing on February 16, 1971 in San Francisco, burial in Yreka at Evergreen Cemetery.

Her china is often highly valued and is somewhat difficult to find. She apparently signed many of her pieces, H. Pashburg with or without dates under her signature. You can see another image of her work in our book, Yreka, Images of America Series from Arcadia Publishing on page 55. Seeing and often holding work someone accomplished many years ago brings a sense of the history "home".

Copyright: Claudia A. East, 2009

Pashburg's Store ~ Miner Street, Yreka

Gone but not forgotten...

Adjacent is a photo of the South side of Miner Street, Yreka circa 1918. The two story building on the far right edge of the image with the three windows on the second story is the former Pashburg Store. The building is long gone and likely forgotten or unknown by many as this building sat on a portion of what is now Fourth Street and Miner.

John Pashburg was a German immigrant who came to Yreka soon after gold was discovered. For many years John operated a tobacco shop on this site ~ the building was erected sometime between 1856 and 1862. It is reported in old news articles and historical journals that John Pashburg lost his inventory and his building during the great fire of 1871. It is not clear to this author if the building was completely rebuilt or rennovated after the fire. The earliest photos of this building that this author has found shows the building to be a single story, it is unkown exactly when the second story was added. Originally living quarters for his family were in the rear of the building. The store operated as a tobacco shop for many years but at some point expanded to groceries and miscellaneous items.

An article appears in an 1897 newspaper in Yreka that states "John Pashburg...has contracted for the construction of a second story on his building, to be of corrugated iron. It will be extended back 40 feet, with an entrance on Third street an elevator at Miner street entrance to lower story. The work will be commenced next Monday." The building was added on to several times on both the lower and upper levels. Eventually a small addition on the side (that jutted further into Fourth Street) that once served as the local stage office and at another time a saloon, was added and that portion appears to have been rented out to other proprietors. Even though the article appears in an 1897 newspaper, there are photos of the building from what is reported to be the 1901 snow storm and it appears to still be a single story. The documentation for the various changes appear to be elusive.


It is a curious set of events about this plot of land the building sat on. In 1862 the City of Yreka sued the original owner a J. B. Rosborough for the "recovery of about one half of the original Fourth Street, between Miner and Center Street" according to a excellent work produced by Robert Archie Noonan in 1976 titled Yreka's West Miner Street. The building and business was in the "middle of the street" until 1931 when the building was razed to widen Fourth Street.


For a few years the top portion of this building sat on Fourth Street ~ and it can be viewed in our Images of America book, Yreka on page 45. Looking at the building located at 311 Miner Street, today operating as the Edward Jones Investment Representative office, the business in the rear of the building (currently a interesting clock shop), one can view the old metal siding on the exterior of the building. It has been reported that this metal exterior once faced a portion of the Pashburg building.

John Pashburg worked and lived in Yreka from 1854 until his death in 1910. He is listed as one of the pioneer merchant's. Upon his death his son and son-in-law inherited his business. He had a total of nine children with six living to adulthood. His wife was Mary Louise Fiock, and they were married in 1867.

Copyright: Claudia A. East, 2008

The John E. Pashburg Home 1900

The John E. Pashburg home was built in 1900 on North Oregon Street in Yreka. At the time it was built the home was on the edge of town. Across the street and about 1/3 of a block north stood the Siskiyou County High School a wonderful victorian building erected in 1894.

John E. Pashburg was the son of one of Yreka's founding fathers, a merchant who arrived in Yreka about 1854 just 3 years from the first discovery of gold here. John E. Pashburg built this home for his then soon-to-be bride, Mable Rogene DeWitt. The home was completed just prior to their wedding in October of 1900. The Pashburg's lived in this home and raised their family here and then sold the home in 1928. John E. Pashburg served as the County Treasurer/Tax Collector for many years as well as eventually inheriting a portion of his father's merchandise business and operating it along with his brother-in-law.

The home as pictured has been remodeled both inside and out the first occurring around 1916. The upstairs was originally only one large bedroom and bath according to historical information. The upstairs suffered a major fire in 1934 and was rebuilt that same year to accommodate the entire size of the downstairs floor plan.

Each and every home in Yreka has their own unique story to tell ~ the historic homes are especially interesting.

Copyright: Claudia East