Ley Station ~ Yreka Fire Dept. 1931

(Photo copyright and courtesy of Don East)

Above is a current view of the Yreka Fire Department, Ley Station. It is located at the southwest corner of Oregon and Miner Streets in Yreka, California.

The section on the left as seen above is the original structure of the Ley Station built in 1931. The middle section was built in more modern times. The smaller section on the far right and only slightly visible was added since the millenium and houses a delightful small museum that showcases the Fire Stations, their history, and Fire Fighters from Yreka. It is definitely worth a trip to see the displays and memorabilia on display!

The Ley Station was built to honor Major Horace V. Ley, a former city attorney and fire chief. Major Ley fought in the Great World War (WWI) and reportedly charged into machine gun fire to lead others in battle. He was a hero of the 115th Engineers, a banker, attorney, and local Fire Chief. The story of his ultimate fight with cancer was lost in April of 1930 as reported by the Modesto News Herald on April 28, 1930. However, true to his heroic deeds Major Ley left his home in Yreka to find care in a sanitarium just outside of San Francisco in the town of San Anselmo. He had five weeks of treatment and then the Major "knew". He asked his wife who stood by his side to bring him back home. He reportedly said, "I want to die at home. In the Siskiyous. By Mt. Shasta."

By the time arrangements were made to bring him home he was riddled with pain and only semi-conscious. He was carried onboard a private airplane at the Oakland Airport. The trip home was a true battle. There were fierce winds and heavy rains that impeded the flight. They landed at Redding and were 100 miles short of their goal. The pilot grimly told his passengers they "would make it" ~ the rest of the journey was apparently terrifying flying through the very stormy weather and through the mountain pass in a small aircraft. Finally they made it to Yreka and the Major was "home". The newspaper report does not indicate exactly what time they arrived in Yreka that day, but that evening at 10 o'clock Major Ley died. But, he made it home!

It is an amazing story of dedication and bravery by all the persons involved, Major Ley, his wife, and the pilot! The story may appear a bit grim to some, but to this author it is a peek into the past and why Ley was chosen to have a new beautiful Fire Station named in his honor.

For those of you with a copy of our book, Yreka, Images of America by Arcadia Publishing, you can compare the image above with a early view of the Fire Station as seen on page 101.
Copyright: Claudia A. East, 2008.

Siskiyou County Museum 1950

The Siskiyou County Museum ~ a treasure house of history!

The Siskiyou County Museum is located at 910 South Main Street, Yreka, California. The building was completed in 1950 and was designed specifically to resemble a historic structure, the Callahan Hotel, located in rural Siskiyou County. The small town of Callahan grew up around their hotel. It is interesting to note that the hotel still stands, and for many years was in  much needed repair and restoration.  Today the charming building has been lovingly restored into a private residence. (A drive from Yreka to the small town of Callahan today is a favorite excursion for many locals as the route is remarkably picturesque and is only about an hour from town.)

The Siskiyou County Museum is an excellent place to begin a quest for historical knowledge of Yreka and Siskiyou County. They have excellent permanent exhibits curated, designed, and installed by the former Museum Director, Michael Hendryx,  as well as temporary ones. In addition to the main building there is an outdoor exhibit area owned by the Siskiyou County Historical Society who works in conjunction with the museum  with buildings, machinery, and interesting artifacts. The outdoor area is open during the summer and "better" weather months. Permanent exhibits in the museum proper include a Native American Gallery, A Trappers Gallery, and The Gold Mining Gallery. Here one can see evidence of what life was once like before and during Gold discovery. A research library with materials owned by both the Siskiyou County Historical Society and the Museum is also available that is filled with books, newspapers, ephemera, and  photographs! A call to the museum is highly recommended before asking to use the research library.  Information about research possibilities can be found on the Siskiyou County Historical Society website.

The actual history of how the museum began and the people who inspired it all to happen is also quite interesting.  The Siskiyou County Historical Society officially began in October of 1945 as a result of an interest in placing historical markers on various sites throughout Siskiyou County.  In a short time this led to the organization of a historical society with the moral, but not financial support of the board of supervisors.  The first official member, at his own request was local Senator Randolph Collier who contributed $10 for membership dues.  Subsequently, a constitution and by-laws were adopted, officers elected in November of 1945, and the society was off to an energetic start, embarking on a relentless campaign to document and preserve the history of the county for future generations. 

Interesting facts to know:

• Yreka was a "Destination" and not just a way stop to somewhere else. The Yreka Trail branches off of the Oregon Trail ~ and its history is fascinating. The Yreka Trail was known as the "bloodiest trial" in the West. 
• The Gold recovered in this area (still many active mines and gold mining in the rivers) was a "Mother Lode" into itself! It is noteworthy that the Sierra Nevada "Gold Country" often receives much interest in the gold mining, and this area produced vast amounts of gold that are often overlooked.  During the "rush" Yreka was known as the "Richest Square Mile"!  

Copyright: Claudia A. East, 2008 ~ updated 2015