Answers to Yreka's History Mysteries?

This will be a very different post from others in this blog. This time I am presenting some of my little Yreka "mysteries", and hope some of you may know the answers, or at least part of them! If you know the answers or have information that might prove helpful to my queries, please post a response! Even if you don't know a response would be great!

Little "mystery" # 1:

• The image above is of a group of unidentified men standing on the corner of Miner and Third Streets, right in front of what was then, The Siskiyou County Bank. Behind them and to the right is currently where the Masonic Lodge resides. This image was taken before the current lodge was built in the mid 1920's. The streets do not appear to be paved and that jibes with the date estimate. There is also a buggy in the background. The mystery are the men in the image. Can anyone identify them? Or even venture a guess?

Little "mystery" #2:

• When the original courthouse was "expanded and remodeled" in 1896-7, a cupola was added to the top of the structure. While researching this topic, it has been clearly shown that the cupola was still on the courthouse in 1915. In 1927 the cupola shows on fire maps, and seems to be in a photo from the newspaper in 1931 during fire ladder practice. By 1939 the cupola is clearly gone from photos. Searching newspapers I haven't been able to find the date the cupola was torn down. Do you know the answer to this little mystery of mine? Or, do you have dated photos that show the cupola that is different from my information? If you do, please post a comment and let me know! thanks.

Little "mystery" #3:

• The canons that once graced Yreka City Hall are gone. In 1913 a City Hall was built on North Main Street (currently part of the parking lot area of Miner's Inn) and in the front of the building were two small canons that stood on either side of the entrance at the top of a small flight of steps. These canons were reportedly canons that had been used in the Modoc Indian War. (If you have a copy of our book, Yreka from the Images of America Series, you will find a photo on page 80.) The building was torn down in 1976, and the canons ... well what happened to them? The museum doesn't have them. Do you know?

If you can even venture a guess, or pose a mystery in return ~ I welcome your comments!

Copyright: Claudia A. East, 2008

Siskiyou County Seat ~ Yreka 1915

Siskiyou County and the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition

In 1915 Siskiyou County participated in the Panama-Pacific International Exposition held in San Francisco by promoting our agriculture, minerals, climate, transportation, forests, homestead land offerings, and a host of other assets to the world. In 1915 we were growing and local business was booming! What is viewed above is the cover to a brochure published by the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors and the Panama-Pacific International Exposition Commission of Siskiyou, California and written by Harold French. Within this brochure many areas of the county are covered in the 36 pages ~ included are many photos of farming, mining, town scenes and the like.

Below is a transcription from page 31 of "Yreka, the County-Seat":

"Yreka, the county-seat, is a beautiful city of two thousand inhabitants, situated at the terminus of the Yreka railroad, on the line of the great State Highway and in the valley of Yreka Creek near the junction of Greenhorn Gulch, the famous placer camp of the fifties. The civic pride of its people is manifested by its beautiful homes, its miles of cement walks, its splendidly paved streets, lined with venerable locusts, walnut and poplar trees, its up-to-date county buildings, the new public library, the concrete Agricultural Hall and the excellent High School. Its leading bank boasts of a million dollars in assets and commercially Yreka supplies a large area with mining and other supplies.

Progressive improvement and social organizations promote the betterment of this community in many ways, such as the conducting of a Chautauqua annually and other activities for popular instruction and entertainment."

An interesting sideline about this brochure ~ in approximately the 1950s a box of these brochures (new and untouched) were found in the county's holdings and they were sold for 50 cents each to raise money for the county museum. Occasionally one will surface at a yard sale or on ebay.
Copyright: Claudia A. East, 2008.

Guilbert & Siskiyou County Bank Building 1872 & 1899

Still sitting proudly on the Northeast corner of Miner and Third Streets is a victorian business building that has served the community of Yreka and the surrounding area for over 100 years. Prior to the great fire of 1871 another building sat on this spot and was owned by a Buenaventura Guilbert. The building hosted a variety of businesses including a billiard saloon, a boot store and coffee and lunch stand. The building was rebuilt following the fire and was back in operation by 1872. At this time Mr. Guilbert had a soda factory in the building, and auction sales were regularly held in the front portion of the structure. This building even served as one of the main exhibit halls during the local County Fair for a number of years. During this time it was a single story structure.

Between the years of 1878 and 1886 a variety of businesses occupied the premises. In July of 1886 the Siskiyou County Bank and the Wells, Fargo Express Company moved in to the building. At this time a vault was built expressly for the bank and Wells, Fargo. In 1899 the building was enlarged with a second story. Folks who may have travelled to Yreka at the turn of the century would still recognize this building today. A few changes have occurred over the years, but the basic structure has remained intact, the largest changes being the front door that originally was at the corner on Third Street rather than in the center location where it appears today. This building operated as a bank from 1886 until 1955.

Since 1955 there have been a wide variety of businesses that have occupied this building. It currently has a rather "fanciful" painted theme, however, for a vast majority of its years the building was a light plain color on the stucco exterior, and prior to being stuccoed and painted, it was simply brick.

Copyright: Claudia East, 2008