History Archives - Active NorCal

Sep- 2019 -

4 September

History

Video Explores the Human History of Lassen Volcanic National Park

In an installment of Lassen NPS’s video newsletter, Lassen Peek, they give a brief introduction to the human history of the…

3 September

History

This Beautiful Northern California Site was Once a Brutal World War II Internment Camp

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941, it started World War II, sending the United…

Aug- 2019 -

28 August

Destinations

The History of the McCloud River and its World-Famous Fish

Photo: California Trout It’s the strangest feeling. I can be standing for hours in a rushing trout stream totally absorbed…

20 August

History

Remembering the Deadly 75-Foot Tidal Wave that Leveled Crescent City in 1964

Beginning in Northern California and running all the way up to Alaska in the Pacific Ocean sits multiple fault lines…

7 August

History

Take a Historical Audio Tour Through the Modoc War

In the 1870’s, the national headlines set there eyes on the Modoc War, a bloody battle between the army and…

Jul- 2019 -

23 July

Eating NorCal

Eat a Historic Burger and Fries at Redding’s Damburger

In 1938, 18-year-old Bud Pennington had the idea to sell hamburgers to the thousands of construction workers building Shasta Dam.…

Apr- 2019 -

11 April

History

A Piece of NorCal History: Redding’s Diestelhorst Bridge

Considering its place adjacent to the recently added Lake Redding Bridge, you might overlook Redding’s storied Diestelhorst Bridge. Without scanning…

5 April

Events

NorCal History will Come Alive at Lava Beds’ Living History Event

Photo: NPS/Angela Sutton Press release provided from Lava Beds National Monument: History will come alive on Saturday, May 11th, during…

Mar- 2019 -

13 March

History

The Legend of Snowshoe Thompson: The Founder of California Skiing

Animated depiction of John Albert Thompson, also known as Snowshoe Thompson In the 1800’s, traveling across the Sierra Nevada in…

6 March

History

Remembering the Deadly Flood of 1955 that Put a NorCal Town Under 20 Feet of Water

Overhead view of Yuba City. Photo: Sacramento Bee It was just minutes past midnight of Christmas Eve 1955 when the…

Jan- 2019 -

26 January

History

Wiyot Tribe Reclaims “Sacred” Indian Island in Humboldt Bay

Located off the shore of Eureka in Humboldt Bay sits an island called Duluwat, better know as Indian Island, which…

16 January

History

The Fascinating History of Redding Rancheria

The Wintu Tribe of Northern California When I am outdoors visiting our beautiful NorCal landmarks, curiosity always slips into my head…

15 January

History

Did the Real-Life Tarzan Dive Off Burney Falls?

BThe story was well known to me, but we at Active NorCal always check our sources. If you Google “Tarzan,…

6 January

Destinations

Exploring the Rich History of Rough and Ready, California

The only way you’ve probably heard of Rough and Ready, California is if you’ve driven on Highway 20 between Yuba…

Dec- 2018 -

21 December

History

Remembering Babe Ruth’s 1924 Exhibition Game in Dunsmuir, California

Photo by Paul J. Standar The Babe. The Sultan of Swat. The Great Bambino. The legend of Babe Ruth has…

8 December

History

The Conflicted History of the Lava Beds National Monument

By Ryan Loughrey This past summer, we visited the desolate and beautiful Lava Beds National Monument to try to escape…

8 December

Destinations

This Northern California Town is Responsible for America’s First Bike Lane

The ever-popular bike lanes you see all around the country are a pretty new phenomenon. San Francisco received its first…

Nov- 2018 -

17 November

Butte

History Reduced to Rubble: Remembering the Honey Run Covered Bridge

The Camp Fire took many victims as it spread through Butte County on November 8th, the most significant being lost…

Oct- 2018 -

17 October

History

Digging for Answers-Where Did The 60-Foot Hole in the Side of Mt. Shasta Come From?

Around 10 years ago, a 60-foot hole mysteriously appeared in the side of Mount Shasta. Even with its incredible size,…

15 October

History

A History of Yosemite Park in Photos

Yosemite National Park, filled with flush meadows, epic rock faces and mesmerizing waterfalls, is one of the most popular parks…

9 October

History

Bulls vs. Bears: Northern California’s Bloody Spectator Sport of the 19th Century

In the 1800’s, when Spanish conquistadors and early gold rush optimists flocked to the newly settled areas of Northern California,…

9 October

History

The Lockhart Ferry Massacre: Northern California’s Bloody War of the 1850’s

Peering into the lives of the first non-Native people in Northern California, dreams, imaginings and real history clash in a…

Sep- 2018 -

24 September

History

Rare Collection of Ansel Adams Photography Donated to the Yosemite Museum in Yosemite National Park

A rare collection of 45 photographs by acclaimed 20th century photographer Ansel Adams (1902-1984) has been donated to the Yosemite Museum in Yosemite National…

21 September

History

Depression-Era Photos Show the Human Side of the Shasta Dam Construction

In 1938, thousands of hardworking people arrived in rural Shasta County to build a dam and a dream. Shasta Dam…

12 September

History

A Beacon Of Northern California History: The Battery Point Lighthouse

A D.C. socialite, the Gold Rush, shipping lines, San Francisco, Crescent City and Battery Point Lighthouse intertwine in history to…

9 September

History

A History Behind Shasta Dam’s Essential Role in California Water

In 1938, thousands of hardworking people arrived in rural Shasta County to build a dam and a dream. Shasta Dam…

Aug- 2018 -

8 August

History

Explorers Study Ancient Underwater Forests with a Submarine at Fallen Leaf Lake

Mapping out the history of our the outdoors can be a difficult task, one that requires time, money, and maybe…

Jul- 2018 -

17 July

Destinations

This Northern California Ghost Town is Cursed, According to its Visitors

The workers at the Bodie State Historic Park are used to receiving letters in the mail talking about the “Bodie…

15 July

History

How Redding Got its Name – A Tale of Two Men With Nearly the Same Name

Redding, California sits center stage in Northern California, nestled comfortably in the middle of the beautifully distinct areas all across…

9 July

Outdoors

Exploring the Car Graveyard of Mt. Shasta

By Ryan Loughrey Walking through the car graveyard felt like walking through an ancient time. Even though the cars couldn’t…

9 July

History

The Turbulent History of Mt. Shasta’s Old Ski Bowl

It was in 1959 when ambitious developers leased land from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and opened a two-person chairlift on the…

Jun- 2018 -

26 June

History

Watch President JFK Dedicate the Whiskeytown Bridge Weeks Before his Assassination

We know that our area holds significant landmarks for the state as well as the country, and no event signifies…

22 June

History

Remembering the Devastating Chemical Spill that Killed All the Wildlife on the Upper Sacramento River

It was July 14th, 1991 when a Southern Pacific tank car spilled 19,000 gallons of the soil fumigant metam sodium…

19 June

History

How Did Weed, CA Get It’s Name? A Story of Achieving the American Dream in the Wild West

You see many people snicker when you bring up Weed, California. After all, it seems to be named after Cheech and Chong’s…

14 June

History

Capturing History: 10 Mind-Blowing Photos from the Lassen Peak Eruption

When Lassen Peak Erupted in 1914, there were no advanced photographical instruments. There were no DSLR’s or drones or GoPro’s,…

11 June

History

The Story of the Ruggles Brothers – a Robbery, a Lynching and a Lost Treasure

On July 24th, 1892, a group of masked men stormed the Redding, California jail and dragged out two men accused…

11 June

History

What’s in a Name? The Story Behind Hat Creek

Names almost always make for a good story, and Hat Creek is no exception. Of course, not everyone may agree that…

7 June

History

“Boys, I Have Been in Hell” The History of Lassen’s Bumpass Hell

Bumpass Hell is a popular destination for people traveling through Lassen Volcanic National Park. Lassen is chock-full of hydrothermal activity,…

6 June

History

A History of Lassen Park in Photos

Lassen Volcanic National Park’s history is fascinating, from the eruption of Lassen Peak to the naming of Hat Creek to…

5 June

History

The Story of Lassen’s Ishi – The Last “Wild” Native American

It was August 19, 1911, when an unknown, “wild’ man emerged from the wilderness near Lassen Peak and into the…

2 June

History

A History of Bigfoot Sightings in Northern California

Stories and legends of Bigfoot and similar creatures pervade the history of the Pacific Northwest. In Teddy Roosevelt’s book, The…

2 June

History

How Did Whiskeytown Get Its Name?

Whiskeytown began much like most other 1849 Gold Rush mining communities – as a modest collection of shabby tents. Young…

1 June

History

The Heartwarming Story of President JFK Feeding Deer in Lassen Volcanic National Park in his Pajamas

When President John F. Kennedy visited Northern California in 1963, just months before his assassination, he made the rounds to…

May- 2018 -

31 May

History

Remembering the Great Flood that Put Northern California Under 30 Feet of Water

If you take a look at Northern California on a map, it will show a large valley right down the…

16 May

Hikes

Beauty Meets History – Hiking Tahoe’s Rubicon Trail

Tahoe’s Rubicon Trail might sound familiar to you as it has become a very popular destination for hikers in NorCal.…

9 May

History

What’s a Lemurian and Why Do People Believe They Live in Mount Shasta?

By Zach O’Brien We like to hypothesize about the paranormal activity surrounding Mt. Shasta. From Bigfoot sightings to alien activity,…

Apr- 2018 -

26 April

History

Remembering the Bloody Battle of Castle Crags in 1855

We know Castle Crags as the beautiful Northern California wilderness area settled just between Shasta Lake and Mount Shasta, with stunning rock formations and bountiful…

25 April