About Us

History

The Shasta Historical Society was formed on January 19, 1930, by a group of people who had been collecting then-living pioneers' accounts of their lives in the Gold Rush days. These accounts were then published in the newspaper as "The Trails Of 49."

Purposes

Collecting pioneer stories remains one of the activities of the society, but now it is a larger educational, non-profit organization. Its purposes are not only to collect, but to preserve knowledge about the ongoing history of Shasta County and, when appropriate of adjoining areas, to maintain a depository of such historical material to serve as a research library for its members and others and to spread the knowledge of local history and enjoyment to the public.

Activities

To further the recording of fast-disappearing information on pioneers, our Pioneer Plaque program encourages present-day descendants to honor their pioneer ancestors - those before Dec, 31,1910 - with a memorial contribution, an exhibit and a reception. The pioneer history is placed on file in our library, and a plaque on the wall displays their pioneer's name. In past years, the Society contributed to the creation of Shasta State Historical Park by acquiring abandoned lots in Shasta and deeding them to the state. They also assisted in the restoration of the old courthouse as a museum. The Society salvaged and restored the old Igo Schoolhouse, now located on the fairgrounds in Anderson. Every fair time, visitors see an exhibit of an old-time school and photographs of school children from various county schools. Other projects include marking historic sites with informational plaques, and providing scholarships to Shasta County students.

Scholarships

Scholarships are presented to Shasta College and local high- schools in Shasta County which total more that $7,000 yearly. Applicants should talk to their school counselors to find out more information about Shasta Historical Society scholarships.

Meetings

General membership meetings are usually held at 1:30 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month, except for July and August. Please see our monthly newsletter for time, place, and program.

Membership

Membership is open to all who are intrerested in the history of Shasta County and adjoining areas. Dues are paid annually. All members receive the Society's Newsletter Subscription to the Covered Wagon, our annual publication is included in memberships of $15.00 or more.

Library

The library has books, maps, papers, photographs, and microfilm relating to Shasta County; additional materials are in archival storage. Volunteers are available to assist in research. The library is open to the public. Open hours are: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Mon-Fri. Our Phone Number Is: 530-243-3720