Dunsmuir and its trains: history and coming events

Dunsmuir Amtrak Railroad Depot

The town of Dunsmuir in the Upper Sacramento River canyon is rich with train history. Folks come to view the trains that travel through and to learn more about this town that was originally called Pusher (the name is related to the town’s railroad legacy). Dunsmuir has events on tap for railroad history buffs and visitors who are interested in the role railroad has played.

National Train Day & Book Signing:
Sat, May 7, 10am – 4pm at the Dunsmuir Amtrak Depot

Dunsmuir Railroad Depot Historical Society

You are here: The Mythical State of Jefferson

State of Jefferson flag

You may see the XX flag, or hear mention of the State of Jefferson. While you’re visiting far Northern California you may notice that the public radio station is Jefferson Public Radio. Why is Jefferson so popular, you may wonder. Well, it’s not homage to a past president, but to an idea and movement that lives on today in the hearts and minds of her residents: in 1941 a handful of counties in far Northern California and Southern Oregon attempted to become the 51st state – Jefferson. While the secession movement died with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the identity of the region as Jefferson has lived on. While you’re visiting Siskiyou County you are in the heart of Jefferson, where the county seat (Yreka) was designated as the state capitol during the secession movement.

Mt. Shasta and the Shasta Valley

Today you can experience the (now mythical) State of Jefferson by touring its vast geographic area and talking with its people. You will see bumper stickers proclaiming residency of the State of Jefferson, the occasional flag and t-shirts for sale in gift shops. Yreka, Fort Jones and Montague are likely spots for finding your own t-shirt or bumper sticker. The State of Jefferson Scenic Byway winds through the region, from Yreka to the coast. Visit Siskiyou’s scenic drive page provides some info about the Byway and other shorter drives in the area. You can read about it in the new magazine Jefferson Backroads, which shares history, coming events and advertisements from local businesses.

Mostly, the State of Jefferson is something to be searched for as you explore the rugged land and small towns that make up the region, a sense to be discovered as you stretch your own independence and self reliance. It’s a mythology you can build on as you create your own experiences here, whether you drive down backroads or head for the hills.

4th of July weekend: Remembering the Internment Camps in Tulelake

Tulelake, Ca is home to a special piece of history: it hosts one of the most controversial War Relocation Authority camps (Internment Camps) of the World War II. The stories of the individuals detained in the camp are told through the Tulelake Museum and preserved in the new National Monument, but they are held most intimately by people who join the annual Tule Lake Committee’s pilgrimage event, when descendants of detainees and detainees come to the site of the camp.

4th of July weekend, as the pimgrimage comes to Tuelake, the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service will offer guided public tours of Camp Tulelake, and the Segregation Center Stockade on Saturday July 3rd. Camp Tulelake and the Segregation Center are historic sites where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II (WWII). Tours will be offered between 9:00AM and 3:00PM. The Monument Visitor Center, located in the Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds Museum in the City of Tulelake, will also be open to the public over the entire holiday weekend 8:00AM to 5:00PM.
On the evening of July 4th, starting at 7:30PM the Pilgrimage Cultural Program will again be held at the Ross Ragland Theater at 218 North Seventh Street in downtown Klamath Falls. The general public is invited to attend and there will be admission charge.
For the remainder of the summer through Labor Day weekend, daily tours will be provided of the Segregation Center or Camp Tulelake, and the Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds Museum Visitor Center will be open seven days a week. For additional information and to get directions to the sites please call the Visitor Center at (530) 260-0537 or visit the monument’s website.

Memorial Day: WWII, Japanese Interment and POWs in Tulelake

In far eastern California, the small town of Tulelake is home to a colorful past and a new National Monument. WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, Tule Lake Unit is one of several units signed into creation by President Bush in 2008. While it will take many years to define and establish the Monument, there are remnants of the World War II Japanese Internment Camp that can be toured and the Tulelake Butte Valley Museum of Local History that tell the story of the prisoners. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, the Museum serves as the Visitors Center for the new National Monument. Starting the last weekend of May, ranger led tours of the Tule Lake Segregation Center depart from the Museum at 2pm and tours of Camp Tulelake begin at 11am down the road from the Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuge Complex Visitor Center on Hill Road.

When you tour Camp Tulelake you’ll walk through an old building that was used to imprison several hundred Japanese American men who protested and refused to answer the loyalty questionnaire, and then Italian and German prisoners of war. The setting can be bleak, with the wind blowing through the old boards of the barracks and the broken glass of single-pane windows. The high desert landscape lends to the sense of isolation and remoteness. This is a different way to experience Memorial Day by looking at the War from a prisoner’s perspective.

Back at the Museum of Local History visitors can listen to the audio tour that accompanies the many displays, which include stories from local residents who have tales of the Interment Camp, Prisoners of War and the legacy left to the community.

Visitors to Tulelake should go prepared with a full tank of gas and plenty of snacks. While there are some amenities in the town of Tulelake, it is a remote location and it is best to go prepared. It will be necessary to drive to the various sites of the Monument. The National Monument Visitors Center is located in the Tulelake Butte Valley Fairgrounds office at 800 Main Street in Tulelake, Ca. For more information, call (530) 667-8119 or go to the new website at http://www.nps.gov/tule/index.htm. The Visitors Center is open 7 days a week from 8am-5pm beginning Memorial Day weekend.

goodies & history in Yreka

Took a stroll through Yreka’s historic downtown last week to check out shops and goodies. This two-block section of town is home to the 1850s-era buildings that didn’t burn down in the Gold Rush period. Just looking at these old beauties is kind of fun, but then there are also the shops and restaurants to check out as well. I was excited to see that at the Tasty Q, which also home to the Visitors Center, they sell locally made products: sweet treats, sauces, and other goodies. You can get an ice cream cone there and sit out across the street in the City Plaza before heading into the newly opened Liberty Arts Gallery. We passed on the ice cream and stopped in at the Village Grind, where the scrumptious coffee cake and fruit smoothie were quite tasty.

Just a bit beyond those historic blocks, on the other side of the freeway, is the depot for the Blue Goose Steam Train. You can ride the train out to the old cow town of Montague on the railroad that was built in 1889 and has been in operation ever since. One of the volunteers has posted videos on YouTube – look for videos of Yreka Western Railroad by traindude109. Yreka Western Railroad host special events (like the hobo moonlight picnic in August) through the summer – go to the website for more info.

While on the tour of Yreka’s historic treasures we cruised through both the indoor and outdoor exhibits at the Siskiyou County Museum on Main Street. I got a kick out of looking into the restored buildings in the outdoor exhibit. The potatoes and gravy in the old homestead looked pretty ancient!

We finished off our tour of Yreka by taking yet another walk at Greenhorn Park, which is named after the inexperienced gold miner who made the first big strike in the area. Greenhorn is undergoing some construction right now, so you’ve got to go to the lower park to use the sweeping lawns. At the upper park you can take the trail through a short section of historic buildings and mining implements then continue walking the path down to Lower Greenhorn Park. It’s kind of fun to watch the ducks and geese who are so used to people feeding them that they always check out walkers to see what you’ve got.

You can find more about things to do on the VisitSiskiyou.org website, as well as a calendar of events that includes the Yreka and Montague area. To learn more about Yreka’s history, check out Yreka History.

Siskiyou County Museum

Upper Greenhorn Park

Tour historic Klamath Basin sites

If you’ve never been to the eastern outskirts of Siskiyou County, mark April 19th on your calendar and prepare for an adventure. The Klamath Basin presents a wide range of landscapes, from the flat reaches of farmland to the mysterious terrain of marshes and vast wetlands to the raw, ragged jumble of the Lava Beds. In celebration of the centennial of the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, a historic tour of the area has been set for April 19th.

The guided tour will cross the boundaries of the wildlife refuge and the Lava Beds National Monument, as well as the boundaries of different eras of history. You’ll see the Civilian Conservation Corps building, the Tule Lake Museum, the Japanese American World War II Internment Camp near Newell, Petroglyph Point and Captain Jack’s Stronghold on Lava Beds National Monument. Local history buffs will be along to talk about the significance each of these locations holds in the area’s history.

The trip begins at 9am the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge visitors center on Hill Road. A small tour bus is available for those who make reservations; however, you can follow along in your vehicle as well. Bring snacks and drinks, as the tour will conclude around 2:30pm. If you’re looking for a bite to eat afterward, nearby Tulelake offers a few amenities. The only cost for the tour is the entry fee into the Tulelake Museum ($3 for adults, $2 for seniors and $1 for kids 6 to 12).

To reserve a spot, or to learn more about the monthly events held in honor of the centennial, call the Refuge visitors center at 530.667.2231 or visit the website at
www.fws.gov/klamathbasinrefuges