Whiskeytown National Recreation Area has been a popular destination for many years, and Whiskeytown Lake’s 36 miles of shoreline boasts great opportunities for fishing, sailing, kayaking and waterskiing. Wikipedia
Whiskeytown, like most gold rush communities, had its beginning as a cluster of tents. Miners, mostly young and unmarried, accepted the cold winters and dismal living conditions. Even the reallity of harsh physical labor could not discourage them from their quest for gold. It was not long before entrepreneurs arrived, transforming the wilderness outpost into a permanent settlement and convenient supply depot for the local miners. Whiskeytown also became a comfortable stopover for travelers, pack trains and later, stagecoaches traveling the main route to the Oregon territory.
The first miners initally used a method called placer mining, which was the removal of gold from the streams and creeks using pick, shovel and gold pans. To work a larger area, the miners progressed to using sluice boxes and long toms, which allowed them to wash more dirt and gravel from the heavier gold.
After The Gold Rush
The fortunes of Whiskeytown declined after the turn of the century. No longer did the hills support the prospectors, nor was Whiskeytown on the main route to Oregon. The few remaining residents ranched, farmed and served the few travelers who passed through, and nearly all mined for what was left of the area's gold.
Camden House or Tall House
The Final Outcome
As the Depression drew to a close, the concept of claiming the waters in Northern California for agricultural purposes became a reality with the completion of Shasta Dam in 1945.
Known as the Central Valley Project (CVP), its purpose was to supply sufficient amounts of water to farmers.The project was to include the construction of a dam at Whiskeytown.
Hikers are now finding the park in increasing numbers, and many are finding their way to Whiskeytown Falls. For several decades this series of waterfalls over 220ft in height was a closely guarded secret, and possibly so secret according to reports that at one time the National Park Service might have actually misplaced its location. Read More
National Recreation Area (NRA) is a designation for a protected area in the United States. Read More
Hikers are now finding the park in increasing numbers, and many are finding their way to Whiskeytown Falls. For several decades this series of waterfalls over 220ft in height was a closely guarded secret, and possibly so secret according to reports that at one time the National Park Service might have actually misplaced its location. Read More
I have lived in Caliornia for 30 years and Alaska for the last 30 years. I had traveled to all 50 states of the United States by the age of 20. Between 1971 and 2009 I have traveled to 22 countries around the world. After retireing in 2008, I now live in my motor home year round and travel almost constantly.
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