EARLY SHASTA COUNTY

LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE

& RELATED HISTORY DURING THE 1800’s

by Dottie Smith

© 2005

Back in 1995, I compiled the following information for then Shasta County Marshal Dennis Boatner who was very interested in Shasta County’s legal history, past and present.  I gleaned information for him from my book titled The Dictionary of Early Shasta County History and compiled it just like the Dictionary, in alphabetical order.  This is a revised version of that information.

The following information includes law enforcement history during the 1800s -- from the infamous Oregon Boot, to chain gangs, to the hanging of the Ruggles Brothers, and to the building of the Shasta County courthouses.  Also included is information on lawmen, the courts, Justices of the Peace, judges, jails, district attorneys, and the hangings – legal and illegal.  Job duties and descriptions have changed drastically over the years.  For instance, way back when, a Justice of the Peace held a very important position.  Today, the position hardly exists. 

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ADAMS, GEORGE WASHINGTON  1815-1872. Served as Justice of the Peace in 1861 in the Sierra Township.  Was also known as Squire Adams.  Homesteaded land at Adams Flats in the Shingletown mountains.  Purchased the Daingerfield Ferry in 1861 with his partner Bragg (first name unknown) and operated it just south of the mouth of Bear Creek across the Sacramento River.  Helped draft the Millville Resolutions in 1864.  Was a member of the Millville Volunteers.  He owned the largest house in the area and it was used as a "safe" place to hide the wives and children of the Millville Volunteers while they hunted Indians. 

ALBRO, GEORGE TEASDALE  1862-1955.  Custodian, jailer, Judge Emeritus.  Began working at the Shasta Courthouse and jail in 1873 at age 11 as a chore boy, was hired permanently approximately six years later as a janitor, and promoted to jailer in 1884.  Worked at Shasta until the county seat moved to Redding then worked at the new county courthouse in Redding until 1948.  Was a county employee for 75 years.  Was appointed as Superior Judge Emeritus of Shasta County for life in 1946, an honor exclusively his and unique in California history.  Became affectionately known as Judge Albro.  Saved and salvaged many historic articles now displayed at the Shasta Courthouse Museum making it one of the most authentic in the state.

ALBRO, STEPHEN  Father of George.  Worked as the deputy constable and nightwatchman/janitor at the Shasta courthouse.  Arrived at Buckeye in 1852.  Was the mining partner of William H. Bickford at Quartz Hill.   Died in 1908. 

ALCALDE The ‘holdover’ Chief Administrator/Judicial Officer position from the Mexican form of government which prevailed during Shasta's first year of existence in 1849.  The Alcalde form of government included no taxation and was a fast and speedy justice system.  The position was elected and the officer had almost unlimited powers including authority over civil and criminal matters.  Their word was law absolute and no one ever presumed to dispute their authority.  The only known Alcaldes to hold office in Shasta County were Uriah P. Monroe who was elected in January of 1850 but never served (moved away and founded Monroeville) and Dr. Benjamin Shurtleff who was elected and served later the same year.  When the new California state government took effect in 1850, elections were held and the Alcalde was replaced by an Assemblyman A. Z. McCandless, County Judge W. R. Harrison, and County Clerk Jesse R. Robinson.

ANGELL, WILLIAM H.  Elected Undersheriff in 1860.  Served until 1862.  Was alsoelected as County Assessor in 1858 and served until 1860.

BAKER, SOLOMON D.  Was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in the 1850s.  Was known as Doc Baker.  Settled on a portion of Rancho de Briesgau and filed for squatter's rights in approximately 1850.  Purchased land in 1856 for 62½¢ an acre.  Received land patent in 1861.  Established Baker's Place in approximately 1850. 

BEHRENS, CHARLES H.  1859-1917.  Married Mary Kountz in 1882.  Served as a steward at Shasta in 1881, elected as Shasta Constable in 1884, and as Shasta County Sheriff from 1899 to 1903.  Leased the Empire Hotel at Shasta in 1889 and became the postmaster and Wells Fargo Agent.  Engaged in quartz mining in the 1890s.  Purchased the Redding residence of John Scott in 1899 at 1520 West Street, Redding.  Today, the house is in the process of becoming the Behrens-Eaton House Museum.

BELL, AARON (JUDGE)  1832-1903.  Became the first Superior Court Judge in Shasta County in 1880-82.  Owned a gold mine and a box, shingle and lathe factory.  Married Julia Phills in 1874.  It was he who gave the order to move the county seat from Shasta to Redding.  The first high school in Shasta County was established in his 9-room house at the corner of West and Placer Streets in Redding in 1899; in 1902 a new high school was completed facing Placer Street.  

BOWLER, ALBERT  1866-1902.  Arrived in 1882.  Married Julia Stanford in 1884.  Settled on Dry Creek north of Bella Vista and established a rooming house for Copper City vicinity miners.  Was Justice of the Peace at Buckeye. 

BOYLE, GEORGE J.  1866-1927.  Homesteaded land on Poverty Ridge with his brother Frank in approximately 1884 and raised cattle, horses, hogs, and turkeys.  Freighted to Lakeview, Oregon, and sold ranch produce along the way.  Married Carolyn Meyer in 1894.  Purchased Alfred Estep's ranch at North Cow Creek and Swede Creek Road in 1900 which was an established stopping place for travelers on the Oak Run-Buzzard Roost Road.  Served as Justice of the Peace at Buckeye for 24 years. 

BREWSTER, LEWIS L.  1846-1928.  Arrived in northern California in the early 1870s and worked as a Wells Fargo stagecoach driver.  Married Arvilla Sproul in 1876.  Worked as a laborer at Moscow Mill in 1877.  Homesteaded 160 acres near Burney in 1878.  Built the Brewster Stage Station which became a popular overnight stopping place.  Continued to drive part-time for Wells Fargo.  Became the first Constable at Burney in 1882.  Sold his homestead to the Red River Lumber Company in 1906 and purchased property in Dana at the headwaters of Fall River and established another successful stopping place. 

BROCKWAY, W. H.  Became the first Cottonwood judge in 1863. 

BROOKS, G. H.  Served as an Associate Justice in 1860-62. 

BROWN, W. W.  Elected as Constable of the Burney Valley township in 1890. 

BURROWS, JOSEPH  Elected Undersheriff in 1864-66. 

BUSH, CHAUNCEY CARROLL (JUDGE)  1831-1907.  Arrived at Shasta in 1851 and worked as a mule packer and an unsuccessful goldminer.  Married Ida Schroeder in 1865.  Elected as County Judge in 1861.  Admitted to the bar in 1867.  Retained William Magee to survey Shasta in 1870.  Moved to Redding when the railroad arrived in 1872.  Called the Father of Redding because of his many accomplishments.  Was the first Redding merchant, first Redding Mayor, first Redding Fire Chief (at that time called a Foreman), first Redding postmaster, and first Chairman of the Board of Trustees.  Was also a Justice of the Peace (judge).  Built the first house in Redding at the northwest corner of Sacramento and Market Streets (present day location of the Redding Hotel).  Built first Redding store in 1872 at the southeast corner of Butte and Market Streets; store named C. C. Bush & Co.  Redding's first post office was located in a corner of the store.  The building and its contents were destroyed in an 1873 fire.  Established Bush & Johnson, Forwarding and Commission Merchants (express company forwarding business) with partner Henry F. Johnson in 1876 and shipped goods from the railroad by stage and freight wagons to points farther north.  Was an agent for Firemen's Fund Insurance Co. of California in 1881.  He and others started the movement to bring the county seat from Shasta to Redding in 1881.  Organized the Bank of Shasta County (first Shasta County bank) in 1884 on California Street which later moved to the corner of Market and Butte Streets. 

CALABOOSE CREEK  Named for the calaboose (jail) that was built on its banks on Tehama Street west of California Street.  Was the first Redding jail.  Built of 2x4s firmly spiked together.  Used until the new courthouse and jail built in 1889. 

CARBERRY, A. (SQUIRE)  Provided accommodations for teamsters and travelers at his place on Hatchet Mountain in 1878.  Served as Justice of the Peace at Montgomery Creek in 1881.  Carberry Mountain and Carberry Flat are named for him. 

CARR, FRANCIS P.  1875-1944.  Son of Francis Carr.  Attorney and judge.  Admitted to the bar in 1898.  Became State Water Commissioner.  Helped form the Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District.  Married Mary Agnes Kennedy in 1908.  Advocated the construction of Whiskeytown Lake.  Instrumental in the fight for Shasta Dam.  Formed the Redding law firm of Carr and Kennedy in 1914.  Memory preserved in the Judge Francis Carr Powerhouse at Whiskeytown Lake. 

CHAIN GANGS  Initiated by the Board of Supervisors in 1863.  The practice continued at least through 1878.  All county jail prisoners incarcerated for over 30 days were forced to participate.  Balls and chains were used on the prisoners at the discretion of the sheriff. 

CLAYTON, JOHN M.  Mined in the vicinity of Shasta from 1852 until 1867.   Moved to Fall River Valley and established a ranch.  Married Mary J. Barnes in 1879.  Served as Roadmaster and Deputy Sheriff/Constable in Fall River Valley for many years. 

CORSANT, DAVID  Elected County Sheriff in 1850 and 1852. 

COUEY, GEORGE MARION  1865-1936.  Son of pioneer George.  Known as Marion.  Married Martha Taylor in 1888.  Settled approximately one mile east of Ono and established a small farm and watch repair business.  Became Ono's Justice of the Peace.  Widow Martha was appointed to fill his Justice of the Peace position after his death.  Their combined service time was 42 years. 

COURT OF SESSIONS  Created in 1850, ceased in 1855.  Replaced the position of Alcalde.  Was the predecessor of the Board of Supervisors.  Consisted of a County Judge and two Justices of the Peace who tried misdemeanors and managed county property and business affairs. 

COURTHOUSES  Superior Courts only.  Five to date. 

1. 20x28 ft. 2-story log building located on High Street near the head of Boell Alley at Shasta.  Built by Owens and Ward for $5280.  First business conducted in 1854.  Courtroom and an office occupied ground floor.  Two iron walled cells occupied the 2nd floor.  Converted into a schoolhouse in 1861.
2. Present Shasta Courthouse Museum building at Shasta.  65x70 ft. fireproof brick building built in 1855 by James Loag as a private business house/merchandise store.  Some businesses inthe building were the offices of the Shasta Courier newspaper, G. C. Schroter's woodworking, saddle and harness shop, and sewing machine business, and the Beehive Saloon.  Purchased by Shasta County in 1861 for $25,000 and remodeled into five offices, a courtroom and jail.  Used as a courthouse and jail for 27 years.  In 1888 a new courthouse was built at Redding and court cases, county business and the county seat moved to Redding.  The jail was used for a short time to house local incorrigibles.  Shasta Literacy Society rented the courthouse in 1892 for five years, made repairs, built a stage, installed seating and held many lavish affairs.  The building was abandoned by 1922 with only a shell remaining.  The State of California purchased the building in 1937 as a State Historical Monument.  Restoration work began in 1948 and the interior was restored to the 1860s appearance.  The jail cells and courtroom furnishings are in the original locations.  Opened to the public as a museum in 1950 and dedicated a State Monument.  County business is still occasionally conducted in the courtroom.  See George Albro.  See Chain Gangs. 
3. 76x92 ft. 2-story cruciform shaped brick building built for $46,525 by James T. Long on a block of land donated by James B. Haggin bounded by Yuba, Butte, Court and West Streets.  Occupied in 1889, demolished in 1963.  The Statue of Justice that once served as the dome and the bell from the clock tower of this courthouse are currently located on the lawn of the present courthouse. 
4. 64x166 ft. 3-story building built for $753,965 by Marion Allen facing Court Street to the east and in front of where the 3rd courthouse once stood (both existed at same time).  Price did not include extras, architects or inspectors fees.  Construction started in 1854; occupied in 1956.  The rock in the low wall around the courthouse grounds came from the Texas Springs Quarry. 
5. 115,500 sq. ft. one-story structural frame building with reinforced concrete walls and floors located at 1655 West Street, Redding.  Is connected to the 13-story Shasta County Jail building.  Officially named the Shasta County John Balma Justice Center.  Construction began 4-7-1980, work completed 6-22-1984.  Total cost $21,452,859.77. 

COURTS  

• 1849/1850: Mexican government consisting of an Alcalde who served as a Chief Administrator/Judicial Officer.
• 1850 to 1855: Transformed from the Mexican ‘Alcalde’ to the Shasta County Court of Sessions.  Consisted of an elected County Judge and two Justices of the Peace who tried misdemeanors and managed county property and business affairs.
• 1855 to present: Evolved from the Court of Sessions into the present court system.  By the 1980s the justice system had consolidated the Judicial Districts into Municipal Courts creating Superior Courts and Municipal Courts.  In the 1990s, the Superior Courts and the Municipal Courts were created into the Shasta County Courts, a single judicial system which combined all related courts and judicial services.

CURTIS, HOMER A.  Served as Justice of the Peace at Shasta in 1858.  Elected as County Superintendent of Schools in 1866-68. 

DAINGERFIELD, WILLIAM PARKER (JUDGE)  Elected District Judge from 1854 until 1856. 

DRIEBELBIS, JOHN A.  Mexican war veteran.  Fought in the battle of Battle Rock.  Established Driebelbis Ferry across the Pit River in 1853.  Elected County Sheriff in 1856 and served through 1858.  Appointed Indian Agent in 1860.  Served in the Civil War as a Major.  Driebelbis Flat  is named for him. 

EBY, JAMES  Served as Justice of the Peace at French Gulch in 1858. 

ENGLES, OLONZO  Goldminer.  Settled near Igo in the early 1850s.  Became an extensive landowner.  Was constable at Horsetown in 1861 and the first postmaster at Igo in 1873.  Superintended the Chicago Quartz Mine in 1881. 

FENDER, AARON  1813-1886.  Married Sippeny Tankersley in 1833 who died in 1872; married Julia Goodpasture in 1877.  Arrived in Shasta County prior to 1860.  Established the Shasta Coal Mining Company on his property in 1875. Homesteaded 188 acres on the south side of Bullskin Ridge in 1876 (coal mining was conducted on this property.)  Was a Justice of the Peace.  His house is located on the south side of Hwy. 299E approximately ½ mile west of Halcumb Cemetery. 

FOLLANSBEE, JOHN S.  1824(?)-1875.  Arrived at Shasta in 1849 as a goldminer.  Was a partner of James Loag in a trading business at Shasta in 1852.  Married Cecelia Keen In 1857.  Elected County Sheriff in 1860-64 and District Attorney in 1866-70. 

GARTER, E.  Elected as District Attorney in 1856-58, as State Senator in 1858-60, as District Judge in 1862-66 and again in 1868-70. 

GIBSON, REUBEN P.  Blacksmith and Justice of the Peace.  Known as Squire Gibson.Born 1826.  Arrived in Shasta County in 1849.  Married the daughter of Wielputus, Chief of the Shasta Indians.  Had great influence with the Indians as a result of his marriage.  Fought in the battle of Battle Rock in 1855.  Led the attack with a company of 29 white men and 30 Indians.  Was foreman of the Big Slate Creek Hydraulic Company flume.  The California & Oregon Railroad named Gibson Station at Boulder Creek for him.  Gibson Road in the Sacramento River Canyon is also named for him.

GLASSCOCK, J. W.  Owned and operated a feed and livery stable at Fall River Mills and served as Constable of Fall River Mills in 1881. 

GOEWEY, J. M.  Elected as Associate County Judge in 1856-58. 

GOODWIN, CHARLES E.  One of the first two men elected to serve in the Court of Sessions at Shasta in 1851.  Owned Goodwin & York's Bowling Alley and Billiard Hall at Shasta in 1852.  Elected coroner in 1854. 

GREENE, THOMAS  Discovered and worked Tom Greene Mine on Summit Gulch above French Gulch in 1860s.  Married Martha Bidwell in 1867.  Elected Shasta County Sheriff and Tax Collector from 1868 until 1872.  Elected County Sheriff again in 1892.  Built Tom Green Mine Road from French Gulch to Lewiston.  Owned and operated Greene's Hotel at Shasta in 1881. 

HALE, JOHN X.  Operated Hale's Ferry across the Sacramento River beginning in 1860.  Elected as County Deputy Sheriff in 1856-58. 

HANGINGS   Five LEGAL hangings occurred.  A “hanging tree” existed at the lower end of French Alley.  It was cut down but three small branches sprouted from the root ball and were braided together by Amalie Garrecht who lived in the house on the property.  The braid grew into another tree that supposedly still stands today.

1. A. E. Higgins hung in 1855 for murdering D. C. Goodwin.  Escorted by 75 men to gallows especially constructed ½ mile N of Shasta. 
2. Indian Dick hung in 1863 at Shasta for murdering a Chinaman.  Hung from gallows inside Shasta jailyard entirely enclosed from public view. 
3. Indian Doc (aka Indian Jim) hung in 1867 at Shasta for murdering Chinaman Ah Gap. 
4. John Baker (#4) and Charles Crouch (#5) hung on the same day from a scaffold in the Shasta jailyard covered with canvas to hide from general public view but observed by approximately 100 witnesses. 
5. See above. 

Other hangings:

Murderers Tom Bates and Ira Tatman were hung in 1852 a short distance from Shasta.  Their hangings were witnessed by a large crowd who cut up the hangman's rope in sausage lengths and carried the small sections in their hats and pockets believing it to be a cure for headaches, rheumatism, etc.  James (Jimmy) Noland murdered Alex Murdoch inside the Trinity House at a gambling table in 1853.  A speedy trial was held resulting in Noland being hung on the evening of the murder near the residence of Charles McDonald at Whiskeytown.  An unknown Indian was hung in 1853 with the permission of Pierson B. Reading for stealing beef at his Rancho Buena Ventura   Charles and John Ruggles were hung at Redding in 1892 by a lynch mob for robbing the Weaverville stage and killing the messenger. 

HARRISON, W. R. (JUDGE)  Elected as the first Shasta County judge in 1850.  Helpedorganize the Court of Sessions.  Was one of the group who moved the County Seat from Rancho Buena Ventura to Shasta in 1851.  During the winter after his election, hewalked to the county seat of Butte County (Hamilton), took the oath of office, returned to Shasta County, and began organizing Shasta County.  Harrison Gulch is named for him. 

HINCKLEY, JACOB C.  Attorney.  One of three founders of the Shasta Courier newspaper in 1852 with partners Archibald Skillman and Samuel Dosh.  Married Maggie E. Dunn in 1856.  Elected a Shasta County judge from 1852 and served through 1858.  Was the editor of the Shasta Republican newspaper for a short time. 

HOPPING, WILLIAM ELY  Known as Bill.  Arrived in 1852 as a goldminer.  Married Harriet Hopping (second cousin) in 1863.  Established and operated a butcher business at French Gulch until he was elected County Sheriff in 1863.  Served until 1867 and again from 1882 until 1891.  Elected County Judge from 1872 until 1880.  Weighed a whopping 450 pounds.  Gifted with musical talent.  Died in 1892. 

HULL, SYLVESTER   1831-1899.  Known as Vet.  Served as Registrar of the U. S. Land Office at Redding.  Owned and operated a general mercantile store at Buckeye.  Served as Shasta County Sheriff and tax collector from 1872 until 1883.  Married Martha Whiting in 1862, later Celina Zorn.  See Oregon Boot. 

HUNT, JAMES MILTON  1824-1862.  Brother of Daniel and Jonathon.  Married Mary Ann McCall Grant 1846.  Leader of a wagon train which arrived from Missouri in 1850.  Settled in the valley of Oak Run north of Millville.  Rancher.  Served as Justice of the Peace for Pit River Township in 1858. 

JACKSON, GEORGE W.   Was also known as Bullskin Jack.  Operated a combination store/roadhouse business known as Bullskin Jack's and Jackson's Store at the foot of Bullskin Hill at the intersection of Oak Run and Round Mountain Roads in 1872.  Established the Round Mountain Post Office in 1872 inside the store/roadhouse and became the first postmaster.  The post office later moved to the home of Frank Kenyon because of a murder committed inside the roadhouse.  Served as Justice of the Peace and Notary Public at Furnaceville in 1881. 

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE   Were appointed by county judges prior to 1860.  Elections were held after 1860.

KEM, J. J.   Served as Constable at Millville in 1881. 

KENNEDY, ROBERT  Elected Undersheriff in 1881-82. 

KINGSBURY, CHARLES N.  1831-1923.  Miner, carpenter, storekeeper, postmaster, constable, cattle rancher.  Moved to Piety Hill in 1852.  Established the Kilbogie Ranch in 1850s near Piety Hill named by wife Agnes for her father's birthplace in Kilbogie, Scotland.  Married Agnes Parker in 1857.  Built many houses and mills for local mines.  Operated Willard Store and post office for a time.  Was chairman of the first Shasta County Republican Convention.  Was Justice of the Peace at Igo in 1881. 

KNOWLTON, WILLIAM  Justice of the Peace at French Gulch in 1858.  Merchant and postmaster at Cottonwood in 1881. 

KNOX, GEORGE R.  1822-1891.  Goldminer.  Resided in Shasta since 1862.  Established a saloon and billiard parlor to which he later added a reading room.  Was Justice of the Peace over 20 years and Notary Public for 14 years. 

LACK, DeMARCUS FRANKLIN, SR.  1829-1902?  Farmer, County Supervisor, sawmill man, livestock raiser, Justice of the Peace.  Called Frank.  Arrived at Texas Springs in 1852 by ox team via Oregon Trail.  Moved to Shingletown in approximately 1858 and operated the Dry Mill.  Married Mary Jane McDonald same year; their house was located in the southeast corner of the meadow across from the present day Shingletown Store.  In later years the house became McCarley & Smith's slaughterhouse.  Purchased property in 1861 beside Lack Creek and present day Dersch Road; lived there until at least 1877.  Elected County Supervisor for District #5.  While supervisor in 1866 raised money by subscription to pay expenses of the Millville Volunteers who organized to kill Indians in retaliation of the murder of neighbor Mrs. Dersch.  Was Justice of the Peace, Sierra Township, Shingletown, 1871.  Sold Lack Creek ranch in approximately 1877.  Was a farmer at Millville in 1881 and a Justice of the Peace for Anderson Township in 1890.  Lack Creek is named for him. 

LANDRUM, JOEL T.  Elected as County Judge in 1858-60 and again in 1860-62. 

LIPPINCOTT, J. W.  Worked as a carpenter at Montgomery Creek in 1881.  Was re-elected as the Justice of the Peace for the Burney Valley township in 1890. 

LOWDEN, THOMAS  1827-1912.  Married Isabella Brownlee in 1847.  Arrived at French Gulch in 1863 and acquired an interest in the Highland Mine.  Worked a number of years at the Washington Mine.  Was a pioneer road builder.  Elected as the French Gulch Justice of the Peace for many years.  Conducted a farming business at French Gulch in 1881. 

MAGEE, WILLIAM (COLONEL)  1806-1892.  Surveyor and mine owner.  Arrived at Shasta in 1850.  Known as Old Kentuck.  Surveyed the 1st town plat of Shasta.  Surveyed Pierson B. Reading's rancho in 1853.  Was appointed United States Deputy Surveyor in 1854.  Elected as County Surveyor in 1854-56 and again in 1866.  Elected County Undersheriff in 1856-58.  Purchased the Four Mile House in 1860.  Discovered and owned the Iron Mountain Mine with Charles Camden in the early 1860s.  Made the 1st complete map of Shasta County in 1862.  Financed the removal of boulders from the Sacramento River with Pierson B. Reading and others to clear the river for navigation, but the effort failed.  Obtained a franchise to operate a ferry across the  Sacramento River just above the mouth of Cow Creek in 1864.  Was one of the group who financed building a road to Copper City in 1864.  Purchased 10 acres from Pierson B. Reading in 1865 for $50.  U. S. Deputy Mineral Surveyor of California in 1878.  Married Margaret M. Barrin 1828 who died in 1869.  Married Mary Perry who died in 1887.  Married Mrs. Anna L. Moon in 1888.  Unknown origin of Colonel title.  Magee's Peak is named for him. 

MANNING, C. H.  Farmer, stockraiser, historian laureate of Fall River Valley.  Arrived and settled in the Fall River Valley the first time in 1859 but left because of Indian hostilities.  Returned in 1868 and established the Fairview Ranch ½ mile from Fall River Mills.  Served as Justice of the Peace in 1872. 

MARTIN, GEORGE B.  Arrived at Cottonwood in the mid-1880s.  Appointed Cottonwood Deputy Sheriff in 1892.  Operated the Cottonwood Hotel for a short time.  Raised and trained horses. 

McCABE, THOMAS JEFFERSON  1856-1923.  Elected as Justice of the Peace of the Anderson Township in 1880.  Moved to Cottonwood in 1887 and built his house on Locust Street; the house was occupied by a member of the McCabe family until 1990. 

McMURTRY, GEORGE W. (JUDGE)  Served as County Judge.  Purchased the Daingerfield Ferry in 1855 and established the McMurtry Ferry.  Filed for squatter's rights on Rancho de Briesgau land; purchased his portion in 1856 for 62½¢ an acre. 

McNAMAR, ANDREW  1843-1927.  Founded Cottonwood Enterprise newspaper with L. D. Garwood in 1901 but quickly became sole publisher/editor.  Became Cottonwood Justice of the Peace in 1910. 

MIX, JAMES D.  Elected as District Attorney in 1860-62. 

MORROW, H. B.  One of the first two elected Court of Sessions members of 1851. 

NUNNELLY, W. A.  Elected County Sheriff from 1854-56. 

OPPENHEIMER, M.  Served as County Sheriff in 1851. 

OREGON BOOT  Shasta County Sheriff Sylvester Hull used the boot from 1872 to 1882 to transport prisoners.  Even after he left office, the boot continued to be used by several successive sheriffs.  The boot weighed between five and 28 pounds apiece.  The boot was used on one leg only which kept the inmate off balance.  Wearing it for extended periods of time caused extreme physical damage and extreme pain.  It became known as the "man-killer".  It isn't known when the last Oregon Boot was used.

RICHARDSON, JAMES LEE  Served in the capacity of either Sheriff, Deputy Sheriff, or Undersheriff from 1899 until 1939.

ROBINSON, JESSE R. (DR.)  Helped organize Court of Sessions.  Participated in moving the county seat from Pierson B. Reading`s rancho to Shasta in 1851.  Elected the 1st County Clerk in 1851.  Business partner of Dr. Benjamin Shurtleff. 

ROSBOROUGH, A. M. (JUDGE)  Friend and business partner of Samuel Lockhart.  Engaged in the ferry business with Lockhart in 1855 when Lockhart moved into the Fall River Valley and established two ferries, one across the Pit River and another across Fall River.  Elected as District Judge at Yreka from 1870 until 1880.  Appointed as Special Agent to the Modoc War by General Grant in 1873 and as the Yreka area Indian Agent.  Last name also spelled as Rasborough. 

ROSE, MONTGOMERY  1845-1922.  Cattleman and attorney.  Arrived at Fall City in approximately 1875.  Served as Justice of the Peace at Fall River Mills in 1881.  Elected  District Attorney in 1890 and again in 1894. 

SCHROTER, GUNTHER CARL FREDRICK  1828-1905.  Arrived at Shasta in 1855 and established a saddle and harness shop in the Loag Building.  Eventually added a sewing machine business to the shop and shipped machines as far away as Eugene, Oregon.  In 1861 the county purchased the building and he was forced to move.  He established a new saddle and harness shop in Redding.  In 1867 he purchased the Charter Oak Hotel for $450 gold coin and operated it until 1888.  The hotel had a grand ballroom on the 3rd floor; in 1871 Schroter operated a roller-skating rink in it.  Served eight years as Shasta's Justice of the Peace.  Married Pauline Teuthorn in 1859.  Was one of the first businessmen to establish a branch of his business in the new town of Redding when the railroad arrived in 1872.  His Redding harness shop was destroyed by fire in 1881. 

SHED, E. K.  Elected as Associate County Judge in 1856-58.  Leased the St. Charles Hotel at Shasta in partnerhsip with Simeon Southern in 1856. 

SHUFFLETON, HUGH HALL SR.  1830-1919.  Arrived at Shasta in 1850 by ox team and worked as a goldminer.  Returned to Iowa in 1854, purchased a herd of cattle, drove them to Shasta, and established a dairy business.  Married Virginia Ann Apperson in 1855.  Purchased 160 acres in the Bald Hills near Gas Point in 1859 to accommodate his increasing herd, and moved onto it.  Also raised sheep, hogs and horses.  Virginia Ann died in 1863; in 1868 he married Mary Melissa Tipton.  Helped organize the first Gas Point school district.  Was Justice of the Peace for 25 years and Notary Public for 20 years.  Elected as County Supervisor in 1888. 

SOUTHERN, SIMEON FISHER  Known as Sim.  Leased and conducted the Eagle Hotel at Shasta in 1855 with Charles T. Lewis.  Leased and conducted the St. Charles Hotel with Judge E. K. Shed in 1856.  Married Emma Lafferty at Shasta in 1856.  Leased and conducted the Empire Hotel at French Gulch in partnership with S. F. Black from 1856 until 1858.  Moved to Dog Creek in the Sacramento River Canyon and became associated with J. S. Cameron in the operation of Dog Creek House in 1858.  Elected Justice of the Peace for the Sugar Loaf Township in 1859.  Moved to the Hazel Creek area in 1859 and built a log and shake cabin/trading post on a plateau overlooking Hazel Creek.  Eventually enlarged the log cabin into Southern's Hotel and Stage Station, a popular, widely known trading post, stopping place and hotel.  Corrals and sheds were built in 1861 for the Greathouse & Company stage stock when his place was made a home station.  Filed for a homestead claim in 1865.  Established the Hazel Creek Post Office at his hotel in 1887 and served as the postmaster.  Guided many sportsmen on local fishing trips.  The California & Oregon Railroad stationhouse at Sims is named for him.  Owned approximately 700 acres.  Died in 1902.  Sims Exit on I-5, Sims Bridge, Sims Road, Sims Lookout, Sims Lookout Road, Sims Flat, and Sims Flat Campground are all named for him. 

SPANN, JOHN W.   Newspaper editor/farmer/insurance and real estate man.  Married Sarah Freeman Wilson in 1866.  Elected as the first Justice of the Peace in Anderson and served until his death in 1886. 

SPRAGUE, ROYAL TYLER  1814-1872.  Married Frances Blocksom in 1844.  Arrived at Shasta in 1849.  Mined for a short time with little success.  Built his house at the top of the slope opposite the present Shasta Post Office; it burned in 1936.  Elected State Senator in 1851 and 1853.  Established the 1st public school in northern California with Dr. Benjamin Shurtleff and Isaac Roop in 1853.  Elected as Justice of the Supreme Court of California in 1867 and moved to the state capital in 1868.  Became Chief Justice of California in 1868.  Became Chief Justice of Succession in 1872. 

STOCKTON, HENRY CLAY  Elected County Sheriff in 1858-60. 

SUBLETT, WILLIAM W.  Arrived 1895.  Foreman at Midas Mine.  Owned and operated Texas Jack Mine.  Sold in 1903 and purchased ranch near Ono and the Charles Stevens' place beside Duncan Creek and raised cattle and Angora goats.  Elected County Supervisor in 1908 and served three terms.  Elected Sheriff in 1922.  Held office 20 years.  Organized Shasta County Sheriff's Posse in 1942. 

TAYLOR, CLAY W.  Owned Taylor's Ditch.  Attorney for Mountain Copper Company.  Elected as Shasta County District Attorney from 1870 until 1882.  Taylor Post Office named for him. 

WARD, JOSIAH  Elected as District Attorney in 1854-56. 

WHITING, WILLIAM  Elected as Deputy Sheriff in 1881-82.  Killed in the snowstorm of 1889/90. 

WILKENSON, HENRY N.  1815-1903.  Arrived at French Gulch in 1855 with wife Elinor (nee Chambers).  Elected as French Gulch Justice of the Peace in 1856.  Purchased Empire Hotel (year unknown).  Sold hotel in 1858 and purchased Oak Run Ranch from Nicholas Mayer.  Donated land on Oak Run Road where the Wilkenson School was built. 

Copyright 2005 by Dottie Smith