Yreka Historic District

Siskiyou County August 17, 1993

Yreka spelled backwards is almost ‘bakery’, and an account in Mark Twain’s autobiography asserts that miners reading backwards a freshly painted canvas bakery sign hung out to dry thought it was a good enough name for the town then called Thompson’s Dry Diggings. Or maybe they were imbibed and trying to say the name of that other northern border town, ‘Eureka’  Most likely however the name is from the Shasta Indians meaning ‘north or white mountain’. At the town’s formation and boon era, women were virtually non existent yet today compose 62% of the population. Hmmm.

OAC photo



Back in 1880 there was still no rail line north of Redding all the way to Douglas County, Oregon, so when president Rutherford B. Hayes and his entourage were making their trip up the west coast, their version of ‘Air Force One’ turned into a stagecoach, passing through Yreka.

Yreka Chamber of Commerce photo

The chamber of commerce has a great walking tour map that’ll take you through the historic district. Time now to motor on up to Roseburg and play some music for a few weeks and map out an excursion to the landmarks of Del Norte County on the off days.

Plaque Inscription: NO.

901 WEST MINER STREET-THIRD STREET

HISTORIC DISTRICT, YREKA - Founded in March 1851 with the discovery of gold in the nearby 'flats,' Yreka quickly became the commercial and transportation hub for the surrounding communities and mining camps. Yreka's tents and shanties gave way to more substantial commercial and residential buildings seen on West Miner and Third Streets which remain as tangible evidence of the town 19th-century regional prominence.
Location: SW corner of

Miner St

and Broadway, Yreka
Google maps: 41.731695,-122.636315