Siskiyou County Museum - Yreka, CA - History Museums on Waymarking.com

The Siskiyou County Museum is located in Yreka and contains both an indoor and outdoor museum. The museum is also home to the Siskiyou County Historical Society which has a Geneological Research building tucked away behind the museum.

The County of Siskiyou website says the following regarding this museum:

The Siskiyou County Museum was built in 1950 by the county to collect, preserve, disseminate and interpret the history of the area for future generations. Located within one hour of Lava Beds National Monument, the Marble Mountain Wilderness Area, majestic 14,162 foot Mount Shasta, and numerous gold-bearing rivers, the Museum features exhibits detailing Siskiyou County's colorful history from Indian cultures to 20th century themes. The Museum is an interpretive center for the history of Siskiyou County and includes exhibits, programs, and a research library.

The Siskiyou County Museum is located at 910 South Main Street in Yreka. The original building was completed in 1950 (photo below) and was designed to resemble a most historic 1854 structure, The Callahan Hotel (photo above) which is located in rural Siskiyou County. The small town of Callahan grew up around their hotel. M. B. Callahan was a merchant who had a trade route between the coast and Yreka. He bought a cabin which he turned into a place for food and lodging for travelers on the Oregon Trail in 1852. Eventually the Hayden Hotel (Callahan Ranch Stage Station) was built. For many, many years this stately old structure sat in dire need of repair. Today, we can happily report that it is being lovingly restored and is returning to its former glory. This was such an important building in the area and the history was so vivid that the Siskiyou County Museum wanted to honor it by taking on its form. It may be of interest to note that a drive from Yreka to the small town of Callahan today is a favorite excursion for many locals as the route is remarkably picturesque and is only about an hour from Yreka.

The Siskiyou County Museum is an excellent place to begin a quest for historical knowledge of Yreka and Siskiyou County. The museum has superior permanent exhibits as well as outstanding temporary ones. In addition to the main building there is an outdoor exhibit area with buildings, machinery, and interesting artifacts. The outdoor area is open during the summer months. One of the buildings housed in the outdoor museum is a California State Landmark, The Spring School, an old school building that once sat near Dorris, California in the northeastern part of Siskiyou County.

Inside the museum one can visit the Native American Gallery, A Trappers Gallery and The Gold Mining Gallery. One can see evidence of what life was once like before and during gold discovery in Siskiyou County. A research library is also available filled with books, newspapers, photographs and helpful people!