Today the natural resources of the Trinity River include the Salmon, Steelhead, Rainbow and Brown Trout. They are sought with the same enthusiam as the prospectors looked for gold, by fishermen who often "catch and release" their fish so they will continue to be found in the river for generations to come. Very few have been seen throwing any gold back into the river.
In 1850, The newly created "State" of California's Legislature divided up modern-day Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity County to form the Trinty County that exists today.
Just Northwest of Weaverville, Oregon Mountain hosts the location of the largest Placer Mine mine in the world. It's name is La Grange and it operated from 1851 to 1942. Down-river from this historic mine today are settlements who's names echo mining from the past; Junction City, Helena, North Fork, Big Bar, Big Flat, Cox's Bar, Cedar Flat, Burnt Ranch and New River.
Weaverville, the modern day county seat, was named by John Weaver, who won the honor in a game of chance in 1850. A couple weeks after giving his name to the town, he left and was never seen again. Today, Weaverville is the largest population center in Trinity County. Even today there are no incorporated towns or permanent electric traffic lights in this large county where only 3% of the land is privately owned. Since 1856, The Trinity Journal a weekly paper, has been printing the newspaper and the history of the area.
In the 1850's, Weaverville was a town growing on each side of what is modern-day Highway 299W, part of the orginal stagecoach road that extended to the East to Old Shasta at the edge of modern day Redding.
After the disastrous fire in 1854, several Red brick bulidings with walls 2 feet thick were built to insure that Weaverville would never again be lost to fire. Most of those buildings are still sitting next to the same road where mule teams used to deliver freight, but now they look down on cars, trucks, and RVs. Worth noting is the fact that the Weaverville Drug Store, has been in continious operation in the same place on "Main Street", since customers tied their horses and mules up at the hitching post in front. The present day Trinity County Court House an impressive Red brick 1850s building, with Blacksmith forged metal shutters. It was originally a dance hall-saloon and a place of other professional personal services that has kept the plaque for the oldest court house in California elsewhere in the state...
Today's Hayfork, named because of the hay that is still produced in the area, is the second largest community in modern day Trinity. Near there is a "natural bridge" that is another of Trinity's natural wonders and part of it's rich history located near Hayfork. Each year the "Tribal Stomp" brings thousands to Hayfork in the summer for music,crafts and amusement.
Lewiston was named for B.F.Lewis, who had a Ferry Crossing concession near the present day location of the one-lane bridge that was built in 1901. Lewiston had one of the first U.S Post Offices in Trinity and has remained a vibrant population center. The Lewiston Hotel was an important stop on the stagecoach road for weary travelers. Today it is still a favorite stop by locals and tourists alike for a good meal and something to drink. The annual "Peddler's Faire" craft and entertainment event brings many to the historical downtown area of Lewiston.
No brief history of Trinity would be complete without mentioning Trinity Lake,and the nearby settlement of Trinity Center. It was established as a stage stop on the the way to Yreka in the 1860s. The construction of Trinity Dam for storage of water and production of electricity flooded Trinity Center's original location. Today it is prospering only a few miles from it's original location complete with a small grocery store and Gas Station. It is also the location of one of the county's small airports and hosts it's annual "Fly-In" and Bar-B-Q with attendees flying in from all over the country. Trinity Lake is a year-around fishing location for bass, trout and cat-fish and seasonal resorts with a fleet of rental houseboats that provide a unique vacation destination and experience.
The "Law and Order" today is still provided by the Trinity County Sheriff and his Deputies. You can see an actual Jail Cell and many other historical artifacts in Weaverville at the Jake Jackson Museum run by the Trinity Countyl Historical Society. History in this unique part of California is not just a tradition, but an obligation, many inhabitants are related to the original settlers of the area.. There are many books available at the museum, the Hays Book Store, and the Weaverville Drug Store in Weaverville. There are also selected Books here on the website at the TrintyCam Bookstore. The California Highway Patrol, Trinity River Division, keeps the highways and citizens safe from it's Weaverville headquarters. Fire protection is provided throughout the county's population centers by the citizen members of our, dedicated local volunteer fire and rescue departments. The California State Department of Forestry and United States Forest Service provide back-up and primary response to major fire incidents. When the sight and smell of smoke is present in Trinity skies, it's citizens are always relieved and grateful to see the helicopters and fixed wing tankers in the sky above. Another welcome sight are the trucks and buses that carry the heroic firefighters and their brightly colored protective equipment on the highways to fight the fire.
Southern Trinity looks much different that most of the rest of Trinity County that is largely in the shadow of alpine mountains, lakes, and forests. As you travel Southward towards bordering Mendocino County, you encounter rolling hills and grasslands that show the diversity of the resources of Trinity. You can not be too distracted by the surrounding beauty there, as you have to be watchfull for the occasional cow that wanders off the "open range" onto the roadway. Communities like Mad River, Peanut, Ruth, Hyampom, Zenia, Hetten Valley, Kettenpom and Ruth Lake all contribute to the richness of Southern Trinity County.
Please e-mail your corrections and comments to The Oldtimer - We will get the horses saddled, take it to his cabin and leave it by the big rock with his supplies & mail. We will leave out the whiskey so it will get fixed sooner than later
Trinity County History Links
Last Updated: July 24, 2007