Siskiyou County, California

At the far northern end of the state, Siskiyou includes the mountains that form the natural wall between California and Oregon. It lies between Modoc and Del Norte, and comprises some of the finest scenery in the state. At the eastern end are portions of the historic lava-beds. The canyons of the Sacramento and Pitt rivers form the natural highway to Oregon, while the whole western part is a series of broken mountain ridges. Yreka, the county seat, is a flourishing town, while other new towns along the railroad are Sisson's, Upper Soda Springs, and Montague. The area of the county is 6,078 square miles, and the population, given in 1880 as 8,610, is now estimated at 15,500. The assessed valuation in 1889 was 16,000,000. Mining is still the chief industry, but general farming is rapidly taking its place, as the lands are rich and produce heavy crops of all the cereals. In the northern part stock-raising is carried on. In the southeastern part of the county lies Mt. Shasta. The Southern Pacific Company have proposed to the United States government to set aside the region near Mt. Shasta as a national park, and thus preserve the timber and game. If this be done, the region will become a resort for tourists second only in its attractions to the Yosemite Valley.

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Source: California State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1890, Volume II, R. L. Polk & Company, 1890.