Tehama County, California

The northern end of the Sacramento valley is formed by Tehama County, which reaches from the Sierra to the Coast range, and from Shasta on the north to Butte and Colusa on the south. The area is 8,125 square miles; and the United States census of 1880 gave the population as 9,301, but it is estimated the present population is fully 15,000. Red Bluff, the county seat, is one of the most important cities in northern California. It lies on a high bluff of the Sacramento River, and has many fine buildings and a large and growing trade. Other towns are Corning, Vina and Tehama. The lands of Tehama are fully as rich as those of Sutter, but there is more waste land, which is utilized as sheep pasture. For years the chief industries were wheat and wool-growing, but of late fruit has received special attention. Many of the great wheat ranches have been split up, and sold in small farms to settlers, who are planting prunes, peaches and other deciduous fruits. The county boasts of the largest vineyard in the state, or in the world, the estate of Senator Stanford at Vina, comprising 50,000 acres, of which 3,500 acres are planted to wine grapes. Large fields are sown to alfalfa, and Holstein cattle and thoroughbred horses are also a feature of this ranch. In the northern section lumbering is an important industry. The assessed valuation in 1889 was $11,904,255.

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