Shasta, California
Encyclopedia
Shasta is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Shasta County
, California
. Shasta sits at an elevation of 843 feet (256.9 m). The 2010 United States census reported Shasta's population was 1,771.
Shasta State Historic Park located at Shasta is a Ghost town
and California State Historic Park
.
-era Forty-Niners up the Siskiyou Trail
in search of riches - most passed through Shasta, and continued to use it as base of operations.
Situated about six miles (10 km) west of Redding, California
along Highway 299, Shasta was once home to some 3,500 residents and a thriving commercial district. However, in the mid-1880s, the newly-constructed Central Pacific Railroad
bypassed Shasta, in favor of Redding and the town declined into "ghost town
" status.
The poet Joaquin Miller
refers to Shasta in his 1870s novel, Life Amongst the Modocs, based on the experiences of Miller as a young man living in the area in the 1850s. In this book, Miller describes his brief imprisonment in a Shasta jail for horse-stealing and subsequent escape with the aid of his Native American
wife.
, the CDP covers an area of 11.0 square miles (28.4 km²), 99.96% of it land and 0.04% of it water.
was 161.3 people per square mile (62.3/km²). The racial makeup of Shasta was 1,612 (91.0%) White, 11 (0.6%) African American, 37 (2.1%) Native American, 23 (1.3%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 7 (0.4%) from other races
, and 80 (4.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 56 persons (3.2%).
The Census reported that 1,771 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 723 households, out of which 188 (26.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 445 (61.5%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 48 (6.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 40 (5.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 38 (5.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 9 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 144 households (19.9%) were made up of individuals and 58 (8.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45. There were 533 families
(73.7% of all households); the average family size was 2.79.
The population was spread out with 339 people (19.1%) under the age of 18, 96 people (5.4%) aged 18 to 24, 291 people (16.4%) aged 25 to 44, 716 people (40.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 329 people (18.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50.6 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.7 males.
There were 782 housing units at an average density of 71.2 per square mile (27.5/km²), of which 621 (85.9%) were owner-occupied, and 102 (14.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%. 1,507 people (85.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 264 people (14.9%) lived in rental housing units.
Shasta is located in the 4th Senate
District, represented by Republican
Doug LaMalfa
, and in the 2nd Assembly
District, represented by Republican Jim Nielsen
. Federally, Shasta is located in California's 2nd congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of R +13 and is represented by Republican Wally Herger
.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Shasta County
Shasta County, California
Shasta County is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The county occupies the northern reaches of the Sacramento Valley, with portions extending into the southern reaches of the Cascade Range. As of the 2010 census, the population was 177,223, up from 163,256...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Shasta sits at an elevation of 843 feet (256.9 m). The 2010 United States census reported Shasta's population was 1,771.
Shasta State Historic Park located at Shasta is a Ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
and California State Historic Park
California State Historic Park
The State of California operates and maintains about fifty California State Historic Parks, ranging from Shasta State Historic Park, a California Gold Rush-era ghost town in the northern part of the state, to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park in downtown San Diego in the southern part of the...
.
History
A bustling town of the 1850s through the 1880s, Shasta was for its time, the largest settlement in Shasta County and the surrounding area. Sometimes referred to today as "Old Shasta", the town was an important commercial center and a major shipping point for mule trains and stagecoaches serving the mining towns and later settlements of northern California. The discovery of gold near Shasta in 1849 brought California Gold RushCalifornia Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
-era Forty-Niners up the Siskiyou Trail
Siskiyou Trail
The Siskiyou Trail stretched from California's Central Valley to Oregon's Willamette Valley; modern-day Interstate 5 follows this pioneer path...
in search of riches - most passed through Shasta, and continued to use it as base of operations.
Situated about six miles (10 km) west of Redding, California
Redding, California
Redding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census...
along Highway 299, Shasta was once home to some 3,500 residents and a thriving commercial district. However, in the mid-1880s, the newly-constructed Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
bypassed Shasta, in favor of Redding and the town declined into "ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
" status.
The poet Joaquin Miller
Joaquin Miller
Joaquin Miller was the pen name of the colorful American poet Cincinnatus Heine Miller , nicknamed the "Poet of the Sierras".-Early years and family:...
refers to Shasta in his 1870s novel, Life Amongst the Modocs, based on the experiences of Miller as a young man living in the area in the 1850s. In this book, Miller describes his brief imprisonment in a Shasta jail for horse-stealing and subsequent escape with the aid of his Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
wife.
Historic Park
The site of the town is now a California state historical park called Shasta State Historic Park, containing many of the original 1850s-era brick buildings, partially restored. Shasta is now a town with the ruins of the gold mining town, a post office, a church, an elementary school, the oldest Masonic lodge in California, and a store.Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP covers an area of 11.0 square miles (28.4 km²), 99.96% of it land and 0.04% of it water.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Shasta had a population of 1,771. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 161.3 people per square mile (62.3/km²). The racial makeup of Shasta was 1,612 (91.0%) White, 11 (0.6%) African American, 37 (2.1%) Native American, 23 (1.3%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 7 (0.4%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 80 (4.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 56 persons (3.2%).
The Census reported that 1,771 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 723 households, out of which 188 (26.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 445 (61.5%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 48 (6.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 40 (5.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 38 (5.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 9 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 144 households (19.9%) were made up of individuals and 58 (8.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45. There were 533 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(73.7% of all households); the average family size was 2.79.
The population was spread out with 339 people (19.1%) under the age of 18, 96 people (5.4%) aged 18 to 24, 291 people (16.4%) aged 25 to 44, 716 people (40.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 329 people (18.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50.6 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.7 males.
There were 782 housing units at an average density of 71.2 per square mile (27.5/km²), of which 621 (85.9%) were owner-occupied, and 102 (14.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%. 1,507 people (85.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 264 people (14.9%) lived in rental housing units.
Government
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Shasta is located in the 4th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Doug LaMalfa
Doug LaMalfa
Doug LaMalfa is an American politician currently serving in the California State Senate. He is a Republican representing the 4th district, encompassing Del Norte, Siskiyou, Shasta, Trinity, Tehama, Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Sutter, and Yuba counties, as well as parts of Nevada and Placer counties...
, and in the 2nd Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Republican Jim Nielsen
Jim Nielsen
James Wiley Nielsen is an American politician from California and a member of the Republican party. Nielsen served on the Yolo County Republican Committee before winning election to the California State Senate in 1978...
. Federally, Shasta is located in California's 2nd congressional district
California's 2nd congressional district
California's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California. The district contains much of the far northern part of the state, north of Sacramento. It is the largest district by area in California...
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of R +13 and is represented by Republican Wally Herger
Wally Herger
Walter William "Wally" Herger, Jr. , American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1987, representing the California's 2nd congressional district. The second district is physically large...
.