Complete with all the trappings of a Wild West gold-mining town, Yreka was incorporated in 1857. Within six weeks of the discovery of gold in 1851, over 2,000 miners had arrived, and a town of makeshift wooden and canvas shelters suddenly appeared, forming the beginnings of what was to become the city. Today Yreka is Siskiyou County's government center. Its National Historic District encompasses both a lovely residential section and charming commercial district, offering a glimpse into the late 1800s. "The Golden City" boasts over 75 structures from the 1800s and early 1900s, wrought by the founders of Siskiyou County's gold, agricultural, and timber industries and preserved by Yreka's community today.
Claudia A. East and Karen Cleland, principal researchers, along with coauthors Donald Y. East and Yale East, have selected images that provide a fresh look into Yreka's rich past. Avid genealogists and cultural historians, Claudia East and Karen Cleland weave a rich historical tapestry, while Donald and Yale East lend their professional artistic expertise to craft this stunning photographic chronicle. Images culled from the extensive photographic archives of the Siskiyou County Museum, as well as the University of California Davis Special Collections Library along with other libraries, organizations, and individuals, invite readers to take this photographic journey through the history of Yreka.