Dunsmuir is currently a hub for tourism inNorthern California, withInterstate 5 passing through it. Visitors enjoy fishing, skiing, climbing, or sight-seeing. During thesteam locomotive railroad era, it was the site of an importantCentral Pacific (and laterSouthern Pacific)railroad yard, where extra steam locomotives were added to assist trains on the grade to the north.
Dunsmuir is located on the Upper Sacramento River, a blue ribbon trout stream that attracts fishermen from all over the world. Wild rainbow trout abound in the river. Additionally, the city has a private stocking permit from the Department of Fish and Game. The city currently has a "Big Fish Program" and stocks the river within the city limits with trophy-sized rainbow trout up to 14 pounds (6.4 kg). These stockings take place during the summer months. Catch-and-release fishing is permitted in the river during the off-season, so fly-fishing is available year-round.
The town is also a destination for historical and cultural tourists, as the town has preserved an authentic 1920s and 1930s look and feel. Dunsmuir's long connection with the railroad drawsrailfans to enjoy the sights and sounds of the railroad in the steep Sacramento River canyon. Dunsmuir is officially a Union Pacific "Train Town" and enjoys many financial benefits because of its relationship with the railroad.
During the summer, the city hosts many local weekend festivals, including "Dogwood Daze", "Railroad Days" and the "Tribute to the Trees" al fresco dinner/concert along the river in the city's pristine park, home to Dunsmuir Botanical Gardens. The city also has another river's edge park, Tauhindauli Park, over which passes the I-5 freeway, and several popular easy-access fishing spots.
Mount Shasta as viewed from DunsmuirMossbrae Falls, near north DunsmuirPost office in Dunsmuir
Sites in and near Dunsmuir have been inhabited for over 5000 years. At least three waves of early peoples swept through area, establishing residence. At the time of the first European-American contact in the 1820s, the site of Dunsmuir was within the range of theOkwanuchu tribe ofNative Americans.
During the 1820s, early European-American hunters and trappers passed through Dunsmuir's site, following theSiskiyou Trail. In the mid-1830s, pioneer horse and cattle drives came up the Sacramento Canyon, delivering livestock from Mexican California to the new settlements in theOregon Country to the north. In 1841, an overland party of the famousUnited States Exploring Expedition passed through the area.
TheCalifornia Gold Rush led to increased traffic along the Siskiyou Trail through Dunsmuir's site, leading to the first non-Native American settlers atUpper Soda Springs in north Dunsmuir in the early 1850s. The discovery of gold atYreka, California dramatically increased movement through the site of Dunsmuir, and a toll bridge and stagecoach hotel were built atUpper Soda Springs.
In 1887, the completion of theCentral Pacific Railroad along the line of the Siskiyou Trail led to the creation of the modern town of Dunsmuir. The railroad developed a division point on the flats south of Upper Soda Springs, where railroad steam engines would be serviced, and added to trains to push them up the steep grades north of town. A roundhouse and turntable were built. All this activity required the creation of a town, initially known as 'Poverty Flats' or 'Pusher'. South of the present downtown and north of Castella is an area known as Nutglade, which was previously known as Dunsmuir and before that, Cedar Flat. So the name moved north from the South rail yard to the main rail yard. During the railroad heyday, Dunsmuir was the largest town in this County which is the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined.
In 1888, Alexander Dunsmuir, second son of British Columbian coal baronRobert Dunsmuir, was passing through, and according to contemporary accounts, was so taken with the beauty of the area that he offered to donate a fountain to the new town, if they would rename the town in his honor.
By the early 1900s, Dunsmuir was the largest town in Siskiyou County, and for a long time had been the largest California city north of Sacramento. The construction of thePacific Highway along the Siskiyou Trail in the mid-1910s brought more tourists. By the mid-1950s, the railroad transitioned from steam to diesel locomotives, and the substantial workforce in Dunsmuir was not needed, resulting in the town's contraction. Interstate 5 runs through the canyon along with the railroad and the upper Sacramento River.
California Theater
As a result, Dunsmuir retains today much of the charm and scale of the 1920s and 1930s, and has been designated on theNational Register of Historic Places. The downtown area is now a designated historic district. The California Theater, after fifty years without an organ, were able to acquire and re-install their original Wurlitzer instrument.[importance?]
In July 1935, two fugitives were passing through town. Police Chief F.R. "Jack" Daw, and California Highway Patrol Officer C. "Doc" Malone went to catch them. The criminals ambushed the officers wounding Officer Malone and killing Chief Daw. One of the criminals, Clyde Johnson, was caught and put in jail in Yreka to await trial. A group of vigilantes from Dunsmuir went to Yreka, broke Johnson out of jail and lynched him. To this day the identity of those vigilantes has never been formally acknowledged. It is said to have been the last public lynching in California.[5]
Site of the 1991 spill. Guardrail on left was constructed after the spill.
On the night of July 14, 1991, aSouthern Pacific train derailed into the upperSacramento River at ahorseshoe curve of track known as theCantara Loop, upstream from Dunsmuir. Several cars made contact with the water, including a tank car. On the morning of July 15, it became apparent that the tank car had ruptured and spilled its entire contents into the river – approximately 19,000 gallons of the soil fumigantmetam sodium. Ultimately, over a million fish, and tens of thousands of amphibians and crayfish were killed. Millions of aquatic invertebrates, including insects and mollusks, which form the basis of the river's ecosystem, were destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of willows, alders, and cottonwoods eventually died. Many more were severely injured. The chemical plume left a 41-mile wake of destruction, from the spill site to the entry point of the river intoShasta Lake.[6] The accident still ranks as the largest hazardous chemical spill inCalifornia history.[7]
The Upper Sacramento River is now largely recovered from the spill though some species (crayfish and frogs) have not yet come back. The watershed is carefully stewarded by The Upper Sacramento River Exchange. The popular fishery is again healthy. Recent changes to angling regulations have opened the Upper Sacramento River to catch-and-release fishing all year round. Five-pound trout have often been caught right in the city.
Tauhindauli Park and Trail is on the former site ofUpper Soda Springs resort along the Sacramento River canyon. It consists of approximately 10 acres (4.0 ha) of level ground on the bank of the river, the surrounding hillsides, and continues north along the eastern bank of the Sacramento River to the Dunsmuir City Park, in the heart of Dunsmuir. Long a local fishing spot, swimming hole, and site of both historical[citation needed] and ecological significance,[to whom?] the site has been improved to enhance its recreational opportunities and aesthetics. Environmental work and levee restructuring has improved flood control for the entire town. The Tauhindauliriver restoration project created a park with pathways winding through native grasses and plants, with fishing access and picnic areas. For ecological and flood-control purposes, riparian forests and meadows have been restored close to their original condition. Levees have been moved and built up for maximum protection for the park from river erosion and to restore the watershed to the natural habitat which provides food for animals. The Park can be accessed from River Avenue. to the south and Stagecoach Road to Upper Soda Springs Road in the canyon. Tauhindauli Park and Trail was a project of the Dunsmuir Garden Club. Funding for this project came principally from the Cantara Trustee Council and theCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife.[10]
Shasta Springs was the name of a popular summer resort on the UpperSacramento River, during the late Nineteenth Century and early Twentieth Century. It was located just north of the City of Dunsmuir, California and just north ofUpper Soda Springs along theSiskiyou Trail in northernCalifornia
Upper Soda Springs is on the banks of theSacramento River in Dunsmuir, California. It consists of approximately ten acres (40,000 m2) of level ground on both sides of the River, the surrounding hillsides, and continues north along the eastern bank of the Sacramento River to the Dunsmuir City Park. The State ofCalifornia and the City of Dunsmuir are creating a new park on this historic site. The Upper Soda Springs site contains ariparian ecosystem and includes its namesakemineral watersprings. In large part because of its location on theSiskiyou Trail, the site mirrors the history of the state and of theAmerican West.
Mossbrae Falls is awaterfall flowing into the UpperSacramento River, in theShasta Cascade area in Dunsmuir, California. The falls are located just south of the lower portion ofShasta Springs. Access to the falls via a mile-long hikingtrail on theUnion Pacific Railroad tracks is currently closed, as Union Pacific and the City of Dunsmuir figure out a safer route to the falls.
Hedge Creek Falls is awaterfall on Hedge Creek, in theShasta Cascade area in Dunsmuir, California. There is a small cave located behind the waterfall, allowing visitors to walk behind the cascading water.[11] Shortly after the waterfall, Hedge Creek flows into theSacramento River south ofMossbrae Falls. There is a viewing platform over the river, with a view ofMount Shasta. Access to the waterfall and viewing platform is via a short hikingtrail. The trail starts at a small park off the Dunsmuir Ave/Siskiyou Ave exit onInterstate 5.[12] The close proximity to Interstate 5 makes the waterfall a very popular stopping point for passing motorists. Charles E. Bolton, better known asBlack Bart, robbed the Roseburg, Oregon to Redding, California stage near Dunsmuir on October 25, 1879. Evidence found at the time indicated that Bart hid in the shallow cave behind the falls prior to the holdup. This was one of three holdups committed by Black Bart in this area. Normally he operated much further south.
Dunsmuir has anoceanicMediterranean climate (Köppen:Csb, bordering onCsa), featuring cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers with cool mornings. Its temperatures are similar to those of the nearby cities ofYreka andMedford (about 90 miles or 140 km north in the state ofOregon) but Dunsmuir receives three-and-a-half times as much precipitation. There are an average of 59 afternoons with highs at or above 90 °F (32.2 °C) and an average of 104 mornings with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower, using the most recent 1991–2020 climate period.[13] The record high of 109 °F (42.8 °C) has occurred on four separate occasions: August 8, 1981; August 9, 1984; July 30, 2022; and July 31, 2022, and the record low of 4 °F (−16 °C) occurred on December 21, 1990.[13] The warmest overnight low was 71 °F (22 °C) on June 26, 1981, and the coldest afternoon high was 17 °F (−8 °C) on December 21, 1990.[13] The average dates of the first and last freeze are October 20 and April 24, respectively.[13] Despite the long freeze period, extreme cold is uncommon, and some winters go without seeing a single night fall below 20 °F (−7 °C). This most recently occurred during the winter of 2019–2020.[13]
The average annual precipitation is 63.33 inches (1,608.6 mm), with over 50% falling in just three months: December, January, and February.[13] There are an average of 98 days with measurable precipitation.[13] The wettest "water year" was from October 1982 to September 1983 with 111.14 inches (2,823.0 mm) and the driest from October 2020 to September 2021 with 27.28 inches (692.9 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 40.81 inches (1,036.6 mm) in January 1995. The most rainfall in one calendar day was 6.44 inches (163.6 mm) on December 31, 1996.[13] Snowfall averages 26.7 inches (68 cm), falling on 13 days. The most snowfall in one season was 103.1 inches (262 cm) from July 2022 to June 2023, and the least snowfall in one season was 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) from July 2014 to June 2015. The most snowfall in one day is 30.0 inches (76 cm) on February 24, 2023.[14][15]
Climate data for DUNSMUIR TRTMT PL, CA (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1978-)
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2), 97.86% of it land and 2.14% of it water.[3]
At an elevation of approximately 2,350 feet (720 m) above sea level, a unique setting is created by the Sacramento River in which class 3 whitewater rapids are usually created during summer run off through a town of about 2,000 residents. In plain view from some of the city's public streets, this may be one of the few places in western North America where three categories of "twos" (population, elevation, and whitewater difficulty) are met or eclipsed. (Eastern US example: theCherry River atRichwood, WV)[citation needed]
Mt. Shasta's lava layers filter the drinking water and eliminate the need for filtration or treatment; thus the town's marketing slogan, "Home Of The Best Water On Earth".[19] Three water fountains are located on Dunsmuir Avenue in the Historic District. Two of the fountains previously ran 24 hours a day, however have since been changed in 2015 to only flow on demand due to water conservation measures placed on the state of California by Governor Jerry Brown.[citation needed]
The whole population lived in households. There were 798 households, out of which 191 (23.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 269 (33.7%) were married-couple households, 86 (10.8%) werecohabiting couple households, 226 (28.3%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 217 (27.2%) had a male householder with no partner present. 278 households (34.8%) were one person, and 127 (15.9%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.14.[21] There were 437families (54.8% of all households).[22]
The age distribution was 302 people (17.7%) under the age of 18, 113 people (6.6%) aged 18 to 24, 380 people (22.3%) aged 25 to 44, 471 people (27.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 441 people (25.8%) who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 47.9years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males.[21]
There were 1,091 housing units at an average density of 680.2 units per square mile (262.6 units/km2), of which 798 (73.1%) were occupied. Of these, 439 (55.0%) were owner-occupied, and 359 (45.0%) were occupied by renters.[21]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $47,708, and theper capita income was $40,124. About 7.2% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line.[23]
The Census reported that 1,650 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 763 households, out of which 180 (23.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 276 (36.2%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 84 (11.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 51 (6.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 80 (10.5%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 6 (0.8%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 271 households (35.5%) were made up of individuals, and 99 (13.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16. There were 411families (53.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.77.
The population was spread out, with 320 people (19.4%) under the age of 18, 110 people (6.7%) aged 18 to 24, 354 people (21.5%) aged 25 to 44, 584 people (35.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 282 people (17.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.
There were 1,110 housing units at an average density of 639.8 units per square mile (247.0 units/km2), of which 416 (54.5%) were owner-occupied, and 347 (45.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 15.6%. 886 people (53.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 764 people (46.3%) lived in rental housing units.
Dunsmuir has a City Manager form of government with an elected five-person Council, a Chamber of Commerce, a mayor, and two school districts. The current mayor is Michael Clarno.[2]
The Dunsmuir Fire Department and The Dunsmuir Fire Protection District operate together under a Joint Powers Authority (JPA). The department has an automatic aid agreement with the Castella Fire District and all three are overseen by a single Fire Chief. The fire department runs on average 400 to 500 calls per year. The original city fire department was founded in 1897.
In 1992 the City of Dunsmuir Police Department was disbanded and law enforcement services for the city were contracted to the Siskiyou County Sheriff Department. Dunsmuir contracts for 7,200 hours of service per year which provides the city with a Sergeant and four Deputy Sheriffs. The sheriff department answers around 2,500 calls for service annually.
Amtrak'sCoast Starlight stops daily in both directions at theDunsmuir Amtrak station,[28] located on one of Dunsmuir's two commercial streets, both in the historic district. This is the only stop in Siskiyou County, and the northernmost Amtrak station in California, located at a midpoint betweenRedding andKlamath Falls, Oregon. The County bus service, the Stage, from Dunsmuir north through the county (Mt. Shasta, Weed, Yreka, etc.) connects to Amtrak. The station is maintained by city residents and local rail enthusiasts, and includes a museum,[29] telephones, restrooms and shelter from the weather. The town itself is arailroad museum with an operatingturntable.
Gerrold, David (September–October 2016). "The Dunsmuir Horror".Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine.131: 136. The central conceit of the story is that the town of Dunsmuir is comparable toBrigadoon in that it exists only intermittently.