General George Wright, head of Fort Reading
Fort Reading is a historical site in
Anderson, California in
Shasta County. Fort Reading site is a
California Historical Landmark No. 379 listed on March 31, 1933. Founded on January 3, 1944, on west side of
Cow Creek, Fort Reading was built to protect the settlers,
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...
miner
A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...
s and travelers in the area. Fort Reading was founded by
United States Army by Second Lieutenant E. N. Davis, Co. E,
2nd Infantry. Davis was sent to build the fort by
Lieutenant Colonel George M. Wright. At the time the large fort was the first fort in
Northern California
Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...
. The fort was built in 10 acres of land that had been cleared for good visibility. Fort Reading was named after
Pierson Barton Reading. Most of the larger base of troops was removed on April 1, 1856. The second draw down of troops was on June 13, 1867. The Fort Reading was completely abandoned on April 6, 1870. The Cow Creek would flood some years, flooding the fort sometimes. No trace of Fort Reading remains.
The marker at the site of the Fort Reading was placed there in 1934 by the U.S. Army and the Shasta Historical Society.
See also
*
California Historical Landmarks in Shasta County
This list includes properties and districts listed on the California Historical Landmark listing in Shasta County, California. Click the "Map of all coordinates" link to the right to view a Google map of all properties and districts with latitude ...
References
{{Central Valley Rivers
California Historical Landmarks
History of Shasta County, California
1861 in California
1861 establishments in California