Mount Shasta, California

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mount Shasta is a city in Siskiyou County, California, located at around 3,600 ft (1,100 m) on the flanks of Mount Shasta, a prominent northern California landmark. The city is less than 9 miles (14 km) southwest of the summit of its namesake volcano. As of the 2000 Census the city had a total population of 3,621.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Climate 4 Demographics 5 Notable Residents 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] History

The site of present-day Mount Shasta City was within the range of the Okwanuchu tribe of Native Americans. During the 1820s, early Euro-American trappers and hunters first passed through the area, following the path of the Siskiyou Trail. The Siskiyou Trail was based on a network of ancient Native American footpaths connecting California and the Pacific Northwest. The discovery of gold at nearby Yreka, California in 1851, dramatically increased traffic along the Siskiyou Trail and through the site of present-day Mount Shasta. Pioneer Ross McCloud built one of the first lumber mills in the area, near the site of the present Sisson Museum. The completion of a stagecoach road between Yreka and Upper Soda Springs in the late 1850s led to the building of Sisson's Hotel, as a stop for weary travelers, and as a staging ground for adventuresome tourists intending to climb Mount Shasta.

The 1887 completion of the Central Pacific Railroad, built along the line of the Siskiyou Trail, brought a dramatic increase in tourism, lumbering, and population into Mount Shasta. This early development continued to focus on tourism and lumbering.

The area where the town later grew up was known first as Strawberry Valley, and then as Berryvale. With the arrival of the railroad, the town was given the name Sisson, California, after prominent land owner Justin Sisson. The name was changed to Mount Shasta City in 1924.

In 1995, the first Black Bear Diner opened in the town. The diner would later become a restaurant chain.

[edit] Geography

Mount Shasta is located at 41°18'52" North, 122°18'41" West (41.314542, -122.311510)^GR1. It is located along Interstate 5 south of Weed and north of Dunsmuir, California.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.7 km² (3.7 mi²). 9.7 km² (3.7 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

The area hydrology consists of an unnamed stream in the south part of town which joins Big Springs Creek, which then flows south as Cold Creek to join the headwaters of the South Fork of the Sacramento River.^[1] The typical depth to groundwater is quite shallow in the predominant alluvium.^[2]

The town is situated on the distal gently sloping southwest flanks of Mount Shasta, with the chief surficial soils being Quaternary alluvium. This alluvium is adjacent to and probably underlain byvolcaniclastic rock deposited by Mount Shasta in the course of its development. Groundwater elevation is approximately at the elevation of the underlying native black peat soil. Where this peat occurs, of approximately two feet thickness, is underlain by stream deposit sands and gravels.

[edit] Climate

With Mount Shasta to the east forcing moisture out of the air as it ascends and cools, and the dip in the Klamath Mountains allowing more moisture to reach inland, Mount Shasta gets more precipitation than the semiarid region to the north. This means that in the winter, Mount Shasta gets 104" (264 cm) of snowfall despite its low 3,600 ft. (1,097 m) elevation ([1]). In comparison, points in the region around this elevation get much less snow than Mount Shasta, like Weed, which gets only 20" (52.8 cm). Winters are generally cool to cold and summers are quite hot due to the continential climate of this region.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,621 people, 1,669 households, and 926 families residing in the city. The population density was 373.8/km² (967.5/mi²). There were 1,798 housing units at an average density of 185.6/km² (480.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.77% White, 1.52% Black or African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.63% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 2.13% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. 5.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 1,669 households out of which 27.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% are married couples living together, 12.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 44.5% are non-families. 38.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 16.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.14 and the average family size is 2.83.

In the city the population is spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $26,500, and the median income for a family is $37,313. Males have a median income of $37,697 versus $18,708 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,629. 19.4% of the population and 14.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 31.5% of those under the age of 18 and 11.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

[edit] Notable Residents

• Former NFL defensive star Jason Sehorn is a 1989 graduate of Mount Shasta High School.
• Writer Anita Loos, author of the screenplay Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, was born in Sisson (now Mount Shasta) in 1889.
• Sherrie Russell Meline, the artist whose painting of a Ross's Goose was selected for the 2006-2007 Federal Duck Stamp, lives in Mount Shasta.

[edit] See also

• Mount Shasta
• Mount Shasta Ski Park
• Shasta Lake
• McCloud Railway

[edit] References

• Mount Shasta Collection at College of the Siskiyous
• Zanger, MIchael (1992). Mt. Shasta: History, Legend, Lore. Celestial Arts. ISBN 0-89087-674-6. 
• Selters, Andy; MIchael Zanger (2006). The Mt. Shasta Book (3rd ed.). Wilderness Press. ISBN 0-89997-404-X. 

1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey, Weed 15 Minute Quadrangle, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC (1954)
2. ^ Phase I Environmental Site Assessment,301 West Lake Street, Mount Shasta, California, Earth Metrics Incorporated, San Mateo, Ca., rpt. no. 10363, December 18, 1989

[edit] External links

• Official homepage for the City of Mount Shasta
• Museum of the Siskiyou Trail
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 41.314542° -122.31151°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA