• Built by the Red River Lumber Co.and operated by PG&E. [c]  PG&E purchased in 1945. [c]

• Built 1920. [c]

• Began operating 1921.  [a][b][c]
  

• Built by the Red River Lumber Co. and operated by PG&E.

• PG&E purchased in 1945.

• Built in 1920[2]

• Began operating in 1921. [a][b] 

• Water added to Hat Creek from Crystal Lake and Rock Creek [b] just below Hat #1 Powerplant [b], on Hat Creek, just above Hat Creek Falls.

• Water moved thru a flume 4,469 ft to head of the penstock. [b]

• Flume ends in another forebay with radial gates. [b]

• Water is carried to the powerhouse through a 400 ft long penstock. [b]

Hat #2 Powerhouse

• Built by the Red River Lumber Co.and operated by PG&E.

• PG&E purchased in 1945.

• Built in 1920[3]

• Began operating in 1921. [a][b]

Redding Waterwheel

• In the mid 1880's, San Francisco businessman/investor Francis Smith, through his employee Samuel P. Fillman, installed a water system for Redding. In 1889 he directed the building of an "enormous water wheel. . . which ran a generator and furnished power" to Redding. Located at the south end of the North Market St Bridge. "put the gas lighting company out of business." [c][d]

• Lights first turned on for a portion of the town on April 1, 1890. [d]

• "The first electric power used in Redding was generated by a large paddle wheel located in the wheel ditch in the river near the foot of what is now Pine Street. This was built and operated by Samuel P. Fillman for the Francis Smith interests of San Francisco. He also installed the first water system, pumping water from the river near the wheel ditch. This was later replaced by a steam and turbine operated electric plant near the Free Bridge. The water was also pumped from here to a reservoir at top of the hill on Gold Street. The Smith interests in Redding were finally acquired by the Northern California Power Company, which brought in power from Volta near Shingletown and moved the pumping plant and substation to Jenny Creek northwest of Redding." [f]

Freebridge Substation at Redding

• Stone building built about 1899 used as a substation to distribute power generated at Volta to Redding. [c] 

Fall River Hydro-Electric Generating Plant

• Built by Mr. Zumwalt in 1890. "Located where the Fall River cascaded seventy-five feet down to join the Pit."  Operated until Pit 1 was built in 1921. [c]

Volta

• 1899 construction begun by H.H. Nobles.  [c]

• AKA Shannon Plant  [c]

• Began operating Nov.  28, 1902. on South Battle Creek, [c]

• Supplied power to Mountain Copper Company at Keswick.  [c]

• Second stone building built 1906. [c]

• Buildings described as  "lava rock laid in mortar". [e]

Snow Creek near Inwood

• In the early 1900's Shasta Power Company constructed a small plant on Snow Creek in the vicinity of Inwood. . . camp for the operation was located at Sunflower Hill". [c]

Kilarc Forebay

• "Kilarc Forebay was constructed in 1902 and is situated on a flat plateau at the west end of a spur from Miller Mountain above Whitmore. Created by the earth filled Kilarc Forebay Dam which is 13 feet high and 1,419 feet long. . . volume capacity of 30 acre feet." [g]
• "Water is delivered to the forebay from an eight foot high diversion dam across Old Cow Creek via the 3.65 mile Main Canal constructed in 1903-04 that runs along the edge of the Old Cow Creek canyon."  Specifically, this canal consists of 2.03 miles of actual canal, much of it lined with concrete, 1.44 miles of flume and.18 miles of wood-lined tunnel."
  

Kilarc Powerhouse

• Built by H.H. Nobels in 1904 on Old Cow Creek near Whitmore. [c]

South Cow Creek Powerhouse

• Built by H.H. Nobels in 1906 in South Cow Creek valley. [c]

South

• Built in 1909 in Tehama County on the sourth fork of Battle Creek. [c]

Inskip

• Built in 1911 in Tehama County on the sourth fork of Battle Creek. [c]

Coleman

• Built in 1911. . on Battle Creek only a few miles from its confluence with the Sacramento River. [c]

Sources:

Dictionary of Early Shasta County History by Dottie Smith

Pine Across the Mountain by Robt. M. Hanft

[a] PG&E press release for Red Bluff Daily News, April 12, 1956 pg 4

[b] Journal of Electricity and Western Industry, March 15, 1921.

[c] Harvesting Shasta County's Liquid Gold A History of by Dave J. Jensen

[d] The Covered Wagon, 1957, Shasta Historical Society Early Days of Redding, pg. 43, 45.

[e] The Covered Wagon, 1957, Shasta Historical Society An Account of the Eruptions of Mount Lassen, pg. 23.

[f] The Covered Wagon, 1958, Shasta Historical Society The Redding Story, pg. 6.

[g] East Valley Times newspaper, Palo Cedro, Jan. 16, 2008.

[h] The Covered Wagon, 1980, Shasta Historical Society, pg. 59.

[1] One source says it was built before Pit 1; another source says 1921.

[2] One source says it was built before Pit 1; another source says 1921.

[3] One source says it was built before Pit 1; another source says 1921.

Copyright 2009 by Marilyn Rountree