Castella in Shasta County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

A Relic from the Old Logging Days

Photographed By Douglass Halvorsen, September 1, 2013

1. A Relic from the Old Logging Days Marker

Inscription. The boiler you see here was part of a steam donkey. In the late 1880s, logging around the Castle Crags area was booming. Steam donkeys were used to haul heavy logs from the cutting site to the milling area.

Steam donkeys consisted of a boiler and steam hoisting engine mounted on a wooden sled. The engine turned metal drums, around which cble was wrapped, to haul heavy loads through the woods. Donkeys could haul logs, themselves, and other heavy equipment from place to place. Ideal for steep hillsides, steam donkeys were quickly adopted by the logging industry in California. Highly-skilled "donkey punchers" were seldom out of work.

This boiler was discovered unexpectedly by park staff in 1994. It was once owned by M.A. Burns Lumber Company, which went out of business in 1916.

Erected 2008 by California State Parks.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1994.

Location. 41° 8.908′ N, 122° 19.283′ W. Marker is in Castella, California, in Shasta County. Marker can be reached from 'Road in Park' west of Castle Creek Road. Marker is located in Castle Crags State Park and near the Battle Rock California Historical Marker No. 116, just north of the park entrance.

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Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 20022 Castle Creek Road, Castella CA 96017, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Battle Rock (within shouting distance of this marker); Dunsmuir World War Memorial (approx. 5.1 miles away); Upper Soda Springs (approx. 5.6 miles away); The Alexander Dunsmuir Fountain (approx. 5.8 miles away); Locomotive 1727 (approx. 5.8 miles away); Babe Ruth Played Here (approx. 5.8 miles away); Southern Hotel and Stage Station (approx. 6.1 miles away); Sims Bridge: A CCC First (approx. 6.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Castella.

Photographed By Douglass Halvorsen, September 1, 2013

2. A Relic from the Old Logging Days Marker

Photographed By Douglass Halvorsen, September 1, 2013

3. Boiler

Credits. This page was last revised on January 24, 2018. It was originally submitted on January 20, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. This page has been viewed 638 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 20, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.