Welcome to Junction City
Share our treasures
This section of the county offers a combination of
interesting history and current pleasures. As many parts of the
county, gold mining was active here in many forms. One form was
hydraulic mining, and the world's largest hydraulic mine operated here.
The remains of that mine and other mining activities are clearly visible at
washed hillsides and tailings.
Today's pleasures include participating in the Trinity River's superb water
sports and seeing an oak tree that may be the world's largest of its specie.
The blend of active and quiet pleasures makes this section of the county
especially enjoyable.
Junction in the 50's
Junction
City came into being in 1861 at the junction of several transportation
routes where Canyon Creek joins the Trinity River. That same year
brought a devastation flood here that washed away every building within 100
feet of the river. Another flood in 1955 devastated this area again.
Gold mining was extremely active here. An 1867 edition
of the Trinity Journal states there were more good-paying mines in the
vicinity of Junction City than anywhere else in the county.
Active gold mining continued here into the 1900s.
One of the most notable mines in these area lies on Oregon Mt. between
Junction City and Weaverville. The La Grange Mine operated from the
mid-1800s until its large-scale operations ceased in 1918. It was the
world's largest hydraulic mine during its peak operations, producing more
than $3,500,000 in gold.
The water used for this mine came from high in the
Trinity Alps many miles away. Water flowed through a reservoir 29
miles through a system of flumes, siphons, ditcher and tunnels to the mine,
where it was used to wash the hillsides. A marker on the south side
of Highway 299 about 3 miles west of Junction City indicates this mine's
location.
You won't need the sun at the correct angle to
enjoy a special sight in Junction City: an oak tree with a circumference of
19 1/2 feet! This interior live oak tree may be the largest of its
species in the world. It's 19 1/2 feet tall and has a spread of 19
feet at is crown.
You'll also enjoy the Trinity River's recreational
opportunities near Junction City: swimming at campgrounds, canoeing,
rafting, tubing, gold panning and fishing. This stretch of the river
has ideal water for canoeing from here to the North Fork. It also has
some of finest fishing for migrating salmon and steelhead.
King salmon have two peak migrating runs: spring
(May-June) and one in the fall (August-October). The king salmon range
in size from 2-40 pounds. Steelhead also have two runs: summer
(June-July) and a larger run in the fall beginning is September. Sizes
range from 1/2 to 12 pounds.
Junction
City has one of the
finest hiking trails into the Trinity Alps, Canyon Creek trail. A
medium to advance hiking trail, leads up to great falls, lakes and many
trails on into the Alps.
Overview
Professor Jonathon
Childers in a recent visit said that "Trinity County is the real, historic
California." It retains much of the Frontier flavor with it's
population of less than 15,000, no stoplights, no parking meters, no
incorporated towns, and Public Ownership of almost 90% of the land.
The Trinity River Frontier's Prehistoric period may have
begun 12,000 or more years ago. The local tribe, the Chimariko, were the
elder tribe of the region. Currently used sacred sites of the nearby Hoopa
tribe have been carbon dated to be 8,000 years old.
The first whites
in the area were trappers. Jeddah Smith recorded his travels along the
Trinity River in 1828. There is an account that gold was discovered by
fugitive sailors at the confluence of Sailor Bar Creek and the Trinity River
(1 1/2 miles east of Big Flat) in 1842, although no gold rush was started
from this early discovery. Major Reading successfully mined gold further
upstream on the Trinity River near Douglas City in 1848, shortly after
Marshall's historic find near Coloma in that same year. In 1850 an
expedition began at Rich Bar, 3 miles north of the present day ghost town of
Helena, to develop a trail between the Trinity Mines and Humboldt Bay.
Though frought with difficulties, this expedition was successful and
resulted in the towns of Eureka and Uniontown (now Arcata)
Many early mining camps were small and often ethnic or family or ethnic
in character. In the 1850's many waterwheels were built along the Trinity to
bring water to the mining operations. These were operated by these small
camps. In the winter of 1861-62 there was a large flood which washed these
waterwheels away. Many miners became discouraged and abandoned their mining
activities.
The next era of mining was dominated by larger, sometimes internationally
financed, companies. Large hydraulic operations were set up. The LaGrange
Mine, financed by Baron de LaGrange, was the largest in the world for some
years until a hydraulic mine in the Sierras superceded it in size. This mine
was located just east of Junction City on Oregon Mountain. Factory-sized
bucket-line dredges were operated along the river. The large, orderly piles
of rock seen along the river between Junction City and Helena were left by
one of these dredges.
Small, modern suction dredges are still seen operating on the Trinity
River, and it is common to see a small claim marker along the river.
Panning, or sluicing can be done by visitors in "free" claims in the area,
or with permission by a miner with an existing claim.
JUNCTION CITY STORE
HWY 299
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
7:30am to 7pm
