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Befo e
Shasta
Lake
cove ed
the
la dscape
of
o the
Califo ia,
the
Sac ame to
Rive
valley
was
home
to
a
mi i g
tow
shaped
by
coppe ,
ail oads
a d
the
i dust ies
that
followed
them.Its
ame
was
Ke ett;
the
tow
g ew
f om
a
ail oad
co st uctio
camp
i to
a
impo ta t
mi i g
commu ity
i
Shasta
Cou ty.
Coppe
mi es
helped
d ive
its
eco omy,
while
ail
co ectio s
a d
i dust ial
wo ks
tied
Ke ett
to
the
wide
egio .The
came
o e
of
the
la gest
e gi ee i g
p ojects
i
Califo ia’s
histo y.
The
fede al
gove me t
bega
buildi g
Shasta
Dam
o
the
Sac ame to
Rive
as
pa t
of
the
Ce t al
Valley
P oject,
a
e o mous
wate -ma ageme t
scheme
i te ded
to
sto e
wate ,
suppo t
i igatio ,
co t ol
floods
a d
p ovide
hyd oelect ic
powe .
The
dam
eve tually
t a sfo med
the
valley,
but
it
also
e ased
Ke ett
f om
the
la dscape.Wate
sto age
i
the
ewly
c eated
Lake
Shasta
bega
i
Feb ua y
1944.
As
the
ese voi
filled,
Ke ett
disappea ed
be eath
it.Today,
the
tow
su vives
la gely
th ough
histo ical
eco ds,
photog aphs
a d
the
i dust ial
emai s
docume ted
befo e
the
ese voi
cove ed
the
valley.
Ke ett
g ew
with
Califo ia’s
mi i g
a d
ail oad
boom
The
la dscape
a ou d
p ese t-day
Shasta
Lake
had
a
lo g
histo y
befo e
the
mi i g
tow
appea ed.
The
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
otes
that
I dige ous
peoples,
i cludi g
the
Hupa,
Achumawi,
Achomawi
a d
Shasta,
had
lived
ac oss
the
egio
fo
thousa ds
of
yea s
befo e
the
a ival
of
la ge-scale
Eu o-Ame ica
settleme t.
The
ive s
a d
st eams
of
the
a ea
late
became
i c easi gly
impo ta t
to
settle s,
mi e s
a d
e gi ee s.Ke ett
eme ged
du i g
the
e a
whe
ail oads
a d
mi i g
we e
t a sfo mi g
o the
Califo ia.
The
tow ‘s
i dust ial
ide tity
was
closely
tied
to
the
mi e al
esou ces
a ou d
it.
Coppe
mi i g
became
pa ticula ly
impo ta t,
c eati g
dema d
fo
t a spo tatio ,
p ocessi g
a d
othe
i f ast uctu e.The
Pacific
Coast
A chitectu e
Database,
which
docume ts
Califo ia’s
histo ic
built
e vi o me t,
eco ds
the
i dust ial
developme t
associated
with
Ke ett
a d
the
su ou di g
mi i g
dist ict.
Its
eco ds
i clude
the
Holt
a d
G egg
Compa y,
which
ope ated
a
limesto e
qua y
a d
kil
ea
Ke ett
to
p oduce
mate ial
used
i
co c ete.
The
compa y
had
ea lie
ope ated
elsewhe e
i
Shasta
Cou ty
befo e
shifti g
its
qua y
a d
kil
ope atio s
close
to
Ke ett.That
detail
illust ates
somethi g
impo ta t
about
the
old
tow .
Ke ett
was
ot
simply
a
collectio
of
mi e s’
homes
scatte ed
a ou d
a
mi e.
It
belo ged
to
a
wide
i dust ial
la dscape
i
which
mi es,
ailways,
p ocessi g
facilities
a d
co st uctio -mate ial
ope atio s
we e
co ected.
The
tow
existed
withi
a
i c easi gly
i dust ialised
valley.
The
the
fede al
gove me t
pla ed
a
gia t
dam
The
t a sfo matio
bega
lo g
befo e
the
ese voi
eached
Ke ett.
Califo ia
had
spe t
decades
co side i g
ways
to
captu e
wate
f om
the
wette
o the
pa t
of
the
state
a d
move
o
sto e
it
fo
the
Ce t al
Valley,
whe e
ag icultu e
depe ded
heavily
o
eliable
wate
supplies.The
state
developed
pla s
fo
a
Ce t al
Valley
wate
p oject,
but
du i g
the
G eat
Dep essio
it
st uggled
to
fi a ce
the
e o mous
i f ast uctu e
equi ed.
The
fede al
gove me t
eve tually
took
co t ol
a d
established
the
Ce t al
Valley
P oject.Shasta
Dam
became
o e
of
its
most
impo ta t
compo e ts.
O igi ally
called
Ke ett
Dam,
the
p oject
was
pla ed
o
the
Sac ame to
Rive
o th
of
Reddi g.
Co st uctio
was
a
e o mous
u de taki g.
Acco di g
to
the
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice,
c ews
eve tually
umbe ed
about
4,700
wo ke s,
excavati g
millio s
of
to s
of
g a ite
a d
buildi g
a
9.6-mile
co veyo
system
to
t a spo t
agg egate
to
the
dam
site.The
p oject
also
equi ed
majo
cha ges
to
the
existi g
t a spo tatio
etwo k.About
30
miles
of
Southe
Pacific
Rail oad
t ack
had
to
be
elocated
because
the
ailway
a
di ectly
th ough
the
co st uctio
a ea.
C ews
co st ucted
b idges,
t estles
a d
tu els
as
pa t
of
the
e outi g
effo t.
O e
of
those
tu els
was
late
used
to
dive t
the
Sac ame to
Rive
a ou d
the
dam
co st uctio
site.The
scale
of
the
p oject
was
ext ao di a y.
By
August
1942,
a ou d
fou
millio
cubic
ya ds
of
co c ete
had
al eady
bee
placed.
The
fi al
bucket
of
co c ete
was
pou ed
o
2
Ja ua y
1945.
At
602
feet
high,
Shasta
Dam
was
amo g
the
la gest
co c ete
dams
i
the
wo ld
whe
it
was
completed.But
while
the
dam
was
isi g,
the
futu e
ese voi
was
al eady
cha gi g
the
fate
of
the
commu ities
i
the
valley
below.
Ke ett
disappea ed
as
Lake
Shasta
filled
Shasta
Dam
was
built
to
hold
back
a
e o mous
qua tity
of
wate .
The
esulti g
ese voi ,
Lake
Shasta,
ow
has
a
sho eli e
st etchi g
fo
oughly
365
miles
th ough
the
su ou di g
hills.
Shasta
Dam
was
a
key
pa t
of
the
Ce t al
Valley
P oject,
p ovidi g
wate
fo
i igatio ,
tow s
a d
i dust ies
while
also
helpi g
with
flood
co t ol
a d
ge e ati g
hyd oelect ic
powe .Those
be efits
came
with
a
p ofou d
t a sfo matio
of
the
la dscape.
Ke ett
was
amo g
the
commu ities
that
would
be
lost
be eath
the
ese voi .
By
the
time
the
lake
bega
filli g
i
Feb ua y
1944,
the
tow ‘s
futu e
had
al eady
bee
decided.
As
the
wate
ose,
the
st eets,
buildi gs
a d
i dust ial
la dscape
we e
p og essively
swallowed
by
the
ese voi .Histo ical
eco ds
f om
the
pe iod
p ese ve
a
ema kable
s apshot
of
the
tow
just
befo e
its
disappea a ce.
The
Lib a y
of
Co g ess,
fo
example,
holds
a
1942
photog aph
by
photog aphe
Russell
Lee
showi g
a
old
ba k
vault
i
Ke ett.
Its
o igi al
desc iptio
ide tifies
Ke ett
as
a
o ce-boomi g
mi i g
tow
that
would
be
i u dated
afte
completio
of
Shasta
Dam.The
photog aph
captu es
a
commu ity
caught
betwee
two
e as.
The
old
mi i g
tow
was
still
physically
p ese t,
but
the
massive
fede al
wate
p oject
was
al eady
eshapi g
its
futu e.
The
i dust ial
la dscape
va ished
with
the
tow
Whe
people
thi k
about
a
subme ged
tow ,
it
is
easy
to
imagi e
houses
a d
st eets
disappea i g
be eath
the
wate .Ke ett’s
sto y
was
mo e
complicated.
The
su ou di g
la dscape
co tai ed
the
i f ast uctu e
of
a
i dust ial
mi i g
eco omy:
mi es,
p ocessi g
ope atio s,
t a spo tatio
outes
a d
othe
facilities
co ected
to
the
ext actio
a d
moveme t
of
mate ials.The
Pacific
Coast
A chitectu e
Database’s
docume tatio
of
i dust ial
sites
a ou d
Ke ett
helps
p ese ve
pa t
of
that
histo y.
Its
eco d
of
the
Holt
a d
G egg
Compa y’s
limesto e
qua y
a d
kil s
shows
how
co st uctio – elated
i dust ies
ope ated
i
the
same
la dscape
as
the
mi i g
tow .That
i dust ial
histo y
matte s
because
the
ese voi
did
ot
simply
cove
a
tow .
It
cove ed
a
wo ki g
la dscape.
The
same
valley
that
had
o ce
suppo ted
mi i g,
t a spo tatio
a d
settleme t
became
pa t
of
a
vast
wate -sto age
system.The
t a sfo matio
was
almost
complete:
a
i dust ial
f o tie
was
eplaced
by
a
ese voi
desig ed
to
suppo t
a
mode
ag icultu al
a d
u ba
eco omy
elsewhe e
i
Califo ia.
The
wate
that
e ased
Ke ett
also
built
mode
Califo ia
The e
is
a
u avoidable
te sio
i
Ke ett’s
histo y.
Shasta
Dam
was
ot
co st ucted
simply
to
e ase
a
mi i g
tow .
It
was
pa t
of
a
much
la ge
p oject
i te ded
to
solve
some
of
Califo ia’s
most
difficult
wate
p oblems.The
Ce t al
Valley
was
highly
p oductive
but
vul e able
to
both
d ought
a d
floodi g.
Shasta
Dam
sto es
wate
fo
i igatio ,
p otects
agai st
floods
a d
saltwate
i t usio ,
supplies
commu ities
a d
i dust ies,
a d
ge e ates
hyd oelect ic
powe .The
dam
the efo e
became
a
c ucial
piece
of
Califo ia’s
wate
i f ast uctu e.
But
la ge
i f ast uctu e
p ojects
ofte
eshape
la dscapes
i
ways
that
a e
difficult
to
eve se.
Fo
Ke ett,
the e
was
o
etu .
The
tow
that
had
g ow
a ou d
mi es
a d
ailways
became
pa t
of
the
ese voi
itself.
What
emai s
whe
a
tow
disappea s?
Ke ett
is
ow
a
ghost
tow
i
the
most
lite al
se se.
The e
is
o
fu ctio i g
settleme t
o
the
site.
The
physical
la dscape
that
o ce
defi ed
the
commu ity
has
bee
t a sfo med
by
the
ese voi .Yet
the
tow
has
ot
completely
disappea ed.
Its
histo y
emai s
i
photog aphs,
maps,
i dust ial
eco ds
a d
accou ts
of
the
mi i g
commu ities
that
o ce
occupied
the
Sac ame to
Rive
valley.
Reco ds
p ese ved
by
i stitutio s
such
as
the
Lib a y
of
Co g ess
a d
the
Pacific
Coast
A chitectu e
Database
allow
esea che s
to
eco st uct
pa ts
of
a
la dscape
that
ca
o
lo ge
be
see
i
its
o igi al
fo m.A d
the
ese voi
itself
is
a
emi de
of
what
eplaced
it.
Eve y
time
wate
fills
Lake
Shasta,
it
co ceals
the
valley
be eath
the
su face.
Whe
wate
levels
fall,
pa ts
of
the
ese voi ‘s
subme ged
la dscape
ca
become
mo e
visible,
offe i g
fleeti g
emi de s
of
what
existed
befo e
the
dam.That
does
ot
mea
Ke ett
simply
e-eme ges
as
a
i tact
ghost
tow
whe eve
the
lake
d ops.
Much
of
the
old
commu ity
emai s
subme ged,
a d
the
visibility
of
i dividual
emai s
depe ds
o
ese voi
co ditio s.
But
the
cha gi g
wate li e
ca
make
the
histo y
of
the
d ow ed
la dscape
feel
u expectedly
close
agai .
Ke ett
became
pa t
of
a
much
la ge
t a sfo matio
The
disappea a ce
of
Ke ett
illust ates
the
e o mous
physical
co seque ces
of
Ame ica’s
dam-buildi g
e a.
The
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
desc ibes
Shasta
Dam
as
a
keysto e
of
the
Ce t al
Valley
P oject,
a
i f ast uctu e
system
that
co ected
o the
Califo ia’s
wate
esou ces
with
the
ag icultu al
hea t
of
the
Ce t al
Valley.Fo
Califo ia,
the
dam
ep ese ted
wate
secu ity,
i igatio ,
flood
p otectio
a d
powe .
Fo
Ke ett,
it
ma ked
the
e d
of
a
tow .
That
co t ast
is
what
makes
the
subme ged
mi i g
commu ity
so
compelli g.
The
ese voi
is
ot
me ely
cove i g
a
aba do ed
settleme t.
It
occupies
the
place
whe e
o e
ve sio
of
Califo ia
gave
way
to
a othe .The
mi es,
ailways
a d
i dust ial
wo ks
that
helped
build
Ke ett’s
ide tity
belo ged
to
a
ea lie
e a
of
esou ce
ext actio .
The
lake
that
eplaced
them
became
pa t
of
a
mode
system
desig ed
to
move,
sto e
a d
co t ol
wate
o
a
massive
scale.Mo e
tha
80
yea s
afte
the
ese voi
bega
filli g,
Ke ett
emai s
hidde
be eath
Lake
Shasta.
Its
st eets
a e
go e
f om
the
su face.
Its
i dust ial
la dscape
has
bee
swallowed
by
wate .
But
the
eco ds
left
behi d
p ese ve
evide ce
of
the
commu ity
that
o ce
stood
the e.A d
whe eve
the
lake
et eats
fa
e ough
to
expose
t aces
of
the
old
la dscape,
the
bu ied
histo y
of
Ke ett
becomes
visible
agai ,
a
emi de
that
be eath
o e
of
Califo ia’s
most
impo ta t
ese voi s
lies
the
emai s
of
a
tow
that
helped
shape
the
egio
lo g
befo e
the
dam
cha ged
it
fo eve .
