A redeveloped and subdivided patented mining property: The Tilton Consolidated mine

July 1, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

On January 1, 1902, a prospector and miner named Richard P. Wheelock struck an appealing quartz vein which warranted further investigation of the land he was prospecting on. After that, he sunk a shaft and drove an adit into a hillside establishing a lode mine, which led him to a bonanza of gold.

He then called this mining claim the Tilton mine, which was situated west of Redding, and in the boundaries of the Lower Springs mining district. A year later, on January 2, 1903, Wheelock located another lucrative vein of quartz which he called the Dictator mine, after that he sunk a winze on this property which embraced the Tilton mine property. Wheelock then began referring to these mining claims as the Tilton Consolidated mine.

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On February 4, 1903, Wheelock located the lucrative quartz vein of the New Redding Gold mine which was merged into the Tilton Consolidated mine holdings, followed by the discovery of the Kamaaina Gold mine quartz vein on September 15, 1904, after that it was merged into the Tilton Consolidated mine holdings which were all owned and operated by Richard P. Wheelock. Four years later, the Tilton Consolidated mine became a patented mining claim on February 3, 1908 under Wheelock’s ownership.

The main tailing pile of the Tilton mine towering above the hillside off Valparaiso Way. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on May 22, 2021.

Eventually, Doctor Sherman T. White, of Redding, bought the property, and the following article was heralded by the Blue Lake Advocate newspaper which printed the following on October 24, 1925:

“Mine In Shasta To Be Sold

Redding (Shasta Co.) Oct. 20., Dr. Sherman T. White has agreed to sell to F.L. Kendall the Tilton group of mines between Middle Creek and Centerville for $4,000. The group includes the Tilton, Dictator, New Redding, and Kamaana gold mines. The agreement to sell extends for a period of three years, but work must be kept up continuously.” (SIC)

Above: map of the Tilton Consolidated mine surveyed by Alfred Baltzell, dated March 1907.

About the year 2000, this mining property was redeveloped and subdivided. This former mining property is located off Lower Springs Road with residential homes in the neighborhood of Valparaiso Way and Tilton Mine Road, which retains the name of the original mine. Today, only two tailing piles belonging to the Tilton Consolidated mine are visible off of Valparaiso Way. The winzes and adits are plugged, and there weren’t any production notes recorded for this former mining property.

Above: a second smaller tailings pile exist just off Valparaiso Way in a gulch below a private residence. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on May 22, 2021.

Above: a Shasta County Assessors Map – Book 204, Page 19, County of Shasta, dated: 2000.

RESOURCES:

Mineral Survey No. 4597, Plat of the Claim of R.P. Wheelock, known as the Tilton Consolidated Mine, embracing the Tilton, Dictator, New Redding Gold and Kamaaina Gold Mines. Surveyed by Alfred Baltzell, March 1907. Patented: February 3,1908.
Mine In Shasta To Be Sold – The Blue Lake Advocate newspaper of Blue Lake, October 24, 1925
Middle Creek & Lower Springs Mining District 622 Mining, available at the Shasta Historical Society
Shasta County Assessors Map – Book 204, Page 19, County of Shasta, 2000

Meet the writer: Jeremy M. Tuggle
Education and Community Engagement Manager – Shasta Historical Society

Jeremy M. Tuggle, born in Redding, is a descendant of 11 pioneer families who settled Shasta County between 1849-1889. Jeremy attended Shasta College and is the author of two published books, Rooted in Shasta County (2003), and A Journey Through Time: Ono and the Bald Hills (2008), as well as various articles on local history.

In 2017 Mr. Tuggle was awarded a Community Service Award, a prestigious national award for community service in historic preservation, by the Major Pierson B. Reading Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Jeremy is a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of California, and an Eagle Scout.

Tuggle has been employed at the Shasta Historical Society since November of 2009. In his present role as Education & Community Engagement Manager, Jeremy conducts research for the historical society’s programs and events, contributes to the Society’s social media presence, and ensures the highest quality guest and patron experience at our programs and community events.

Mr. Tuggle enjoys sharing his knowledge of local history and events, and is available to community organizations to present programs about Shasta County history.

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Contact the editor: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.