Lodgings with Past Lives

Siskiyou County is like a time capsule of California’s past, where history and hospitality go hand in hand. Many of the 19th-century buildings that once served as bustling hotels, stagecoach stops, and social hubs still stand today—some continuing their legacy by welcoming travelers as charming, cozy lodgings. Others have found new purpose as museums, shops, and cultural spaces, keeping their stories alive for future generations. Visiting these landmarks is an experience that connects the regions history with today’s tourism, where visitors can step into the Old West and experience a piece of history. In this article, we’ll take you on a journey into the past and discover lodging properties in Siskiyou that hold fascinating stories within their walls.

images: Facebook , Discover Siskiyou 2018)

McCloud Mercantile Hotel – McCloud

The McCloud River Mercantile and Hotel was originally built in 1897 as part of the McCloud River Lumber Company’s company town, serving as a general store and lodging for workers and travelers. After decades of decline following the lumber industry’s collapse, the building was purchased and beautifully restored in 2000 by the Mathis family that continues to oversee the property. Today, it operates as a historic boutique hotel with themed rooms on the second floor, while the ground level houses a vintage-style soda fountain, cafés, a candy shop, and retail spaces. It has become a centerpiece for tourism in McCloud, offering visitors a blend of history and modern comfort at the base of Mount Shasta.

(images: Downtown Dorris 1911 taken from a postcard- Flickr, Butte Valley Bed & Breakfast, modern day- Discover Siskiyou)

Butte Valley Bed & Breakfast – Dorris

The Butte Valley Bed & Breakfast in Dorris has a story that stretches back more than a century. Built in 1908 as a hospital for Dr. Draeder, who lived next door, it originally had four patient rooms upstairs, an operating room downstairs, and even a kitchen where kids were treated to cookies. Many locals were born there and recall childhood visits. After an expansion in 1922, it served the community for decades—first as a full hospital, then as a birthing center and doctor’s office—until the 1960s. In the early ’80s, Jeff and Donna Burcher rescued the aging building, turning it into a cozy bed and breakfast. During renovations, crews discovered signatures from the original builders (1908) and added their own—a nod to the home’s rich history. Today’s owners have modernized it while honoring its history, even finding signatures from the original builders during renovations. Now, with four upstairs bedrooms, a spacious guest room, and charming spaces for weddings, showers, and tea service, this former hospital has become a warm and welcoming retreat with a fascinating past.

(images: Dunsmuir Street Scene, 1920s – Mossbrae Hotel, Dunsmuir Street Scene, 2023 – Discover Siskiyou)

Mossbrae Hotel – Dunsmuir

The Mossbrae Hotel in Dunsmuir occupies the historic Jones Building—originally constructed in 1925—which has seen a fascinating evolution over the decades. It’s served the town as a grocery store, butcher shop, pharmacy, Sears catalog pickup point, coffee shop, and even housed upstairs apartments. In the mid-20th century, the iconic Ted Fay Fly Shop operated on-site, cementing its place in the community’s character. Beginning in 2017, the building underwent a thoughtful restoration that blended its storied past with modern comfort, preserving original features such as the front entrance door while renovating the interiors into a stylish seven‑room boutique hotel adorned with local art. Today, the Mossbrae Hotel warmly welcomes guests as both a link to Dunsmuir’s vibrant commercial legacy and a contemporary lodging destination.

(images: Summit Lofts)

Summit Lofts – Mount Shasta

Summit Lofts stands today as one of the few lovingly restored reminders of early‑20th‑century Mt. Shasta, a town whose architectural past was largely erased by fire. Originally founded in 1887 as the rough‑and‑tumble boomtown of Sisson, the community grew between the company towns of McCloud and Weed but operated with none of their moral restrictions. Sisson quickly became a magnet for loggers seeking whiskey, cigars, gambling, and brothels, giving rise to the infamous Whiskey Row, which at its peak was home to seventy‑two saloons packed onto a single stretch of road. Almost nothing from that era survives; between 1904 and 1917, a series of catastrophic fires swept through the town, culminating in the 1917 firestorm that leveled nearly everything except a handful of brick and concrete structures. The only true relic of Whiskey Row still standing is the 1896 Vet’s Club, known as Mugglers, and today is the Watson’s Vet’s Club, still a popular watering hole.

Amid this history, the building at Mt. Shasta Boulevard and Lake Street, originally Hotel Solari, became one of the rare structures to endure. Over the years it hosted various businesses, including the beloved Spelzini’s Mount Shasta Liquor Store, known for its neon sign. After decades of vacancy, the upper floors were meticulously restored, preserving the 100‑year‑old wood floors and original numbered room doors leading to the careful transformation of its long‑vacant upper floors into Summit Lofts Boutique Hotel, complete with refinished 100‑year‑old wood floors and preserved original room doors. The revitalized property also features an award‑winning coffee shop and bakery on the ground floor, bringing the building full circle and reconnecting the town with a vibrant piece of its nearly vanished past.

(images: Franco American Hotel 1850 – Yreka History: Franco-American Hotel 1850’s ,Franco American Hotel 2019 – Discover Siskiyou)

Franco American Hotel –Yreka

Nestled in the heart of Yreka’s Miner Street, the Franco-American Hotel is a true Gold Rush-era treasure and a prominent landmark in the town’s historic district. The hotel began as a narrow two-story brick house in the early 1850s and was transformed into a hotel by Frenchman Leon Marniesse in 1855. Over the years, it expanded to become one of Northern California’s finest inns, hosting notable guests such as President Rutherford Hayes and Vice President Schuyler Colfax, and serving as a stage stop and hub for travelers. After the railroad came to the area in the late 1880s, “hacks” (buggies for hire) carried guests from the train depots in Montague or Yreka to the hotel. Ownership changes brought continual improvements, including a second story and balcony added in 1867, dining rooms, and additional suites, while the building later housed businesses and adapted to modern styles. After its name changed to Hotel Yreka in the 1940s and its facade was restored in the 1970s, the hotel ceased operations. Today, the historic structure remains a vibrant part of Yreka’s old town. The main level hosts a mix of street-level shops and businesses such as a jewelry store, candy shop, barbershop, and a museum, while the upstairs serves as a private residence.

images: Etna Hotel 1898 – CSU Chico Digital Collections, Collier Hotel 2017 – Discover Siskiyou)

Collier Hotel – Etna

The Collier Hotel in Etna, was built in 1897 during the gold rush era in what was then called Aetna Mills, a thriving town known for its sawmills and flour mills. Originally constructed as a brothel, the building later transitioned into a boarding house in the 1930s to accommodate changing community needs. By 1998, Rich and Ali Cloutman purchased and renovated the property as their private residence before converting it into a vacation rental in the early 2000s. Subsequent owners, including Asa and Samantha Robinson, continued to maintain its historic charm while offering it as a six-bedroom lodging option. The two-story structure features approximately 3,400 square feet, original hardwood floors, Victorian-era wainscoting, and a wrap-around porch, making it a distinctive landmark nestled in Scott Valley. Today, the Collier Hotel serves as a unique retreat for PCT hikers, event-goers, and visitors to Etna and its nearby wilderness areas, preserving the rich history while embracing modern hospitality.

images:Hotel Dunsmuir- HipPostcard , LA Explorer

Hotel Dunsmuir – Dunsmuir

Hotel Dunsmuir, originally built in the 1800’s was lost to a large fire in 1903 which devastated the town. Rebuilt in 1904 as “The Weed Hotel,” and earned the affectionate nickname the “Upside‑Down Hotel” because guests entered the lobby on its upper floor via the Dunsmuir Avenue entrance, then down to the 4 stories below. In the 1940s, the hotel was refurbished in a stylish Art Deco design wrapped around its original brick core, reopening in 1947 to host affluent tourists and notable visitors. This renovation reflected Dunsmuir’s status at the time as the most populous city north of Sacramento, celebrated for its natural springs, cultural life, and railroad-driven growth. An independent horror film about the hotel was filmed and released in 2022. Unexplainable happenings have been reported in the rumored “haunted hotel” by film crews and locals. Unfortunately, the hotel has gone into disrepair after a fire in recent times and can only be visited from the outside, with its mysteries and lost to the past.

images: Blogspot – Brown’s Auto Park 1930s, Cave Springs Resort-modern day)

Cave Springs Resort – Dunsmuir

Cave Springs Resort began in 1923 when DeWitt Clinton “Clint” Brown established an auto camp near Dunsmuir along what became US 99, starting with a fire circle for early motorists and eventually adding rustic cabins with private baths and kitchens. In 1946, Bob and Lois Dewey (along with partners) purchased the property—then known as Brown’s Motor Lodge—and renamed it Cave Springs Resort, a beloved summer retreat where farm families camped for weeks, drawn by mineral springs piped into a central fountain and world-class fishing by the Sacramento River. The property stayed in the Dewey family for generations until recently being sold; today, Cave Springs operates as a mid-century‑modern resort offering a mix of historic 1923 cabins, newly renovated boutique hotel rooms, and even Airstream rentals—all with private entrances, kitchenettes, river and mountain views, a pool, hot tub, picnic grounds, and easy access to fishing, hiking, waterfalls, and of course Mt. Shasta.

Lodgings with Past Lives

McCloud Mercantile Hotel – McCloud

Butte Valley Bed & Breakfast – Dorris

Mossbrae Hotel – Dunsmuir

Summit Lofts – Mount Shasta

Franco American Hotel –Yreka

Collier Hotel – Etna

Hotel Dunsmuir – Dunsmuir

Cave Springs Resort – Dunsmuir

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