Fort Reading (1852-1856) (1866-1867) - A U.S. Army post established 26 May 1852 during the California Gold Rush by 1st Lt. Nelson H. Davis, Company E, 2nd U.S. Infantry and named for Major Pierson B. Reading. The garrison was withdrawn on 1 Apr 1856 and intermittently occupied until 13 Jun 1867. Abandoned on 6 Apr 1870.
Fort Reading Roadside MarkerFort Reading Site View from Marker
History of Fort Reading
Established as a two company post on the west side of Cow Creek during the California Gold Rush to protect the mining district from hostile Indians. The creek was prone to flooding when the rains came and the fort was often flooded during the rainy season.
Location: On Dersch road 0.6 mi E of intersection of Deschutes and Dersch Rds, 6 mi NE of Anderson, Shasta County, California. The location shown is the site of the roadside marker.
Frazer, Robert W., Forts of the West, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1965, ISBN 0-8061-1250-6, page 29
Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 84