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George Oliver Williams was
born August 20, 1898 in Knob, Shasta County, California. He was the oldest
son of George T. and Lulu Spiers Williams. George, his brother Vernon and
sister Loleta attended several local schools: Beegum, Harrison Gulch and
Goldsboro. They sometimes rode horses and even skied to school in the winter
time. They sometimes stayed with another family that lived closer to the
school. Their father had cattle and raised hay to feed in the winter.
The children all had to help wi th the work on the ranch.
Jessie Elizabeth Murphey was
born May 3, 1900 in Ono, California, to Charles and Nellie Beebe Murphey.
Jessie had two brothers and three sisters. They grew up on the ranch near
Ono. Her parents had cows, pigs and turkeys, and they also raised wheat.
The Murphey children attended the Bald Hills School. They walked to school.
George and Jessie met at a dance
in the Watson Gulch School. They had about a two year courtship and were
married at the Methodist Church in Redding, September 6, 1919. They had
one daughter.
| Faye A. Williams
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b. June, 1920
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d.1987
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m. Erle Shoup
m. Lowell McDannold m. Ernest Pasero |
They lived on the Gill Ranch,
called the Cow Camp, and ran Hereford cattle with George's parents. The
cattle were driven to their mountain ranch each year about the middle of
May, after the calves had been marked, branded and bells put on some of
the cows. The Wiliams had a home at the mountain ranch. The household (including
cats and chickens in crates) was originally moved in a hay wagon. The trip
took about 16 hours. In 1927 a model T Ford was purchased to replace the
wagon. By late October most of the cows had drifted back to the Cow Camp.
The cattle that had not returned had to be gathered and driven by horseback
through Knob Gulch and Bluford and home to Cow Camp. In 1933 George and
Snoogs (George's pet name for Jessie) homesteaded 160-acre tract above
the Ditch Grade.
They built a house, barn, garage
and other out buildings. Jessie said in later years the time spent at the
homestead were the happiest days of her life. The Cowdens lived next door
to the Cow Camp. When the Cowdens moved to Ono the Williams family bought
their ranch. After the house in Cow Camp burned, George and Jessie remodeled
the Cowden house and added new outbuildings and made that their home.
In 1936 George and Jessie began
annual leases of Deerlick Springs (Comb's Springs) from Russell T. Joy
family of Philadelphia. Each summer they opened the store after the cattle
were in the mountains. They managed the hot mineral baths, campsites and
the store. They hauled supplies in their Chevrolet pickup from Redding
and Weaverville. These were long, demanding times, taking care of the cattle
and operating the Springs. They had many weekend campers in large numbers
as well as people who came to spend more time and bathe in the mineral
water. The season ended in late September. Every winter the lease for Deerlick
Springs had to be renegotiated for the next season. In February 1954, while
on this annual trip, George had a heart attack and died. Jessie continued
to run the cattle and Deerlick Springs until the early 1960s. Eventually
Jessie sold the lease on Deerlick Springs (the resort is still in operation);
later she sold the cattle and the ranch in Platina. In 1964 Jessie married
Fred Burgess. Jessie lived in her home on the Sacramento River in Anderson
until her death in 1976.
Source: Shasta Historical Society - Aug. 2004
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