OLNEY CREEK NAMESAKE DIES AFTER 8 YEARS WITH ARROW IN HEAD
REDDING LIFESTYLES, REDDING RECREATION, SHASTA COUNTY
November 20th, 2008
Nathan Olney, who made a brief venture to Redding looking for gold, left a legacy behind by naming a 10-mile creek in West Redding where he prospected for a few months.
He headed to Northern California in 1848 after news of gold strikes in California reached his trading post in The Dalles, Oregon. He assembled a contingent, including his brother, Oroville and 60 Native Americans to guide his group on the arduous journey to California to prospect for gold. He ended up in West Redding where he found some gold nuggets in a small creek above Clear Creek. He was also part of an expedition to round up local Indians allegedly involved in murders and stealing horses and cattle from area miners. Shortly thereafter, he packed up his group and headed back to Oregon when things did not “pan out.”
Back home in Oregon, he was involved in an altercation in 1856 with Indians that were reportedly attacking wagon trains of immigrants. He took an arrow to the head in the battle and had all except the arrow tip removed, which remained in his head the rest of his life. The wound caused him much discomfort and was blamed for some odd behavior.
He divorced his Indian wife, married a white woman, divorced her within a couple of months, and remarried his Indian wife “Annette”, in 1859. They had 5 children together. After moving to the Yakima Valley in 1864, he was tending to his cattle when his horse stepped in a badger hole, throwing him off. His head landed on a rock, forcing the arrow deeper into his brain, killing him instantly
.
Even though he only spent a couple months in the Redding area, his name is still attached to this ephemeral stream in West Redding. Remnants of mining activities can be seen along the many hiking and biking trails on BLM land south of Placer Road.
The 2009 edition of The Covered Wagon, published by the Shasta Historical Society, contains this story and many others. Members receive the annual paperback as membership benefit. A great value for the annual dues of $20.
530-224-6767 or 530-941-7492
BRAD GARBUTT
REALTOR/BROKER ASSOCIATE
REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS GMAC
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