In 1998, 2330 Ferry Street, Anderson, California, became the current museum and home of the Anderson Historical Society. The Anderson Historical Society Museum is filled with artifacts, photographs, a research library, pioneer histories, Civil War, WWI AND WWII displays, mining and farming displays, non-electric tools and toys, and the Columbia one room schoolhouse, which was moved there from its original location. This Museum is the main source of our city’s local history. Sort through old photos, see our drought tolerant garden or sit and chat with local historians.

A Brief History of the Town of Anderson
Elias Anderson bought the American Ranch property in Shasta County, part of the Rancho Buena Ventura land grant, from Thomas Freeman in December of 1856. The entire area was originally a part of Pioneer Pearson B. Reading's Mexican land grant of 1844, the 26,632 acre Rancho Buena Ventura. Reading’s grant extended along the west bank of the Sacramento River from Cottonwood Creek on the south to Salt Creek beyond what is now the city of Redding.

Elias built the "American Hotel" near the present Kimberly-Clark office building. It was a popular stage stop on the road to Shasta and other mining facilities. 70 to 80 teamsters often stayed at the hotel on a single night. Many notable visitors stopped there in the early days. Among them were Gov. William Irving, Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins and John Bidwell.

In 1872, when the railroad built north from Red Bluff to their new town of Redding, Elias gave them the right-of-way through his land. A depot and town were laid out just north of the American Ranch, and were named for Anderson. Elias paid $100 for Lot No. 1 of the first 12 lots in Anderson. In 1873 he built a house there for his daughter Annie.

In 1878, he moved his hotel into town to the corner of Center and Ferry Streets, across from the train depot. The town at that time was composed "largely of saloons, miners and sheep men." He retired in 1880, turning the hotel over to his son, George. A raging fire decades later destroyed the Anderson Hotel. Elias moved to the small house he had built for his widowed daughter, Annie. She looked after her parents and her Aunt Sadie (Summers) Stevenson until their deaths. Aunt Sadie died in 1903.

Anderson was thought of as being a penny pincher and not particularly community minded. He was supposedly a big man, standing over six feet and weighing about 200 pounds. Politically he was a Republican and he belonged to the Methodist-Episcopal Church.

Elias and his wife, Elizabeth, had 9 children. She died on January 6, 1897. He died in 1907 at age 90 from lip cancer. His estate amounted to nearly $4000 in cash, real estate, personal property stock in various companies, and notes due him. In the 1900 Census, he is called a “Capitalist.” Elias Anderson is buried in the Anderson Pioneer Cemetery in Anderson.

After his death, Annie lived alone in the house she inherited as recompense for her caregiving, in addition to her $500 share of his estate. Sometime later, she discovered a bag of gold coins among some old books in the house. The probate record shows these coins were worth $500 and were duly divided among the remaining heirs.  

The place was known as the "Whipple House". It was said Annie made her living selling her wonderful chicken tamales. But she may have had an inheritance, according to Mrs. Carlton Story, whose late husband was Elias Anderson's great grandson. Aunt Annie Whipple, as everyone called her, was quite an old lady. Some thought she was too outspoken. It was commonly said that she spoke her mind and would tell you exactly what she thought. Born in 1845, she had been married three times, had one son by her second husband and was a widow for almost 40 years. Annie lived in that house until she died. Then the house was sold several times and eventually became a rental. It was demolished in 1976 before it could be rescued and turned into a museum.  Annie Whipple died on May 25, 1931 and is buried in the Anderson District Cemetery.