Cascade Theatre was built by Lebanese immigrant Michael Naify (1886-1975) and his brother, James (it is unclear when he was born and died). They immigrated to the United States from Lebanon in the early 1900s and started a linen importing business in Atlantic City, New Jersey. During the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (world's fair) in San Francisco in 1915, Michael and James set up a booth for business, which happened to be located across the from a nickelodeon (the first kind of indoor movie theaters that cost a nickel to enter). After seeing how many people were going into the nickelodeon, the brothers decided to switch businesses. Within a few years, they owned and operated a small chain of theaters and eventually bought a company called T. &amp; D. Jr., Enterprises. They retained the name and grew it to one of the largest theater companies on the Pacific Coast.The Cascade Theatre officially opened on Friday, August 9, 1935. Opening night showings included “Cookie Carnival,” a Walt Disney Silly Symphony in Technicolor; “Telephone Blues,” specialty performers in a program of singing and dancing; “Thicker Than Water,” a Laurel &amp; Hardy comedy; dedication speeches by State Senator J. B. McColl, Mayor William Menzel, and Harry Thompson, president of the Redding Chamber of Commerce; and the feature film, Jane Withers in Ginger.

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Designed by San Francisco-based architect J. Lloyd Conrich, the Cascade Theatre is the best example of Art Deco architecture in Redding. The historic theater was built in 1935 and remains an important landmark for the city. The front facade of the building features a large marquee and vertical neon sign, as well as a relief frieze across the top that depicts figures working in various California industries. Cascade Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. 

Cascade Theatre

This walking tour inlcudes a baker's dozen of landmarks, including the Cascade Theatre, Lorenz Hotel Building, Bank of Shasta, Edward Frisbie House, and AME Zion Church. The tour includes a stop at the Shasta Historical Society for those who want to explore the history of Redding even further. 

The Gerlinger Steel &amp; Supply Company was originally established by Fred Gerlinger, Sr., and his son, E.E. "Burt" Gerlinger in 1929 as the Gerlinger Foundry and Machine Works. It has traditionally served a number of industries in Northern California, including lumber, precious metal, agriculture, aggregate mining, and construction. It is one of the oldest companies in Redding. Although the company initially faced some tough years during the 1930s with the onset of the Great Depression, it has adapted and survived. Over the years, Gerlinger Steel &amp; Supply Company has had a hand in many groundbreaking and important projects within the region. It has provided materials and supplies for the construction of the Shasta Dam, the Trinity Dam, the Keswick Dam, the Oroville Dam, Highway 44, and the Interstate 5 project, among others. In the 1980s, the company also added metal fabrication and processing to its services. Thereafter, the company contributed fabricated materials for many other projects in Shasta County and beyond. In the 1990s, Gerlinger Steel also opened additional branches in Sacramento and Nevada City. Although the original foundry closed with the introduction of EPA regulations, the Gerlinger Steel &amp; Supply Company current offers welding and fabrication, as well as steel, aluminum, ornamental iron, pipe fittings, and machinery. The company is currently run by Fred Gerlinger, Jr., and his wife, Jo, as well as their sons, Tim and Scott. Now a fourth-generation family-owned and operated business, the company is also committed to sustainability. Fred Gerlinger has noted that metals are one of the original "green" materials because they can be recycled. Thus, 95% percent of the materials sold by Gerlinger Steel are in fact recycled. The roof of the Gerlinger Steel building in Redding features a historic steam whistle, which is also called a "hooter." It blows at designated times each weekday from the roof to signal the official start of the work day, the lunch hour, and the close of business at the end of each day. Although this steam whistle is mainly a nod to history and tradition, it is also something of a novelty in this current age of digital technology. You can listen for it at 8 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. on weekdays when you are in the neighborhood.

The Gerlinger Steel & Supply Company was originally founded by Fred Gerlinger, Sr., and his son E.E. "Burt" Gerlinger in 1929 as the Gerlinger Foundry and Machine Works. Today, it is one of the oldest companies in Redding. It has provided the materials for some of the most innovative and important projects in the region. A historic steam whistle or "hooter" can be heard at designated times from the roof of the building throughout the day. 

Gerlinger Steel & Supply Co. Building

Cascade Theatre was built by Lebanese immigrant Michael Naify (1886-1975) and his brother, James (it is unclear when he was born and died). They immigrated to the United States from Lebanon in the early 1900s and started a linen importing business in Atlantic City, New Jersey. During the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (world's fair) in San Francisco in 1915, Michael and James set up a booth for business, which happened to be located across the from a nickelodeon (the first kind of indoor movie theaters that cost a nickel to enter). After seeing how many people were going into the nickelodeon, the brothers decided to switch businesses. Within a few years, they owned and operated a small chain of theaters and eventually bought a company called T. &amp; D. Jr., Enterprises. They retained the name and grew it to one of the largest theater companies on the Pacific Coast. The Cascade Theatre officially opened on Friday, August 9, 1935. Opening night showings included “Cookie Carnival,” a Walt Disney Silly Symphony in Technicolor; “Telephone Blues,” specialty performers in a program of singing and dancing; “Thicker Than Water,” a Laurel &amp; Hardy comedy; dedication speeches by State Senator J. B. McColl, Mayor William Menzel, and Harry Thompson, president of the Redding Chamber of Commerce; and the feature film, Jane Withers in Ginger.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Mrs. Susan Lorenz, a widow, purchased land in Redding for a new hotel. The purchase was made using gold bullion that came from the Trinity County Gold Mine which was owned and operated by the Lorenz family. At the time of purchase, the land was little more than a swamp adjacent to the railroad line. Under her orders, the land was filled in and construction began on the hotel shortly afterward. The Lorenz Hotel was designed in a Beaux Arts / Italian Renaissance style by the architectural firm Arnold &amp; Barrett in 1901. It was built with bricks from the Holt &amp; Gregg Co. Brick Manufacturing Plant located in Anderson. The year "1901" is marked on a brick on the side of the building. The four-story Lorenz hotel officially opened to the public on October 25, 1902. At the time of its grand opening, the hotel featured 132 rooms. It also featured the first elevator in Redding. As time went on, the hotel was further upgraded with modern amenities, and eventually, each room had its own private bathroom. Since 1995, the former Lorenz Hotel building has been owned by the Shasta Housing Development Corporation, which purchased it for $1 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Lorenz Hotel building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It currently provides affordable housing for senior citizens living in Redding. This affordable housing is managed by the organization Christian Church Homes (CCH).

The Lorenz Hotel was designed by Arnold & Barrett in 1901 and was built by Holt & Gregg Co. The hotel opened in October 1902 under the ownership of Susan Lorenz (1844 - 1925), a widow. Today, several businesses operate from storefronts on the street level while the upper stories of the building have been repurposed to provide affordable housing for senior citizens. The building was renovated in 2014 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Lorenz Hotel Building

The Bank of Shasta County was initially founded on California Street by Chauncey C. Bush (1831-1907), who served as the bank's first manager. However, in 1901, the bank moved to a new location near Butte and Market Streets. Henry H. Meyers designed the bank building in a Beaux Arts Classical style, while architectural details derived from terra cotta were made by Gladding, McBean, and Company. The bricks used to construct the building were made by Holt &amp; Gregg Co. Brick Manufacturing Plant, located in Anderson, California. The result was one of the more ornate buildings to be built in Redding. In 1910, the Bank of Shasta County merged with the First Savings Bank of Shasta County and incorporated in the new bank building. However, after extending a large loan (of two hundred thousand dollars) to the Terry Lumber Company, plus an additional loan (of one hundred thousand dollars) to the Castle Lake Lumber Company, the bank failed. It closed down completely on March 25, 1911, only a year after the merger and incorporation. Six months later, the Redding National Bank opened in the same location in conjunction with the First Savings Bank of Shasta County. It served local residents until it was eventually purchased by the Bank of Italy, founded in San Francisco and later becoming the Bank of America. Today, several different businesses are housed in this historic commercial building.

The Bank of Shasta County was built on Market Street in Redding in 1901 after previously being located on California Street since 1894. The Beaux Arts Classical building was designed by Henry H. Meyers. After the bank failed in 1911, the Redding National Bank reopened in this location later the same year. The Redding National Bank was then purchased by the Bank of Italy, which had been founded in San Francisco. The Bank of Italy later became the Bank of America. Currently, the historic bank building is in use by several different local businesses.

Bank of Shasta County Building

The society was first housed in Redding's former Chamber of Commerce building that was located next to the Carnegie Library. It moved to a number of different buildings before its current location. It incorporated as a non-profit in 1951.

Founded in 1930, the Shasta Historical Society preserves and promotes the history of Shasta County. To this end, it offers education programs, publications, and houses an library and archive (containing 1,000 objects and 20,000 photographs) where visitors can conduct research about the county. The society also offers various historic walking tours in Redding. Since the early 1930s, the society has partnered with the Shasta Historic Park (located 6 miles west of Redding) in raising funds for the park's preservation.


Shasta Historical Society

In 1878, "Redding Lodge No. 271" was founded with twenty charter members of the International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF). A fraternal organization, the local Redding chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows grew in membership during the late nineteenth century. The symbol of the Odd Fellows fraternal organization was a three-linked chain, representing friendship, love, and truth. This symbol originally appeared on the front facade of the two-story Odd Fellows Lodge in Redding. Membership included a commitment to care of the sick, orphaned, widowed, or aged, in addition to offering opportunities for socialization and camaraderie. The top floor was reserved for usage by the local Odd Fellows chapter, while the first floor featured retail stores along the street. A shop called Firth Brothers operated out of this building for fifty years. In addition, Thompson's Clothing Store, which was established in Redding in 1926, also maintained a storefront in the Odd Fellows Lodge building. This store was in operation for eighty years, making it one of the longest running businesses in the town. After air conditioning was added to the Odd Fellows Lodge in the 1970s, the roof was also removed to create an open air plaza, which gave the building the feel of an outdoor a shopping mall. The IOOF Lodge was recently purchased by the McConnell Foundation, which has pledged to preserve the historic building. The pitch of the roof, the bricks, and the windows are all original to the structure. The new owners plan to highlight this history of the property as part of the restoration efforts.

Built in 1888, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge is the oldest building in Redding. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) was a fraternal organization. The local chapter began in Redding in 1878 with twenty founding members. The IOOF Lodge was recently purchased by the McConnell Foundation, which is working to restore the historic building.

Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge

The building served as Redding's City Hall until 1961 but the Council Chambers remained as well as the police department. In addition to these functions, the building also served as a wedding chapel, civil defense headquarters, jail, and a courtroom. All remaining civic functions moved out&nbsp;by 1978.&nbsp;It is unclear when the Shasta County&nbsp;Arts Council began occupying the building.

Constructed in 1907 in the Romanesque Revival style, the Old City Hall is a historic building Redding, California. Its name clearly indicates its former purpose. Today, it is the home of the Shasta County Arts Council which strives to promote learning and cultural understanding through its various art programs, some of which are geared for education and others help support artists in the community. The building's facilities are available for rental for weddings or other events. Given its importance for Redding's civic life for much of the 20th century, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Old City Hall (Shasta County Arts Council)

Located behind the City Hall building, the historic Redding Fire House was built in 1939 in a style called Art Moderne or Streamline Moderne. This style was similar to and contemporaneous with the style known as Art Deco. Whereas Art Deco featured modern facades with ornate ornamentation, Art Moderne featured a simplified, stripped down version more common to industrial buildings, gas stations, bus stations, and drug stores built in the 1930s. Like Art Deco, the Art Moderne style originated at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, which was hosted in Paris. The idea was to originate a new design style that broke free of influences from the past. It was believed that this design aesthetic needed to authentically represent the new machine age in order to be truly modern. In large part, design styles such as Art Moderne and Art Deco were responding to and rejecting the popularity of revival styles in architecture and design, such as Spanish Revival, Colonial Revival, Greek Revival, and others. Instead, Art Moderne and Art Deco designs strove to eliminate "reproductions, imitations and counterfeits of ancient styles." Specific attributes of the Art Moderne style, which are visible in the design of the Redding Fire House, include a flat roof, curved glass, rounded corners, smooth walls, and ribbon windows. The Fire House was designed by the architectural firm of Masten &amp; Hurd. It was built as part of a federally sponsored Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, and it was overseen locally by the contractor J.P. Brennan and also by the federal Works Progress administrator, John M. Carmody. Currently, this historic Redding Fire House is still an active fire house, in use today.

The historic Redding Fire House is located behind the City Hall building. It was built in 1939 in a style that was similar to Art Deco, known as Art Moderne. Hallmarks of the style include a flat roof, curved glass, and rounded corners. The Fire House was designed by the architectural firm of Masten & Hurd and it was completed as part of a federal Works Progress Administration project. 

Redding Fire House

The two-story Edward Frisbie house was built in 1887 in the Italianate style of architecture which became popular in America during the late Victorian Era. Architectural details include decorative moldings, cornices, and brackets. These features support the "hipped roof," the gently sloping roofline without gables. Inside the home, there are sliding parlor doors as well as an elegant curved staircase. The property is one of the oldest in Redding and one of the few remaining representations of Victorian Era architecture within the town. Edward Frisbie came to Shasta County in 1886, and he purchased 20,000 acres of land from the Redding Buena Vista Land Grant. He then divided this into lots and re-sold the land during a time when Redding was emerging as the most important commercial center in Northern California. In 1887, he built the home on East Street for his second wife, Laura. They were married after the death of his first wife, Phoebe, with whom he had eleven children. His second wife, Laura, was involved in educational work and was a graduate of Napa College. Together, Edward and Laura had two children. In 1888, Frisbie along with four other men established the Bank of Northern California. As the second bank in Redding, it helped to advance trade and commerce in the region. Frisbie also served as president of the Bank. Additionally, he had a lumber business on the Pitt River as well as a cattle ranching operation. He owned 920 acres in the Bald Hills of Shasta County. Frisbee was known to have been particularly fond of his prize-winning Hereford bull with its shaggy white face, which he called "President Mischief." Because of all his many successful commercial endeavors, Frisbie is remembered as a "founding father" of Redding as well as the neighboring town of Anderson. The Frisbie family sold the home on East Street in 1890 when they relocated away from Redding. After their departure, the home became used as a boarding house. During a period in the twentieth century, the home also stood vacant. The rear of the property was expanded in 1930. From 1985 to 1986, the home was fully restored with considerations given to preserve the original historic architecture of the property. At that time, the "widow's walk," or octagonal balcony on the roof, was removed because it was considered it to be inauthentic by the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service, Division of Historic Preservation Assistance. The Edward Frisbie House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 29, 1990. It is also called the Edward Frisbie Mansion. Although the home has the relatively understated appearance of an Italianate farmhouse and would probably not be considered a "mansion" by today's standards, at the time that it was built, its design reflected the wealth and style of one of the most prosperous families then living in Shasta County. Today, the Edward Frisbie House is currently used as a commercial office space.

This historic Redding home was built in 1887 for the family of Edward Frisbie, a prosperous land developer, banker, cattle rancher, and entrepreneur. Frisbie's leadership and investment helped develop the town of Redding into a commercial center in Northern California. Frisbie built this Italianate style home on East Street for his second wife, Laura. It is the third oldest building in Redding, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Edward Frisbie House

The Pine Street School Building was designed in 1912 in the Mediterranean Revival style by the Sacramento-based architectural firm Woollett &amp; Lamb. It was the third school to be built in this location. The first school building was built from brick in 1881, while the second school building was built from wood in 1895. After demolishing the earlier school building that stood on this spot, the new building, the Redding Grammar School. was completed in 1922. Locally, it became known simply as "the Pine Street School." With a stucco facade, the Pine Street School building featured Renaissance and Romanesque elements, including rounded arch windows and doorways. From 1923 to 1967, the building served as an elementary school for Redding's children, until the school district abandoned it due to seismic safety issues. In 1967, the school was purchased by a businessman from Corona del Mar who renovated the building and remodeled it as a commercial plaza. During the remodel of the Pine Street School building, the classrooms were redesigned as shops, an amphitheater was added, and exterior paved walking paths were created. True to the original Mediterranean Revival style, a red tile roof was also reinstalled. In addition, the exterior stucco walls were restored to their original white color. The historical integrity of the building was otherwise preserved. In 1995, it underwent another remodel while under new ownership. Since 1967, however, the old Pine Street School building has remained in use primarily as a commercial space with offices, restaurants, and retail shopping. The Pine Street School Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in October 1977. Although its present use is as a commercial plaza, the building is still known locally by both merchants and shoppers as the "Old Pine Street School building." Those who can still remember the building when it served as a school recall a place of camaraderie and fond memories of youth, such as singing songs around the flagpole and walking across Pine Street to the local hamburger joint to buy their lunch.

The Pine Street School Building was designed in the Mediterranean Revival style in 1921 by the architectural firm of Woolett & Lamb. For 45 years, this building served as a school for children. Thereafter, it became a commercial plaza featuring shops and restaurants, as well as a law office. The historic building continues to serve the town of Redding in this commercial capacity. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Pine Street School Building

In 1894, an African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was founded in Redding in a small Gothic Revival style building. Historically, this was an African-American Christian church and denomination. The denomination is also called "AME Zion" (or as simply "AMEZ") for short. AME Zion was officially established in New York City in 1821, although its roots can be traced back even earlier. The AME Zion is particularly significant because it was the first among several Black churches which established themselves in the early 1800s. The history of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church began in 1796. A group of African-Americans walked out of a worship service at the John Street Methodist Church in New York City because they were facing intense discrimination, in addition to a long history of injustice and oppression due to slavery. They decided to instead found their own church, which they built in a Harlem neighborhood in New York City in 1800. They called this first church the "African Chapel," and later the "Zion Chapel". In 1848, this became officially known as the "Mother African Episcopal Methodist Zion Church." AME Zion grew so rapidly after the Civil War, especially with the abolition of slavery, that the denomination spread to the West Coast of the U.S. with the founding of the First AME Zion Church in San Francisco in 1852. AME Zion also spread throughout the world, beginning with establishing a strong presence in Africa. It eventually established a presence on every continent on the globe except Australia. The small Gothic Revival church building that was the original home of the AME Zion congregation in Redding, California, was remodeled in 1921. In 1946, the radio evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson (1890 - 1944) acquired the building and founded a new denomination, the International Church of the Four Square Gospel. In 1993, the church was then purchased by a local entrepreneur named Terry Miller. Since 1993, the building has continuously been rented out as a church building. Today, it is home to The Light House Church &amp; Ministry. A new fundraiser is currently underway to restore the building and to preserve it as a historical landmark. It is located within a historic neighborhood in downtown Redding.

Built in 1894, this small Gothic Revival church is the oldest house of worship in Redding. It was originally home to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, known as "AME Zion." However, it has since housed other denominations, and it is currently home to the Light House Church & Ministry. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion denomination began in New York City in 1821 when a group of African-Americans walked out of a Methodist church service due to discrimination, and they subsequently founded their own church.

African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

The Bell Rooms building is located in Redding's former "Red Light" District, which saw its heyday in the 1940s, particularly due to the influx of workers during the construction of the Shasta Dam project. However, the brick buildings in this neighborhood, which was known as "The Alley" and was listed as "Block 13" on early maps of the city, date back to as early as 1900. At the turn of the twentieth century, warehouses, breweries, saloons, and hotels cropped up near the railroad tracks along Shasta Street as Redding became an industrial hub in Northern California. In an effort to re-zone the area, the city attempted to remove this neighborhood from coverage by the Redding Fire Department. It subsequently asked all residents to relocate into tenements erected by the city on Center Street. Three weeks later, a fire swept through the Block 13 neighborhood, leveling several blocks entirely, and anyone who remained was forced to relocate or rebuild. After another fire swept through this neighborhood in September 1908, the city required people to rebuild in brick, instead of wood. The local brick manufacturing plant, Holt &amp; Gregg, provided many of the bricks during this period of reconstruction. This included a property that was built in 1908 on the corner of Shasta and California Streets, which later became known as the Bell Rooms building due to its proximity to the railroad tracks and the track signaling bell. During the 1940s, the Bell Rooms building became part of the now infamous "Red Light" district that emerged in this neighborhood, particularly with the influx of workers to the area during the construction of the Shasta Dam. By the twenty-first century, the building sat vacant and boarded up, with the property then owned by the Redding Area Bus Authority (RABA). In 2016, the city began planning to demolish the building. Two separate historical consulting firms had evaluated the building's historical value, and each had decided that the property would not be eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places because the historical integrity of the building had not been sufficiently preserved. This was partly due to the addition of a cinder block wing on one side, and other modifications that had been made over the years. Members of Redding community were deeply divided on the issue of whether the property should be demolished or saved. Some did not see the value in saving a derelict brick building and former 1940s brothel. Others felt that the Bell Rooms reflected Redding's early industrial past, as the building was built in 1908 when the city was emerging as an important industrial crossroads in the region and the property retained its original brick exterior and windows. Ultimately, local preservationists came together, led by the Shasta Historical Society, Viva Downtown, and the Shasta County Arts Council. They fought hard to save the Bell Rooms building from the wrecking ball. In response to this public outcry, the Redding Area Bus Authority requested proposals from anyone who wanted to purchase the building. In 2017, the McConnell Foundation came forward with a plan for an adaptive reuse project to preserve and restore the Bell Rooms building. The plan included converting the property into a bike rental shop and cafe as part of a broader effort to revitalize the neighborhood and the city of Redding through sustainable transportation and outdoor community spaces. Within this plan, the Bell Rooms building was considered well-situated near the new Distelhorst-to-Downtown bicycle path, which had recently been funded by the city to connect Redding's bike trails on the Sacramento River with the city's downtown economic center. This proposal for the Bell Rooms building includes a bike sharing program that would facilitate access between downtown Redding and the bike trails, while promoting sustainable tourism and bicycle tours. It also involves the restoration of the properties immediately adjacent to the Bell Rooms building. The overall plan entails the creation of a historic building complex grouped around an outdoor patio, with a place for cyclists to store their bikes while grabbing something to eat from the cafe. During the second half of the twentieth century, the Bell Rooms building was owned by Charles Bull who operated a taxi and rental car company, and an auto repair shop, from this location. Thus, the McConnell Foundation’s overall plan to adapt the restored property into a bike rental shop is also in keeping with its previous transportation-related usage. After the proposal was approved by the city, the McConnell Foundation was able to purchase the building in 2019, with the adaptive reuse project underway at this location during 2020.

The Bell Rooms is a two-story brick structure that was built in 1908. Its name derived from its proximity to the signaling bell for the train tracks that were adjacent to the building at the time. It later became part of the infamous "Red Light" district in Redding during the 1940s. After the Bell Rooms building was saved from the wrecking ball by local preservationists in 2016, it was purchased by the McConnell Foundation, which plans to convert the property into a bike rental shop and cafe. The Bell Rooms building is one of the few remaining examples of brick architecture in downtown Redding from the turn of the twentieth century. 

Bell Rooms Building

Located just across the railroad tracks when approaching from downtown Redding, Moores' Flour Mill has been in operation since 1974. Currently owned by Bob Moore, the company produces quality "stone grain" flours and its products are sought after by local foodies and chefs. The mill's whole grain flours are produced through historic methods of "stone grinding," originally on mill stones that were 150 years old. Initially, the mill was opened by Bob and his brother Ken in a quonset hut on the south side of Redding as a retail-only shop. By the late 1970s, the Moore brothers were able to purchase the property at the current Shasta Street location, which had previously housed the Redding Record Searchlight newspaper. As their business grew, they began to ship the mill's fresh flours in freight cars across the country, as far east as Mississippi. In 2014, Bob Moore, who continues to run the company with his brother, Ken, and his son, Chad, purchased a new building just north of the municipal airport because the mill needed a much larger space (and the new building offers six times more space). However, they decided to still continue operating the Shasta Street location because the location remains a popular and accessible favorite among Redding locals. Although the business itself is now primarily wholesale, the retail store on Shasta Street is easily accessible from downtown Redding, so people can come in and purchase fresh-ground flours directly from the mill. Inside the mill, there are historic 150-year-old grinding stones, supported within an antique wooden frame. Although the Moores eventually upgraded the equipment so that the mill now uses on 30-year-old stones, the mill continues to rely on historic stone-grinding methods to produce quality whole grain flours, unlike some of the more modern stone-grinding equipment and techniques which create a more refined type of stone-ground flour. However, the mill has also modernized to meet current regulations, such as to ensure that its gluten-free products meet certain standards. From its retail storefront on Shasta Street, Moores' Flour Mill currently sells fresh grains, bread flours, pasta, spices, rice, beans, lentils, and split peas. It also sells ready to eat granola and muffins, as well as ready to bake bread mixes, pancake mixes, and muffin mixes. In addition, the shop sells dried cranberries, nuts, seeds, honey, and molasses, all of which are important ingredients for natural baking. The baking products that line the shelves each appear in simple packaging with old-fashioned labels. Fresh grain flours sold in the shop include barley, wheat, quinoa, millet, rice, spelt, and corn, among others. Much of the grain, corn, and raw ingredients are sourced locally. Many of the products are also organic, and all are non-GMO. Behind the shop and mill, tall silos hold hundreds of tons of grain, still waiting to be milled, baked, and enjoyed.

Bob and Ken Moore opened Moores' Flour Mill in Redding in 1974. Since then, it has been a favorite with locals and area chefs. In addition to selling non-GMO and organic stone-ground flours, Moores' Flour Mill sells products such as pasta, honey, molasses, Scottish oats, and homemade cranberry pecan granola. In 2014, the company purchased a second location with more space, while it continues to also operate its original store-front on Shasta Street. 

Historic Downtown Redding California Walking Tour

Cascade Theatre

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information