1. All Aboard!

The railroad has shaped and transformed this landscape for more than a century. Steel rails connected Northern California to distant cities and markets. Towns grew around depots, water stops, and repair yards. Dunsmuir became a railroad town, shaped by the rhythms of locomotives climbing the steep grades of the Siskiyous. Workers, travelers, immigrants, entrepreneurs, and dreamers all passed through here, leaving their mark on this place.

Yet every railroad story contains many stories. Stories of innovation and industry. Stories of migration and labor. Stories of opportunity, displacement, resilience, and change.

But the railroad did not arrive in an empty place.

For thousands of years, this region has been home to the Nomtipom Wintu, the Upper Sacramento River people. Their relationship with these mountains, forests, springs, and waterways stretches across countless generations. The railroad transformed this landscape, but it became part of a much older story already unfolding here.

Michael Preston, Winnemem Wintu tribal leader, artist, and activist reflects on what comes to mind when he thinks about this place before the railroad:

Pom — 14:31:25–14:32:50

I always wonder what the world really looked like. How many wolves were there? How many grizzly bears? How many otters? How many salmon?"

Pom — 14:25:54–14:26:40

"The beauty before that, and the mountain, and the water, and the fresh water, and all the trees, and all the animals. Just what kind of paradise it was and is still.

And how much spiritual activity was happening there and the bounty that existed. That's what comes to my mind right now and all the ceremonies, I guess.

That's where my mind goes. The beauty before the railroad."

While this tour begins in a specific place, many of the stories it explores reach far beyond these mountains. The railcars, tools, and artifacts preserved here at Jubilee Railroad connect to a much larger history—one that spans communities, industries, cultures, and generations. Through them, we'll explore not only the story of this valley, but also the broader story of railroads and the many lives intertwined with them.

Along the way, you'll hear voices that help bring these stories to life. Through history, memory, and lived experience, they offer windows into the many people and events that have shaped this valley over time.

This is not a complete history—no tour ever could be. Instead, think of these stops as doorways—places to pause, listen, and imagine the lives that once moved through here.

It’s an ongoing exploration of place and story—an invitation to look closer, ask questions, and consider how the past continues to shape the present.

There is no required route, so wander at your own pace, follow the tracks that interest you, and stay as long as you'd like.

Welcome aboard.