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Weed, California
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Weed is a city located in Siskiyou County, California. As of the 2000 Census, the town had a total population of 2,978. There are several unincorporated communities adjacent to, or just outside Weed proper. These include Edgewood, Carrick, Lake Shastina, Rancho Hills and Hammond Ranch. These communities generally have mailing addresses that use Weed, or its ZIP code. The total population of this area in 2007 was 6,318. Weed is about 10 miles (16 km) west-northwest of Mount Shasta, a prominent northern California landmark, and the second tallest volcano in the Cascade Range.
town of Weed gets its name from the founder of the local lumber mill and pioneer Abner Weed, who discovered that the area's strong winds were helpful in drying lumber.
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Encyclopedia
Weed is a city located in Siskiyou County, California. As of the 2000 Census, the town had a total population of 2,978. There are several unincorporated communities adjacent to, or just outside Weed proper. These include Edgewood, Carrick, Lake Shastina, Rancho Hills and Hammond Ranch. These communities generally have mailing addresses that use Weed, or its ZIP code. The total population of this area in 2007 was 6,318. Weed is about 10 miles (16 km) west-northwest of Mount Shasta, a prominent northern California landmark, and the second tallest volcano in the Cascade Range.
Brief History
The town of Weed gets its name from the founder of the local lumber mill and pioneer Abner Weed, who discovered that the area's strong winds were helpful in drying lumber. In 1897, Abner Weed bought the Siskiyou Lumber and Mercantile Mill and of land in what is now the City of Weed, for the sum of $400. By the 1940s Weed boasted the world's largest sawmill.
Geography
Weed is located at 41°25'27" North, 122°23'4" West (41.424298, -122.384417). It is located off Interstate 5, just south of the CaliforniaOregon border. The next large town to the north on I-5 is Yreka; to the south is City of Mt. Shasta. U.S. Route 97 heads off to the northeast and Klamath Falls, Oregon.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.6 kmē), of which, 4.8 square miles (12.6 kmē) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
The closest cities to Weed, with a population greater than 50,000 are: Redding, CA (69 miles south); and Medford, OR (81 miles north).
Transportation
Weed is located at the confluence of Interstate 5 and U.S. Route 97. Interstate 5 is the primary north-south transportation corridor for the west coast of the United States running from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. U.S. Route 97 is is major north-south U.S. highway continuing from Weed in a northeasterly direction toward Klamath Falls, Oregon and then north through Oregon and Washington to the Canadian Border. California State Route 265 also runs through the town of Weed, locally known as North Weed Boulevard. Only 2 blocks long, it is one of the shortest state highways in California.
Weed is serviced by Siskiyou County's public transportation bus lines, commonly called "The STAGE" ().
The closest airports for commercial air travel are Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport and Redding Municipal Airport. The Weed Airport services small private planes. Typically corporate visitors or geological researchers uses this facility.
Amtrak trains pass through Weed, but do not stop there. The Amtrak bus/shuttle has one stop in North Weed. The nearest depot for Amtrak train travel is in Dunsmuir, approximately to the south.
Industry, Commerce, and Education
Historic Forestry-Based Industry
From its founding in 1901, to as late as the 1980's, Weed was home to a thriving lumber industry. Roseburg Forest Products (Plywood Production), International Paper Company, Morgan Products Ltd. (Wooden Door Manufacturing), and J.H. Baxter (Wood Treatment) were all located in Weed. The historic industrial area at the north-east corner of town has been plagued with environmental concerns and clean-up efforts as a result of chemicals used for wood treatment, as well as chemical residue from glue used in the door factory.
Present Day Commerce
Although historically reliant on logging, wood processing and forest related products, Weed's economy has become more reliant on tourism as a source of economic activity. Today, most of the wood-product related industry has been scaled back or ceased altogether, and new retail and light industrial activity is concentrated in the south-east corner of Weed. Retail at the south end of town, in the form of restaurants and hotels, caters primarily to tourist travel on the Interstate 5 corridor. Light manufacturing of bottled water from Crystal Geyser Company has also added economic stability to the area.
Weed is part of the , which provides tax breaks, fee reductions, and permit fast-tracking for employers locating in the area.
As of 2007, the largest employers in Weed were:
As a small community with few retail outlets, taxable sales within the city are somewhat limited, totaling $53 million in 2006.
Education
Primary education in Weed is conducted at Weed Elementary School (K-5th Grade) and Weed Middle School (Grades 6-8) which comprise the Weed Union Elementary School District. Butteville Elementary (K-8) is another nearby option just outside the City of Weed.
Secondary level students are educated at Weed High School (Grades 9-12) part of the Siskiyou Union High School District. Weed High School is known for its picturesque campus and diverse student body.
The College of the Siskiyous, located in Weed, provides a steady source of employment for faculty and staff, a source of visitors for the local economy, and offers a two-year junior college education with various Associate Degree and Vocational Certificate Programs.
Recreation and Tourism
Visitors use Weed as a base to engage in trout fishing in the nearby Klamath, Sacramento and McCloud Rivers, or come to see and climb Mount Shasta, Castle Crags or the Trinity Alps. Visitors also engage in nearby skiing (both alpine and cross-country) and biking, or hike to the waterfalls, streams and lakes in the area, including nearby Mossbrae Falls, Lake Siskiyou, Castle Lake and Shasta Lake.
Recreation Facilities & Parks
Weed is centrally located to Castle Crags State Park, Lava Beds National Monument, and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. In addition to these state and federally designated parks, there are numerous local recreation opportunities.
- The Lake Shastina Golf Resort offers an 18-hole championship golf course, and a 9-hole Scottish links course in a scenic setting.
- Local parks managed by the Weed Parks and Recreation District include: Lincoln Park (renamed Charles Byrd Community Park in 2004) which is an park with restrooms, a playground, basketball courts, and is the home to the Weed Skatepark; as well as Bel Air Park, adjacent to College of the Siskiyous and home to the community swimming pool.
- Weed is located on the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, and is a short distance from the Pacific Crest Trail.
- Nearby Mount Shasta Ski Park offers alpine and nordic skiing in winter, as well as summertime mountain biking, rock climbing, and a concert series.
- The same wind that prompted the founding of Weed, as it was used to dry wood products, makes nearby Lake Shastina a popular destination for short-board windsurfing.
- The Deer Mountain Snowmobile Park, is located north-east of Weed on US Highway 97 and offers of groommed trails.
Historic Sites & Museums
- The is a small, seasonal, local museum in the heart of Weed. It features sawmill machinery and artifacts from the town's early days
- The is north-east of Weed on US Highway 97, and consists of steel sculptures and other memorials honoring the service of U.S. Veterans.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,978 people, 1,184 households, and 747 families residing in the city. The population density was 613.4 people per square mile (237.1/kmē). There were 1,293 housing units at an average density of 266.3/sq mi (102.9/kmē). The racial makeup of the city was 73.27% White, 9.27% Black or African American, 1.95% Native American, 4.57% Asian, 0.47% Pacific Islander, 5.51% from other races, and 4.97% from two or more races. 12.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 25. The number of murders and homicides was 1. The violent crime rate was 8.5 per 1,000 people.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 14.4% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $23,333, and the median income for a family is $32,197. Males have a median income of $29,052 versus $21,894 for females. The per capita income for the city is $12,434. 23.9% of the population and 17.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 30.9% of those under the age of 18 and 4.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Traffic: The average commute time for Weed workers is 12 minutes, compared with 26 minutes nationwide.
Housing: Median rent in Weed, at the time of the 2000 Census, was $348. Monthly homeowner costs, for people with mortgages, were $676.
Education: 7% of Weed residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.
84.97% spoke English as their primary language, while 15.02% did not, of those 9.87% speak Spanish, 2.90 speak Italian, and 2.23% speak Laotian.100% of the population speaks English.
Ethnic Migration
Weed's historic lumber industry and manufacturing facilities made it a magnet for ethnic minority migration, that may not have otherwise been the case in this region of the country. A large number of Italian immigrants migrated to Weed, and other towns in southern Siskiyou County at the turn of the 20th century. While immigrants were a source of labor for the region, they were not always well treated, in fact in 1909 complaints from workers in the lumber industry reached the Italian consular.. However, in time the Italian population came to be a cornerstone of Weed civic life. Many streets in the early Italian neighborhood bear names of Italian cities, such as Rome, Genoa, Como, and Venice. Annually since 1954, the town has held the Weed Italian Carnevale in June or July, although recently dropping "Italian" from its name while maintaining the Italian spelling of carnival and the tradtional bocce ball tournments.
A large number of black-Americans migrated to Weed as well, to work in Long Bell Lumber Company's Weed facility after the company closed two mills in Louisiana in 1922. The company promised to advance travel expenses and provide housing for workers relocating to Weed..
Immigrants locating in Weed since the 1980s have come primarily from Mexico and Laos.
As a result of these migrations, Weed has a much more ethnically diverse population than Siskiyou County as a whole. Netting the Hispanic or Latino population out of Census figures for White Race, Weed's white population is 60.6% compared to Siskiyou County at 79.5% under the same method.
Major ancestry groups reported by Weed residents in 2000 Census include:
· Italian - 13%
· Mexican - 11%
· German - 11%
· Black or African American - 9%
· Irish - 9%
· English - 8%
· American Indian tribes, specified - 4%
· Laotian - 4%
· European - 3%
· Portuguese - 2%
· Scots-Irish - 2%
· French (except Basque) - 2%
· Polish - 2%
· Norwegian - 2%
· Dutch - 2%
· Scottish - 1%
· All other tribes - 1%
· Cherokee - 1%
· Other Hispanic or Latino - 1%
· Swedish - 1%
· Subsaharan African - 1%
· Austrian - 1%
· African - 1%
· French Canadian - 1%
· Welsh - 1%
· Japanese - 1%
· Choctaw - 1%
· Filipino - 1%
· Indonesian - 1%
Politics
In the state legislature Weed is located in the 4th Senate District, represented by Republican Sam Aanestad, and in the 2nd Assembly District, represented by Republican Doug LaMalfa. Federally, Weed is located in California's 2nd congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +13 and is represented by Republican Wally Herger.
The Republican representation has more to do with the demographics and political affliations of the districts in which Weed falls, as opposed to the the political views of the community itself. At the local level, Siskiyou County Supervisoral District 3, in which Weed is the core community, voter registration is 39.6% Democrat, 39.1% Republican, 16.2% Decline to State, with remainder split amongst other political parties such as Green, and Libertarian as of 2006..
Other notes
- The area's landscape is dominated by an immense towering volcano, Mount Shasta, which usually has snow near its peak all year round.
- Mount Shasta is the second highest peak in the Cascade Range and the fifth highest in California.
- Crystal Geyser Natural Alpine Spring Water is bottled in Weed at 4 different spring sources below Mount Shasta.
- Weed is also home to the , which produces several varieties of microbrewed beer.
- , run by producer Sylvia Massy and team, is a full service media facility, with video production, audio recording and production, is located in downtown Weed in the building which was formerly the Weed Palace Theatre constructed in the 1920s.
- Weed is referenced extensively in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.
- The city's name has been used as the source of humor because the name can be a slang term for cannabis. Ryan Stiles of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, responded to a question about "U.S. cities that would never have a song written about them" by saying "What's the matter with Weed?".
- At some stores in the area, you can find souvenirs that state that "I'm high on Weed..., California".
- Weed is where From First to Last recorded the album Heroine.
- Aaron Thomas, NFL player, attended school in Weed. Graduating from Weed High School, where he played football, prior to attending Oregon State University.
- Charles Byrd, once Police Chief of Weed, became the first African American to be elected as a sheriff in the State of California, in 1986; holding his office of Siskiyou County Sheriff for four terms.
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