In the mid to late 1800’s, travel here was by horseback, mule train, stagecoach, or on foot along a rough road that continued into the valley now filled with Whiskeytown Lake. The road passed near mining camps along Clear Creek and through the small towns of Whiskeytown, Oak Bottom, and Grizzly Gulch, where travelers might stay at Mix’s Hotel, Oak Bottom House, or Brown’s House for a hearty meal, a strong drink, and a livery stable. These towns prospered from gold miners and travelers, but the gold gave out and the railroad shifted traffic to nearby Redding. Some residents remained until the building of the Whiskeytown Dam and Reservoir from 1959 to 1963.