Historic postcards offer tiny glimpses into the past—capturing places, people, and even everyday messages. This 1905 postcard of the Turtle Bay Sawmill reveals a time when postcards were the quickest way to stay in touch and when the mill itself was a defining feature of Redding’s riverside landscape. Discover the story behind this colorful piece of history and the once-bustling mill that shaped early Redding.
This month’s artifact—a hand-cut silhouette by artist A.H. Harrison—offers a fascinating glimpse into the Better Babies Exposition of the early 1900s. What began as an effort to promote children’s health reveals deeper stories of art, eugenics, and family history, and the enduring power of a single image to connect us to the past.
Our honorary baristas brought energy and smiles, coffee lovers stopped by to support Turtle Bay, and together we made this year’s fundraiser a success!
All of us at Turtle Bay are immensely grateful for the incredible presence of the many community members, supporters, and partners who attended our recent event, State of Turtle Bay. Lindsay Myers, President & CEO of Turtle Bay, brought our many attendees on an inspiring journey through the past, into the present, and onto the future of Turtle Bay Exploration Park.
Barbed wire might seem like just a nuisance in your backyard—or a handy tool to keep cattle from wandering—but its impact on America goes far beyond fences. From reshaping the open range of the West to affecting Indigenous lands, livestock management, and even military strategy, barbed wire earned the nickname “The Devil’s Rope.”
Discover how this simple invention changed the landscape, law, and history of the American West—and see why most of Shasta County is still considered open range.
Saturday, April 12, 1997, Turtle Bay Exploration Park (Then Turtle Bay Museums and Arboretum on the River) opened its first new, post-merger attraction, Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp. The free event launched the beginning of the Turtle Bay build-out and was the first public physical manifestation of the hard work of The Forest Museum, founded 14 years earlier. The camp also provided a gateway for public access to the Interpretive Forest planted in 1992/1993.
