How Happy Camp Got Its Name

To: Linda Martin
Editor,

Thank you for your new e-publishing venture with Happy Camp focus!

I had to miss the Bigfoot Byway Dedication due to driving a car full of teenagers to San Francisco for Acquire the Fire at the Cow Palace. I was very glad to read Debbie’s remarks.

The only problem with John Titus’ account of how Happy Camp got its name is that our town was called Happy Camp nearly a decade before the incident in John Titus’ story. No doubt the name Happy Camp intrigued the Camp brothers (John and Heil) to come here and they did build the brick building for their business in partnership with John Titus about 1858.

Before the prospectors that settled the town renamed it Happy Camp in July of 1851 it was called “Murderer’s Bar.” So glad they changed it! There was a news item in the Alta newspaper of San Francisco as Mr. Roach sent them correspondence about news of the gold rush activities and so there is solid proof of the earlier naming of the town.

Looking forward to seeing more of your Happy Camp News!

Sincerely,
Judy Bushy