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As It Was: Irish Immigrant Contributes to Northern California Growth

More than 160 years ago, 19-year-old Francis Carr of Ireland and his younger brother, James, landed in New York City, where Francis taught school for 15 years and studied law.  He also lost a wife and one son in childbirth and three children to smallpox.

When 42 years old, he left New York with his second wife, an infant daughter and one child from his first marriage to accept a teacher–principal position at the Shasta Public School.  Traveling by ship to Panama and crossing the isthmus by mule, they took a second ship to San Francisco and arrived in Shasta County in time for the start of school.  Carr taught in Shasta for a year before moving to Millville, where he received his law degree.  They had two more children, Francis Christopher and William.

Carr’s son Francis Christopher became a renowned water rights lawyer in the town of Redding, traveling on cases frequently to Washington, D.C.  The present-day Judge Francis Carr Powerplant is named for him.

Carr and his descendants played major roles in the development of Shasta Dam and the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. 

 

Sources: Carr, Pat. "Shasta County Pioneer Family has history of Public Service." Record Searchlight, 12 Nov. 2012 [Redding, CA] , archive.redding.com/./shasta-county-pioneer-family-has-history-of-public-service-ep. Accessed 9 Dec. 2018; "Francis C. Carr-Water Education Foundation." Water Education Foundation, 2018, www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/francis-c-carr. Accessed 8 Dec. 2018.

Luana (Loffer) Corbin graduated from Southern Oregon College, majoring in Elementary Education.  The summer after graduation she was hired to teach at Ruch Elementary, where she taught for 32 years. After retiring, Corbin worked for Lifetouch School Photography and then returned to Ruch as an aide helping with reading instruction and at the library.  More recently, she has volunteered at South Medford High.