The Early Years
Pulp Mill Page
No. 1 Paper Machine Floor Page
No.2 Paper Machine Page
Maintenance Department Page
Union History Page
Mill Closure Aftermath Page
Annual Reunion Picnic Page
The Shasta Mill Employee News Page
 Mill Wide Network Page |
 Technical Dept Page |
 Shasta Cogeneration Page |
 Administration Page |
 Service Award Dinner Page |
 Mill Miscellaneous Page |
 Employee Memorial Page |
 Roll Processing Page |
 Paper Finishing Page |
 Material Handling & Shipping Page |
Nestled at the far northern end of the Sacramento Valley, lies the remnants of the former Shasta pulp and paper mill. Shasta Paper Company shut its doors for good in August of 2001. The local economy was shaken by the sudden mill closure announcement. The resulting bankruptcy would become the largest filing in Shasta County history. Both the mill's papermaking equipment and mill-site land were auctioned off a short time later.
Its abrupt closing made front page north state news for about two weeks, until the events on the morning of September 11th unfolded, forever changing this country's history. After September 11th, the closing of Shasta County's once largest and highest paying private employer became yesterday's news, as the talk of terrorism made the daily headlines.
Driving by the gutted out pulp and paper mill location along Interstate 5 just south of Anderson, California it is hard to imagine today that an industrial operation that large and complex now sits idle, empty and closed. This website pays tribute to both "The Shasta Mill" pulp and paper operation and its many former employees.
The Shasta Mill was first operated by the Kimberly-Clark Company of Neenah, Wisconsin. The mill was constructed in the early 1960s and began operation in the Fall of 1964. Many individuals, both management and hourly came from various other parts of the United States such as Alaska, Michigan, New York and Wisconsin to work at the new plant.
Employees, along with their families also relocated out to Anderson from New Brunswick and other areas of Canada to work at the newly constructed mill operation.
Back in the early days at the mill, before stricter environmental controls, the pulp and paper mill created an odor or strong aroma which circulated around the immediate vicinity and thus quickly distinguished it from the other lumber mills in the community.
Both locals and papermill workers would refer to that pungent odor as: "the smell of money". Later, environmental controls were installed on various processes within the mill which would minimize the odor.
Kimberly-Clark ran the mill until 1972 when Simpson-Lee Paper Company purchased the mill from K-C. In 1977, the "Lee" was dropped from the name, from then on, the mill was known as the Simpson Paper Company- Shasta Mill. Simpson owned the mill the longest during its operation. In January of 1999 the mill was sold to the "Plainwell Group". It closed just two and a half years later.
Hourly employees were also known as the bargaining unit employees and they were represented by United Paperworkers International Union Local 1101, later to be called P.A.C.E. The International Union was headquartered in Nashville, TN. The local union also went by the name "Shasta Paperworkers".
More photos and descriptions of the various departments will be added in the future, so come back occasionally to see what is new!
Shasta Mill paper products were once proudly produced on American soil in the United States of America!!