Cassel
Exploring Cassel: Inventions, Ranches, and Rising Rivers
Did you know that the quiet community of Cassel in eastern Shasta County was once the epicenter of global hydroelectric innovation?
Long before it became a destination for world-class trout fishing at Baum Lake, Cassel was the home and laboratory of Frank Baum (1870–1932). A Stanford-educated genius and chief engineer for PG&E’s predecessors, Baum purchased the 1,600-acre Crystal Lake Ranch in 1908. While he kept the previous owner, W.W. Brown, on to manage the cattle, Baum focused on "taming" the local waters.
A Legacy of Innovation
From his ranch in Cassel, Baum patented at least 21 inventions that changed the world:
• The Power Grid: He is known as the father of the "Constant Potential Electric Transmission System," sending 220,000 volts from Shasta County to Dixon—a record-breaking feat at the time.
• Aviation: He developed early concepts for vertical takeoff aircraft, variable pitch propellers, and hydraulic wing flaps.
• Agriculture: After watching ranch hands struggle with loose hay, he invented a hay loader so efficient it was sold nationwide through the Sears & Roebuck catalog.
Tragically, Baum died in 1932 following an accident while testing his latest invention—an early electric air conditioner—on the roof of the Golden Eagle Hotel in Redding.
In 1939, Baum’s widow sold the ranch to PG&E. The utility company eventually leased the land to the State, leading to the establishment of the Crystal Lake Fish Hatchery. Today, the hatchery modernizes a tradition that dates back to the 1880s, rearing over 1.5 million fish annually to stock waters across Northern California.
Cassel has always punched above its weight in history:
• The nearby Rising River Ranch was once owned by Hollywood legend Bing Crosby (purchased in 1958) and later by Clint Eastwood (purchased in 1978).
• Historical records show H.E. Williams was the ultimate "multitasker" of early Cassel—serving as the merchant, postmaster, doctor, dentist, and photographer!
• The Cassel Mill Co. in the 1890s, the town was a bustling hub for loggers, teamsters, and dairy farmers, even boasting its own baseball team that once beat the Hemstreet & Bell crew 20 to 10!
Today, Cassel remains a serene escape, sitting at over 3,000 feet in elevation. Whether you're hiking the Pacific Crest Trail where it passes the hatchery or casting a line into the "rising" waters of the river, you’re walking through a landscape shaped by pioneers and geniuses.
