BUTTE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The Butte County Historical Society actively brings local history to the community through research, preservation and publication. In a county of extremely varied geography from valley wetlands to mighty rivers and high mountains, the agricultural, industrial and cultural history is equally diverse.

Butte County, named for a prominent valley landform, the Sutter Buttes, originally encompassed present day Lassen, Sutter, Tehama, Glenn and Plumas Counties.

The county is rich in history, from pre-gold rush ranchos (Mexican Land Grants), gold mining (panning, hydraulic and dredging), forest industries (lumber and resins), Sacramento Valley wheat, rice, nut, citrus and olive agriculture, cattle raising, plant experiment stations and a cold war missile silo to modern organic farming. Banking, commerce and transportation played large roles as well. Migratory birds of the Pacific Flyway, which diminished during the days of market hunting and drainage of wetlands, have now returned to a new habitat created by the thousands of acres of rice fields.

Explore our pages to learn more about Butte County's fascinating history and the services of the Butte County Historical Society. To learn about the unique items in our Museum Store, click here.