California note
Tehama keeps early county and river history close
Tehama sits by the Sacramento River with a first-county-courthouse marker, an old railroad bridge story, and practical river awareness built into daily life.
Tehama sits right beside the Sacramento River, and that explains a lot. The city is small today. Still, its spot gave it an early role in county government, river travel, rail crossings, and life near high water.
One marker points to the first Tehama County courthouse. County officials first met in rented rooms in the Union Hotel, later called Heider House. The county seat stayed in Tehama from May 1856 to March 1857. Then it moved to Red Bluff.
The railroad adds another layer. The Southern Pacific Shasta Route crossed the Sacramento River at Tehama. Bridge No. 210.52 is listed as the oldest surviving swing bridge in California. It also belongs to a larger rail story between California and Oregon.
The river is still part of how people understand town. Local flood information points residents toward alerts, elevation certificates, and floodplain questions. That does not make Tehama a place to avoid. It just means river life comes with homework.
For a reader, Tehama is easiest to picture as a small river town with a bigger past than its population suggests. Courthouse, bridge, river, and local preparedness all belong in the same story.
Where to see it
The First Tehama County Courthouse landmark area, the Sacramento River crossing, the historic bridge marker, and downtown Tehama.
Sources
Sources for this story
Reviewed July 2, 2026
Public sources for the places, events, and details above.
Connected places
Open the local directory
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