12/11/2025
Sixty-four degrees, sunny, and hard to believe Christmas is almost here. Plenty of inspiration for Bobâs next book, Iâm sure.
Author Bob Kaster and Jay Martinâ(publisher of Siskiyou News)âspent a perfect December afternoon wandering Dunsmuir.
Most people blast past on I-5 and never know what theyâre missing. Tucked down by the tracks is a little railroad town that time forgot. It started out as âPusherâ (because helper engines used to shove trains up the steep grades toward Mt. Shasta), then became Dunsmuir when the roundhouse and rail yard brought families and life. A big fire in 1924 wiped out part of the old wooden downtown, and when they rebuilt in brick and stucco with that cool 1920sâ30s vibe, the place pretty much froze in time. The freeway took the through-traffic away in the â60s, and thatâs the best thing that ever happened leaving downtown exactly the way it was.
Walking Sacramento and Dunsmuir avenues feels like stepping onto an old movie set that nobody bothered to strike. Vintage storefronts, neon signs that still glow, an 1890s hardware store you can actually walk into and buy a nail. The river roars below, trains still roll through, and the mountains tower overhead. Itâs quiet, friendly, and packed with stories hiding in every doorway.
Dunsmuir isnât trying to be anything itâs not. Itâs just sitting here, rich with history and charm, waiting for people to slow down and discover it all over again. Bob and Jay sure didâand so should you.
Street photos from just one block (creditâj.a.martin)
City of Dunsmuir
