George Tinsdale Albro was born May 24, 1862 to Stephen L. and Mary Exley
Albro. His father, Stephen came to Shasta County from New York about
1852. His mother was born in England and arrived in Buckeye, Shasta County
in1853; five years later in 1858 they were married and settled in Quartz
Hill where George vas born.
Quartz Hill was literally that; Albro said, 'It is my favorite memory,
good old Quartz Hill; just a mountain of quartz 800 to 1000 feet high,
gold bearing to some extent, but to me it symbolizes a happy childhood:
father, mother, brother and sisters and thrilling pioneer days.'
Some time before George was six the family moved to Buckeye where his
Grandfather Exley established a bake shop. The baking was done in a large
Dutch oven built of rock. Pies sold for $1.00 each. Years later he
and some relatives located the family home because they could find this
oven.
Growing up in Buckeye was exciting; George told of throwing rocks at
an Indian and being threatened with scalping, of seeing a murder, and of
panning for gold to buy a pair of shoes.
When George was eight the family moved to Shasta and George began haunting
the courthouse: at eleven he started doing odd jobs, helping the County
Officials clean their offices and even helping the Sheriff build and prepare
the scaffolds for a double hanging. In 1880, George was eighteen and was
officially hired as custodian.
When the Courthouse was moved to Redding, George moved with it. He served
as custodian, night watchman, maintenance man, gardener, and jailor before
he retired. Both Courthouses were HIS. He was upset when trees he had planted
were cut down to make way for the present courthouse and when the Shasta
Courthouse was abandoned he salvaged many items which are, now, in the
Albro Collection at the Courthouse/Museum in Old Shasta.
During one of the World War II scrap drives someone suggested that the
large bronze statue of justice on top of the dome might be taken down for
scrap. 'No, sir,' said George, 'that's my girl. I want to win the war and
will help in any way I can but they can't take my girl.'
George loved everybody: prisoners, office holders, just people. With
his affection for young people, he contributed to more than one term paper
in history.
George officially retired as Shasta County Employee in 1949, but he
never quit; he was always available with advice or information about the
two Courthouses he had served officially and the current Courthouse which
he supervised. George Albro died in Redding, October 28, 1955 at the age
of ninety-three; one sister, Mary Albro survived him.
Source: Shasta Historical Society |