Many people fall in love with the history of Shasta County, California. When you think of Shasta County historians who comes to mind? Only a few people do. Way, way back then, there was a Shasta County historian who came from pioneer roots and her name is Myrtle Leoan Garrison.

Garrison was born to Isaiah and Eunice Josephine Tuggle Garrison at Shingletown, Shasta County, California in 1884. Myrtle married John Burnham McNamar. John B. McNamar arrived at Cottonwood in Shasta County, in 1890, a pioneer himself.

In Cottonwood John estalbished a newspaper called "Cottonwood Enterprise." Myrtle became editor of her husbands' newspaper. Myrtle wrote and published a book titled "Way Back When", a book based on the history of Shingletown Ridge. Some of her stories from this book appeared in the Cottonwood Enterprise.

Myrtle McNamar also publihsed these books; "Just Muse", "The Vale of Mist", which is a state of Oregon history book, and "Gentle Ann". "Gentle Ann" is a book written about the (Lincoln, Rutledge, McNamar love affair.) Myrtle's husband John is a direct descendant of the McNamar in "Gentle Ann."

Myrtle was also a family historian, she and a distant relative on the Tuggle side of her family wrote, "The Morgan Branch of the Tuggle Family." Which is in the hands of certain Tuggle descendants still living. It was not a published piece.

John Burnham and Myrtle Leoan Garrison McNamar had one child who was born named Elizabeth Ellen McNamar. Myrtle Garrison McNamar died November 10, 1969, at Cottonwood, Shasta County, California.

Myrtle is buried in the Cottonwood Cemetery next to her husband John. Her gravestone states: "Farewell to the lady of Shingletown Ridge she now, has crossed the bar; we will long remember and thank her."

Myrtle McNamar was the grand daughter of pioneers William Harvey and Melinda Ferrel (Johnson-Tuggle), and a foster daughter of William Jefferson Davis a blacksmith and postmaster at Plateau, who took her in after the death of her mother. Myrtle McNamar will forever be remembered in local history of our historic county. Descendants of John and Myrtle McNamar live on.

Contributed by Jeremy M. Tuggle
Resource "Rooted In Shasta County" by Jeremy M. Tuggle published by Preserving Memories in 2003, 2nd Edition 2004; "Our Pioneer Ancestor William Harvey Tuggle and His Descendants - A Collection of Tuggle Family Memories and Genealogical Data" Written and Compiled by Jeremy M. Tuggle Copyright 2003, available at the Shasta Historical Society.