This is the Wells Fargo Depot that still stands on Yuba St. in downtown Redding near the railroad tracks across the street from the Redding California Veterans "Memorial Building" and the downtown Post Office. This photo was taken in approximately 1913.
The Wells Fargo Depot today stands in jeopardy of being demolished by Union Pacific which owns the property and wants to demolish it. The City of Redding seems to have no interest in saving it and seem interested in maintaining a "history" as well.
A history of destruction concerning dozens of historic buildings during the downtown mall construction, as well as the destruction of hundreds of homeless camps, and their irreplaceable personal possessions.
In a world where it is against the law for certain folks to sit or lay down or sleep or keep warm by a campfire it is quite natural for the City of Redding to strongly desire to tear down this monument to a compassionless Tea Party majority Redding City Council who's mayor defines one of their major duties to the community they serve and care for is to "sell services".
With brush and low hanging branches of homeless shelter refuges being cut from one end of town to the other homeless have no other alternative than to be driven out into the streets to find shelter anyway possible.
Redding and Shasta Counties only night time homeless shelter, the Good News Rescue Mission is often full.
"As the county's only shelter, the mission is scarcely equipped to handle its homeless population, said Community Relations Director Ken White.
"We're feeling extraordinarily overwhelmed by the amount of services needed by people in the community," he said. "If the economy worsens, or even stays as it's been, that could be a very at-risk population as a community I don't feel like we're very prepared to service at this point."
Driven to desperation with their back against the wall many homeless including veterans took refuge here in the Wells Fargo Depot over the years. Over the last 2 years it was locked as 3 homeless who took refuge here have passed away.
Here is the story of one...
Redding California Homeless Veterans "Memorial Building"
4 comments:
The unfortunate side of showing the condition if the building is that it validates the belief that all homeless people live in filth. Which we both know is untrue. I hope your efforts bring forth positive awareness and not confirmation in the minds of the cruel heated that the homeless are a filthy problem to remove.
Agree!
Reading all this stuff blows me away. I've been researching about homelessness in Redding; I have to give up my house soon and will be homeless. The despair I feel after reading this at the moment is unparalleled to any feeling I've had before. I have no addictions, no criminal record but I feel as if I'll be perceived by the public and law enforcement as a scumbag bag. I'm so damn scared.
I hope that things worked out for you.
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