Wintu Native People
Before Charles Camden and Levi Tower made their homes and livelihood here, the Wintu and their ancestors resided in this territory for thousands of years. At the confluence of Willow, Crystal, Mill and Clear creeks were a number of Wintu settlements, including a village called Soo ‘yeh —choo ‘pus. Establishing their tribal communities along rivers and creeks, the Wintu lived a resourceful lifestyle harvesting the bounty of the forests and streams.
The arrival of gold rush miners and settlers in the late 1840s and early 1850s devastated the Wintu subsistence food supply. Warfare, disease, and environmental degradation nearly destroyed the native lifestyle. Charles and Philena Camden brought, Kate, a local Indian girl into their family. She was 8 to 10 years older than their daughter, Ada. Kate was treated like one of the family, participating in family events and celebrations, including a trip to Europe. When Charles was away, he would return home with gifts for all the girls. Kate may have been a playmate for the younger two children, but she was also described in one journal as a nursemaid. Kate died at the age of 27 in 1871, and is buried on a hill to the north of the Camden House.
