The Fall River Valley was first occupied by the Native Americans of the Achomawi (Pit River) Tribe. The area was used for fishing (using ingenious fish traps) and hunting (digging large pits along game trails to trap deer and other larger animals).

Sam and Jim Lockhart were twin brothers who started a ferry across the Fall River in the 1850's as a link in the first wagon road from Yreka to Red Bluff, the Lockhart Ferry crossed below the confluence of the Fall and Pit Rivers. In 1857 the Army Department of the Pacific established a garrison in the Fall River valley for the protection of travelers along the Shasta - Yreka road and the Lockhart ferries.

By June 2, 1859 Fort Crook had grown to approximately 28 structures comprising officer's and soldier's quarters, hospital, quartermaster's store, commissary store, general store, two kitchens, bakery, four laundries, four granaries, two stables, two storehouses, guardhouse, blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, and . For recreation Fort Crook featured a bowling alley and a library that by 1860 boasted $600 worth of books sporting printed labels.

By June 2, 1859 Fort Crook had grown to approximately 28 structures comprising officer's and soldier's quarters, hospital, quartermaster's store, commissary store, general store, two kitchens, bakery, four laundries, four granaries, two stables, two storehouses, guardhouse, blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, and . For recreation Fort Crook featured a bowling alley and a library that by 1860 boasted $600 worth of books sporting printed labels.

Fort Crook was officially abandoned in June, 1869. The Fort Crook Historical society was founded in 1934 and is dedicated to collecting, preserving and presenting the history of the Intermountain area. The Museum was built in 1962-1965. For more information come visit the museum or on the web at www.fortcrook.com.

Capt. William Henry Winters came through the area on a cattle drive and saw the potential power of The Fall River, the Fall River getting its name from a series of rapids and falls just above where it met with the Pit River. In 1872 Winters returned with a gentleman named Cook and bought 650 acres at the confluence of the Pit and Fall Rivers. He eventually bought Cook out and proceeded to build a saw mill, flour mill, planning mill, bought and improved a toll road, then built a bridge across the Fall River. In 1920 the town was renamed Fall River Mills.

The area was supported by timber, agriculture and the emerging hydroelectric energy production. The Pit River project consisted of a number of dams and associated powerhouses, with Pit 1 being the farthest project upstream and the numbers increasing as one moved downstream. Initially the projects were assigned odd numbers only to allow for flexibility in adding more powerhouses later.

Pit 1 project actually consisted of a small dam on the Fall River in the Fall River Valley, with the water piped underneath a small mountain range to the powerhouse, where the water was released into the Pit River. Pit 3 was located several miles downstream from Pit 1, and it consisted of a large dam holding back a sizeable reservoir (named Lake Britton). A large pipeline was constructed to move the water several additional miles downstream to the powerhouse.

Today in the Fall River Valley agriculture still plays an important part of the economy and lifestyle of the area. This is a sample of our current demographic data, local economy information, climate statistics and links to more in-depth analysis of the area.