Cottonwood, California

Episode 292 / 16 June 2022 / 170 min / full

A Liar, A Killer & An Idiot

"Cottonwood, California, and this is in Shasta County, between Redding and Red Bluff inland." about 0:05:35

The case: Murder of Carol Garton (May 16, 1998); Conspiracy to murder Dean Noyes (1996 to 1998). Read the case file.

The figures, as told in 2022

Population

3,280 people

Median household income

$42,000 a year

Median home value

$322,000

Two-bedroom rent

$11.88 a month

Cost of living

$102,000

Religious

27%

Property crime

▼ slightly below

Violent crime

▲ slightly above

History, in brief

• Cottonwood began as a stagecoach town, a stop on the way to the Gold Rush and the Oregon Trail. about 0:06:16
• The first post office opened in 1852. about 0:06:27
• It was established as a settlement in 1849, during the Gold Rush. about 0:06:31
• In 1849 it was known as a stop for supplies and food before heading up to the Oregon Trail. about 0:06:53
• It sits between Redding and Red Bluff, inland. about 0:06:44
• In 1859 a Bavarian immigrant named Jacob Foster purchased 240 acres on the north side of Cottonwood Creek, and that is the town of Cottonwood now. about 0:07:02
• Foster built a hotel on his land, and the settlement grew into a real town. about 0:07:21
• In 1872 it became a big shipping point for cattle, lumber and agricultural products from the Sacramento River Valley. about 0:07:33
• The railroad came through, and the town kept growing. about 0:07:47
• In 1997 the film Almost Heroes, Chris Farley's last movie, was shot there. about 0:08:57
• In 1961 Hell is for Heroes, starring Steve McQueen, was filmed there, and it was Bob Newhart's first appearance in anything. about 0:09:10

The reviews read out

Open the episode file