Weed

Weed is a city located in Siskiyou County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the town had a total population of 2,967, down from 2,979 in 2000. There are several unincorporated communities adjacent to, or just outside Weed proper. These include Edgewood, Carrick, and Lake Shastina. These communities generally have mailing addresses that use Weed, or its ZIP code. The total population of this area in 2007 was 6,318. Weed is about 10mi west-northwest of Mount Shasta, a prominent northern California landmark, and the second-tallest volcano in the Cascade Range.Weed's city motto is "Weed like to welcome you". It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.HistoryThe town of Weed gets its name from the founder of the local lumber mill and pioneer Abner Weed, who discovered that the area's strong winds were helpful in drying lumber. In 1897, Abner Weed bought the Siskiyou Lumber and Mercantile Mill and 280acre of land in what is now the City of Weed, for the sum of $400. By the 1940s Weed boasted the world's largest sawmill.Boles FireOn September 15, 2014, a fast moving wildfire called the "Boles Fire" spread through the town with massive force fueled by 40-mph winds. The fire started behind the Boles Creek Apartments in the central part of Weed at approximately 1:30pm and within 4 hours quickly spread to over 200 acres. Evacuations were immediately ordered and a shelter was first set up at College of the Siskiyous, but as fire headed towards the college, the evacuation center was relocated to the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds in Yreka, then Yreka and Mount Shasta High Schools, then the Armory in Mt. Shasta.