Lassen Volcanic National Park has many fascinating hydro-thermal features such as Bumpass Hell and the Sulphur Works, originally known as Supan.
On June 16, 1865, Dr. Mathis Supan, a resident of Red Bluff filed a mining claim on Sulfur Creek, two miles from Bumpass Hell. Supan spent the next twenty years during the summer months developing the property.
At the Sulphur Works he built steam bath houses for the public’s use. He also developed his own line of patent medicines that were readily available in Red Bluff—Supan’s Colic Drops, Supan’s Sour Powder, and Supan’s Rheumatic Remedy, to name a few. He even marketed his own line
of bottled water from the soda springs on his claim.
A complicated family life caused Supan in 1887 to stop working at the Sulfur works. No one in his family had any interest to carry on with his work. By the turn of the century, his son, Milton became frequent visitor there during the summer months. He utilized the surrounding property for livestock grazing.
In 1916, witnessed the creation of Lassen Volcanic National Park, though inside the park boundaries were various private properties—the Supans being one. This was a problematic issue for park officials for decades to come. Yet, when the park was created, in reality it was by name only, for funding was almost non-existent. For Milton Supan he was ambivalent about the new park that surrounded his holdings. Supan,
however, re-filed the Yellow Ocrhe mining claim there, which was his father’s original claim, just a different name. It would become a contentious issue with the park.
By the mid-1920s, after a strong lobbying effort, a stingy Congress began to fund Lassen Park. One of the priorities was the so-called loop highway. The revelation caught the attention of Supan. In 1927 he began to construct a gas station there, which alarmed park officials. It was just the beginning of a long feud.
Tomorrow: Lassen Park v. Supan
This is my family history. It amazed me to read what my family had accomplished.
Hi Tiffany, I too am a descendant of Mathias Supan, my great great grandfather via his daughter Martha. You may be interested in two books written by Douglas H. Strong which I found at the Loomis Visitor Center at the north entrance to Lassen Park. “These Happy Grounds” a history of the Lassen Region and “Footprint in Time” a history of Lassen Volcanic National Park. The first book has a “Notes” section in the back which references (#66) interview sources. I wrote a term paper “The Supan Family” which can be found at the Kraft Library in Red Bluff.
Hi I am Richard Supan, also a descendant of Mathias. My great grandfather was Milton, grandfather Adlai, father Jim. With the help of many, I have included a lot of information on Ancestry.com for the Supan Family. It would be great to read your term paper if it can be accessed online. Thanks
PS Trying to find out where Mathias and his family lived in Europe has been very difficult to find out. I think it was in the area of Trieste and Ljubljana (called Laibach in Austrian-Hungarian days).
Very interesting. I’m also a descendant Milton, Adlai, James Supan. It would be interesting to access your term paper if it was available online. With the help of many, I have included data and photos on Ancestry.com. Where Mathias lived in Europe has been elusive. I think it was near Trieste and Ljubljana (currently in Slovenia, known as Laibach in Austrian-Hungarian Empire).
Thanks, Richard Supan
Hi was your term paper from history class at Red Bluff High. I read many of those are used for research now.
Mr. Osbourne was one of the teachers.