When the Fruit Growers Supply Company gave serious thought in locating a second mill in Lassen County they were initially perplexed as to where to locate it. The timber they examined was to the west of Eagle Lake. They wanted a mill in the center of the timber to reduce the freight costs.
Fruit Growers consulted with the Lassen National Forest Service for possible mill sites. The forest service provided two primary locations and one alternative. The first was near the Bogard Buttes near Pine Creek. It had several drawbacks, due to its elevation, with a short summer, would make it impossible to cure lumber in the open air. Plus, Pine Creek would not be an adequate water supply.
The second was the Pine Creek estuary and convert it into a millpond. If necessary, they could even use Eagle Lake as a millpond. The only drawback was the State of California had approved Leon Bly’s project to use the water for irrigation, and no one knew how that would affect things.
The third was Susanville. It had the benefit of a milder climate, water and infrastructure. However, there would be increased costs as Susanville was far removed from the timber. However, as know it was the third option that Fruit Growers decided on.