Bremner Dam, 1906—George McDow Jr.

Some time during the night of March 27, 1906 an unknown individual(s) attempted to blow up the old Bremner Dam on Susan River with dynamite. The dam was built in 1886 in conjunction with the Bremner sawmill, about a mile west of Susanville. The damage was slight and it was reported that whoever did the deed was not familiar with explosives. The dam had fallen disrepair over the years, since the destruction the sawmill there in 1894. Some were of the opinion, that the dam was a hazard, especially to those downstream and it should be removed.

That never happened and the dam quickly deteriorated and by 1914, most of it had washed away.  However, during the drought of 1977, water level in the Susan River dropped to such an extent to expose the remnants of the dam’s foundation.

Support