In 1971, Susanville dentist, Robert “Bob” Amesbury had a book published about Eagle Lake. In the book’s dedication is to the pioneers there, which he includes Alfred Murrer. On page six Amesbury wrote about the lake level. He includes this sentence, “The narrows was shallow enough during the 1940’s to permit Alfred Murrer to swim his horse across.”

There is a slight problem. The east side of the lake that Amesbury refers is quite rocky, one would have problem with that condition with a horse. Even if you and the horse could overcome that, once you reached the other side, the horse would sink in a muck of. mud/water combination.

I do have some inside scoop about this. Amesbury never approached Alfred Murrer, or any Murrer family about his research of Eagle Lake. While the Murrers resided and still do in Willow Creek Valley, events at the lake were front center. After all, the two tunnel outlets are adjacent to Murrer property, among other things. The reason I happen to have first hand knowledge about this   Amesbury tale about Alfred Murrer, stems from the fact I knew Alfred well—he being my grandmother Lola Murrer Tanner’s youngest brother.

Fast forward to 1988, when my book on Eagle Lake was published. That summer, by chance, I encountered Bob at The Galley, a bar and restaurant at the north shore of Eagle Lake. Bob congratulated me on my book and then stated, “You have all the facts, I had all the bullshit.”

Tim