There were actually two stations on the Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad (NCO) named Wendel. The first Wendel station came about in 1911 and was located between New Pine Creek and Lakeview, Oregon. It was a very short-lived operation.
Wendel in Lassen County was not designated until 1915. For years the NCO referred to that place as Hot Springs. Yet, the post office there established in 1902, was named Purser, after Edward T. Purser a nearby rancher who developed Ward Lake to irrigate this property.
In 1912-13 with the construction of the Southern Pacific’s Fernley & Lassen Railroad, they named their station there as Caloreta. This created a great deal of confusion. The NCO designation of Hot Springs, the postal authorities as Purser and the Southern Pacific as Caloreta. In 1915, all three entities agreed to name it Wendel. It was so named after Charles deWendel, who was not only an investor in the NCO, but friends with the Moran family who owned the NCO.