In 1928, it was announced that Minneapolis firm W.B. Foshay Company was in negotiations to by Susanville’s municipal water company. This, of course, brought up the usual debate that the City should own it. The town’s water supply was a hot topic. What is interesting, the Lassen Mail published an account on the origins of the water supply. The newspaper did not cite an author or source. However, I found it of interest, and thought others would too.

”The first attempt of supplying the settlement with water was made by Governor Roop, who constructed a rude system by laying pipes from Piute Creek to a tank located near the center of population. The ‘pipes’ were the trunks of trees bored out after the fashion then employed in the mining operations and in other settlements of the state. Those who needed the water went to to the tank and took what they needed. For this service they paid a small rental—when the governor thought about collecting it, or unless the user gave him a hard luck story and begged off.”

Tim

”