Some may remember when I posed a question earlier, who was the most influential person in Lassen County. Well, it is T.B. Walker, founder of the Red River Lumber Company. His impacts are far and wide, and still lingers today. The historic Lassen County Courthouse came to be with Walker’s influence at the ballot box to pass the bond measure. Off tangent for a bit, there are some who think Isaac Roop is the most revered figure Lassen County has ever experienced. If you look at the record, Roop made a killing so to speak as a realtor, selling land that he did not own. Benevolent and generous, I do not think so, he sold—not donated—the courthouse block, and put in a covenant that if no longer used by the county it reverts back to his heirs. Enough said.

Walker, many may not realize was a frequent visitor in Susanville during the early 1900s, before Westwood materialized. He developed a close friendship with Harry and Gladys Burroughs, as well as J.M. Tremain, editor and publisher of the Lassen Weekly Mail. Yet, when Westwood became a reality, Walker would only make two visits. After all his California expansion was not for him, but he desired that his sons have the same experienced he did.

While Walker has been referred to as a timber baron, more importantly he was a sharp business man. He diversified his investments from his early Minnesota profits. To gain another insight, see this write up on the St. Louis Park Historical Society website.

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