Since we are approximately half-way between Thanksgiving and Christmas I thought briefly reflect past community efforts to organize and get things done. It should be noted, that three sites were done by volunteers.
The Lassen Monuments. In October 1916, Susanville resident Jules Alexander spearheaded efforts for a new Peter Lassen Monument. The new monument was installed in September 1917. A century later, in 2017, Susanville Boy Scout Hayden Chittock made the rehabilitation of the premises into an Eagle Scout project. It was a massive undertaking to say the least, with many volunteers lending a helping hand. Go check it out, when you can.
The Lassen County Fair. In the summer of 1922, Bert Jensen, Russell Brownell, C.E. Lawson, L.E. DeForest and H.H. Riddels formed the Lassen County Fair Association. It had been sixteen years since the last fair, and these ambitious men were not only going to correct that, but make the county fair an annual event. They wasted no time to put together a fair, but a permanent fairgrounds as well. Twenty acres of land were acquired which is still the present Lassen County Fairgrounds. In July they even had a grandstand constructed. In 1930, the Association donated the fairgrounds to Lassen County.
Susanville’s Memorial Park.. This park owes its existence to countless numbers volunteers who raised the money to purchase it, but they also did the landscaping and built the grandstand that was destroyed by fire this summer. In 1946, M.E. “Mul” Mulroney was the guiding force behind to make Memorial Park a reality.. The property was owned by Cy and Eleanor Houghton, and the asking price was $7,000. The community raised the funds, presented it to the city and the purchase was complete. When the city stated that they had no funds to make improvements, the community stepped in and did it. On July 3, 1949 dedication ceremonies were held for Memorial Park. Ben Curler, Lassen County Superior Court Judge, was the opening speaker. He simply said it as “truly a community park” for all the efforts by the community to purchase and landscape the site.
Tim