Main Street, Susanville, 1952.The way this winter has been shaping up so far, it is starting to look doubtful that we are going to see the standard snow berm down Main Street. If you are waxing for nostalgia, I provide you with today’s featured photograph taken after the “Big Snow of 1952.” When the City of Susanville was incorporated in 1900 snow removal of the streets was not even given a second thought. It was not until the 1920s, that it became an issue, due to the fact the automobile was replacing the horse as the preferred mode of transportation. In 1933, the City transferred Main Street to the California Highway Department, as a means to alleviate the burden of maintenance because of the financial woes from the depression. In 1935, the city’s finances were so strained that they informed the residents there would be no snow removal that winter as they did not have the funds.
