Way back in the day, and I am talking over a century ago, the two most popular spots to go ice-skating was Leavitt Lake and Honey Lake. There were on times, in Susanville, where the current Memorial Park is located, it would flood naturally, and with winter conditions freeze and the locals took that opportunity to ice skate there.
When the Fruit Growers Supply Company constructed their mill in Susanville it came with the pre-requisite millpond. In the winter, when the millpond froze, some took advantage to ice skate on the pond. It all seemed relatively harmless. On Monday evening, January 23, 1922, about twenty-five people were skating on the pond. Percy N. Wemple, age 11, ventured too far out, where there was still open water and fell in. O.O. Winn without hesitation jumped into save Wemple. However, Winn struggled to get out. F.L. Shank came to the rescue and both Winn and Wemple were pulled out. They were both rushed to Riverside Hospital. The shock of the cold water, was too great for young Wemple and he could not be revived. After this incident, Fruit Growers prohibited skating or any other activity on the millpond.