The caption states taken “near Westwood,” but when it was taken remains unknown. When winter snows arrived on the east slope of the Sierra, travel across the mountains came to an abrupt halt. It was that natural barrier why east slope residents since the 1850s sought for their own self governance.
What is intriguing about this photograph is the road is plowed. In the late 1910s when Westwood was established, there was a competition with that community and those in Susanville to see who would be first to cross over Fredonyer in the spring. In addition, no doubt with a ting of spring fever, the two communities led a joint effort to clear each other’s side of the mountain of the snow.
When Highway 36 was completed between Susanville and Red Bluff in the late 1920s, when winter arrived the California Highway Department closed the highway. After intense lobbying, in 1929 the state agreed to plow the road for snow removal, thought initially it was sporadic.