This being Veteran’s Day it is only fitting to acknowledge the fallen soldiers of Lassen County from World War I. Initially, a monument was to be placed at Inspiration Point, but that never materialized. In 1922, the highway entrance into Susanville’s west end was constructed, saw the placement of a bronze plaque with the names of Lassen County men who perished in World War I. In 1966, the highway was realigned and the plaque removed. Continue reading A Remembrance
This is a first series of real estate listings of the late 1950s that doubles for a Tuesday Tidbit. The information provided was scant. This North Pine Street residence was described as three bedrooms, central heat, fireplace and views. The asking price was $13,500 and was sold in September 1958.
Tim
It just so happens that I got tricked on Halloween. by Frontier, my internet provider, their router had a mind of its own and locked me out of my website and my webmail account. The routerdeemed my website was a hazard to my computer. However, the scheduled posts appeared, but not for me. So a handful of cohorts came to my aid, and luckily I was able to contact the local Frontier tech person to stop by and correct the problem. At the moment I am making of for lost time. If you emailed at the webmail address tim@tipurdy.org it may be awhile before I can respond, because I blocked access to that, too.. Thanks for your understanding. Now back to production for 2027 calendar.
Tim
Awhile back we explored hunting clubs, as they are private affairs with scant documentation. I recently happened to come across information of the Standish Gun Club. It was organized in the fall of 1926 and had a limited membership of twenty-five. They secured to leases of hunting privileges to three Tule ranches: McClelland, Von Staden and the Riverside Mill Ranch, later known as Galeppi. As was customary they posted signs on these properties. The initial officers wereJ.D. Andrews, President; Fred Hall, Vice President and Ben Davis Secretary/Treasurer.
Tim
First of all, I want thank Pam Bell of Edmond, Oklahoma for sharing this photograph. I had posted similar one, but it lacked clarity, Pam is under the impression that the man featured might be her great uncle Ferdinand Zarbok who had a desert homestead near Stacy.
Calneva was located in the eastern Honey Lake Valley with a close proximity of the California and Nevada border, approximately six miles east of Herlong. In 1910, the Western Pacific Railroad established the Calneva Station. During the 1910s, this area experienced a great deal of homestead activity. Individuals were lured there by a promise of water from the South Lassen Irrigation District, that planned to divert water from the Little Truckee River via Long Valley Creek to irrigate the desert lands of eastern Honey Lake Valley. Those and other proposals never materialized.
In 1921, the Western Pacific Railroad received permission from the California Railroad Commission to abandon the station. They cited in 1920, only 61 passenger tickets were sold and freight revenue was $435.01–the station’s total profit for that year $117.27.
In 1926 the Lassen County Sheriff George Carter was a in a tight re-election race. To appease the so-called “bean counters”. Carter released the figures about the costs of housing jail inmates. There were those of the opinion that prohibition was a federal issue and the federal government should bare those costs. The issue was addressed in the Wright Act, and more about that later. In June, 1926 Carter noted that the cost housing prisoners was $4,509 but the fines collected was $11,909, which in his opinion was mute. It must not have appeased the public as Carter lost in the general election to Jim Leavitt.
Tim
In 1926 Susanville was a gearing up as the host city of the California American Legion convention which would bring thousands of visitors. This editorial appeared in the Lassen Advocate:
“Susanville has been on the map in the state to a large extent in the last few months through the efforts of the American Legion. Not to take full advantage of the wonderful opportunities that are now presented let the outside world know of our town would be almost criminal and the 4,000 to 5,000 delegates and friends come to Susanville. this August you and each every one of you, should have an individual interest, not pecuniary, to see that the town looks its best and did its best to entertain the Legionnaires from all over the state. What favorable influence for future good to Lassen County. can be accomplished by that impression that is going to be made the visitor in our midst. Are you doing your share now?
Tim
As it is Election Day, many a voter will be spared those political mailers and assorted material. The above envelope contained a simple political viewpoint while still serve its functional purpose. In this instant the letter writer, C.W. Pogue was affiliated with the local Methodist church. Since the early 1900s there was a movement to ban alcohol in California, with numerous attempts at the ballot box that failed. The issue would soon be moot with the passage of the Volstead Act, i.e., national prohibition.
Tim
In 1914, California voters by a narrow margin voted to abolish the poll tax that had its origins in the California statehood in 1850. It was overhauled in1879 when California voters approved a new constitution. The poll tax varied from county to county. Those subjected to tax were men from 21 to 55 years old. To make collections easier, when one voted you would pay to tax when you went to the polls. However, the County Assessor was responsible for the collections.
Each county varied as to what it funded. In 1913, in Lassen County the tax was three dollars-two dollars to the road fund and one dollar for hospital. One had the option. to provide labor for road maintenance in lieu payment, which many did. After all, this long before a county road departments.. Each county superervisor would appoint a road overseer whose job was to maintain public roads in that district. The majority of labor came from those opted to perform day labor rather than pay the poll tax.
First of all, now that we returned to Standard Time, it perks me up. I am a morning person, so I no longer have at rise dark thirty.
Secondly, I was appalled that when I checked the future post on my end did not have anything scheduled for today. Mentally, I thought I had composed it, but in actuality, to my surprise, it was not there.
One of my ideas, why assorting through everything in the move, I thought might do a weekly feature, like “Portraits of the Past.” One of them is W.E.H. Williams, a former owner of the Pioneer Saloon in the 1890s and early 1900s. Below, I republished an article about his wife, Mary Heap Williams, as an introduction, and hopefully, I can retrieve the file about Williams in the meantime. For those interested am working on portraits of photographer, Mirl Simmons and rancher John T. Long.
Now back to Williams Susanville’s best known madam of the late 1800s was Mary Heap Williams. She was the daughter of George and Mary Heap, pioneer members of the local Catholic community. She learned her survival instincts early in life, as her father died when she was six and her mother when she was seventeen. However, her parents left her a very profitable business, The Pioneer. How quaint, a bar business and brothel combined into one!
Mary’s choice in men was not the best. She first married Frank Haughton, and got rid him. She then turned around married W.E.H. Williams, and tired of him, and they divorced in 1907. At least her husbands did operate the bar.
After Mary disposed of husband two, things were improving when tragedy struck. On November 5, 1908, Mary and her young son, George Williams boarded the stage headed to Prattville. As the stage was going down the grade at Devil’s Corral, the driver, George Long, had a run-away coach on his hands, as the brake leaver had broken. Long yelled at the passengers to jump. Mary did and died from the results. When she landed she, fractured her skull and died from hemorrhage at the base of the cranium. The three other passengers and the driver escaped without injuries.