Purity Grocery Store, 65 South Lassen Street, Susanville, 1960- Another dumpster dive salvage
In the early 1920s, chain stores slowly started making inroads at Susanville, though some thought them to be a menace. One of the first grocery chains was Purity, and they opened in the Star Hotel building on the northeast corner of Main and Gay Streets. In the summer of 1938, they purchased a vacant lot on the northeast corner of Cottage and Lassen Streets and shortly thereafter constructed a store, which the building still exists. Purity closed its Susanville store in the mid-1960s, and Food Lane took over the location. Food Lane lasted nearly a decade and then it closed. Taking its place was Chicago Title Company, who operated at the location until the mid 2010s. The building is now occupied by Community Church.
Staying inside a national park overnight can be pricey. Lassen Volcanic National Park accommodations has always been sparse. The Sifford’s Drakesbad Resort that the family owned from 1900 to the 1950s, would eventually cater to the well-heeled residents of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Juniper Lake Lodge — National Park Service
The Snells who owned Juniper Lake Resort east of Drakesbad, was primitive by Drakesbad’s standards. Nonetheless, one could rent a tent there for one night in the 1930s for four dollars. For a couple it was seven dollars. While that might not sound a lot today, the average prevailing wage just happened to be four dollars a day!
Small railroad communities are transient in nature, and not necessarily noted for their longevity. At first, NCO’s railroad town of Amedee, located on the east side Honey Lake might break that cycle. In 1891-1892 was it peak boom years, then a gradual decline.
As with most communities in general, a cemetery was an after thought, until a death occurred, that created a need. This was exactly what happened at Amedee. In September 1894, Samuel & Harriet Johnstone, infant daughter, Cora Aline passed away. The bereaved parents had her buried on the hillside overlooking the town and Honey Lake. The next interment was twelve-year-old Mabel Brubeck who died of pneumonia. There were two other burials, one for baby boy Rogerman, date unknown and the last was for Robert Isigheit, who on died 22 February 1913, at the age of 66.
Amedee Cemetery
Some former residents, thought there might have been 11 burials, but I have never could find a record of such. Then there was a strange occurrence. In 1955, Thomas Ogilvie, Lassen County Surveyor plotted out the cemetery. His map contains 79 plots, not including three existing graves. It is interesting to note the property then and now is private ownership.
In the early 1990s there was a local lobby effort to have a portrait hung in Carson City for Isaac Roop, he being the first Provisional Governor of the Nevada Territory in 1859. Nevada officials agreed to a portrait placement, but private citizens would have to pay for such a portrait. Fundraisers were held.
Once such fundraiser occurred in April 1994, a month after the portrait was hung. The Lassen County Times covered the event which included Chief Winnemucca’s treaty with the local settlers and the Papoose Meadows Massacre of 1866. I have covered this with Version One, Version Two and Version Three. At this dinner, there is now a Version Four. Without further ado here is the published account.
“Harold Dixon, who consider himself a local Indian historian, provides some insight into that historic treaty.
“Young Winnemucca, according to Dixon, was a Paiute Indian born near present day of Litchfield in the Honey Lake Valley. He was chief of the Wadatkut band of the Paiutes who for centuries roamed the Eagle Lake and Honey Lake areas, as well as other areas of Northeastern California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada.
“Winnemucca was related to Old Man Joaquin who was best known as being the only survivor of the Eagle Lake Massacre (1862) in which 80 to 100 Paiutes were killed by the local settlers.
“According to Dixon, the massacre occurred at Papoose Meadows, and the settlers who did the killing had actually journeyed to the area to take revenge on Pit River Indians who had reportedly been stealing cattle.”
Unfortunately, this account is full of factual errors, but since it is published, some might take as factual to quote and perpetuate it.
A Liberty Bond Float, Lassen County Fair Parade, 1944 – Margaret Purdy
Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans out there. I came across this Lassen County Fair parade float for the purchase of Liberty Bonds during World WarII. My maternal grandmother Lola (Murrer) Tanner (1899-1973) purchased the Liberty Bonds every month during that War.She never redeemed them. It was a nice windfall for her three daughters, as the bonds paid for the inheritance taxes for the ranch estates. That is not typo on estates. My grandmother was a savvy businesswoman, but she never finalized my grandfather’s John Tanner estate who died in 1945.
This may be somewhat of a public service announcement, but do you have a will or trust, and a obituary? Your heirs will thank you if took care of business.
The Charles Hartson ranch house, circa 1915. Courtesy of Dorothy Stone
The Hartson Slough is man made, named after Charles Hartson. In 1881, Hartson filed on 160 acres of sagebrush land near Honey Lake, in the Tule District. However, Hartson needed more water to not only reclaim this parcel but to expand. In 1889, Hartson worked as the construction superintendent of the Ward Lakes Reservoir. Hartson made a deal with the Balls Canyon Reservoir Company, the company behind the project, that, for a portion of his services, they would give him a share of water rights. This gave Hartson the water he sought to reclaim his land. He built the slough to convey the water to his ranch. By 1901, Hartson owned 1,500 acres of land, half of which was planted in alfalfa. In that same year, Hartson & Sons ranch was one of the first in Lassen County to incorporate..The incorporation document is unique that normally a town designated as the principal place of business. Hartson & Sons stated “that the business to be transacted shall be at the farm headquarters on the lands owned by this corporation near the shores of Honey Lake.”
Hartson Barn, July 26, 2019
It was Honey Lake that resulted in the downfall of Hartson Ranches. In 1909, they were heavily invested in the Standish Water Company.That company built a pumping plant on Honey Lake with miles of irrigation canals. The patriarch Charles Hartson retired in 1910 and moved to Susanville. He turned the main ranch over to his son, Frank Hartson. Frank Hartson sold out Frank Wood in 1926. The house was destroyed by fire on May 4, 1935.
Goose Lake which straddles the California and Oregon border could be consider Honey Lake’s distant cousin, thrice removed. It was not all that long ago, that it was finally declared a closed basin. That reference that the lake has no outlet. However, it had an outlet at one time, and when it overflowed to the North Fork of the Pit River. Some records indicate that the last time it happened was in 1881.
In the late 1860s, when settlement began in the Goose Lake Valley, water was diverted for irrigation never reaching the lake. The lake is shallow, having a maximum depth of twenty-four feet, similar to Honey Lake. In times of drought the lake dries up.
Just like Honey Lake, Goose Lake had its own ferry boat the Lakeview. It was launched in 1909, in part of the promotion of the Oregon Valley Land Company, which is an interesting tale in itself. The ferry ceased to exist in 1924, when the lake went dry.
Company town’s such as Red River Lumber Company’s Westwood, in a rural setting had its challenges. To prevent labor turnovers, recreational outlets needed to be provided. However, this one amenity was not a cure all. In the 1920s, with affordable automobiles and improved highways laborers had an upper-hand in mobility. One of Red River’s earliest endeavors in its newly constructed town of Westwood, was aptly the named the Westwood Club. This institution included a restaurant, lunch counter, soda fountain, cigar and newsstand, a barbershop, reading room and a billiard room. While many enjoyed the Club, it did prevent Red River’s high turnover rate with employees, or with management. If there was a bright aspect, that due to high volume of high traffic in and out of Westwood assisted in the construction of Highway 36 between Red Bluff and Susanville. It would also be catalyst to establish Highway 32 to Chico. The Westwood Club was destroyed by fire on March 31, 1944, the cause was never determined.
Emerson Notel under construction at Main and Lassen Street, Susanville, 1901-Mary Deal Folsom
I rescanned this photograph in hopes the new scanner features would be an improvement. I think it was a toss up. On the the other hand, newer readers might be interested about the Emerson Hotel, which would be later replaced by the Hotel Mt. Lassen.
In the late 1800s, one of Susanville’s prime property in its business district ,was the corner of Main and South Lassen Streets, that was never developed for its full potential. In June 1900, the Susanville business district consisting of south side of Main Street from Roop to Union Streets was wiped out by fire. It was a clean slate for rebuilding. Susanville entrepreneur, Charlie Emerson had a grandiose plan for the Main and Lassen Street location.
The Emerson Hotel located at Main & Lassen Streets, the current site of the Hotel Mt. Lassen.
On July 31, 1900 groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the largest most expensive building to be constructed in town to date. It was Emerson’s three-story hotel, encompassing a quarter of a block on the corner of Main and Lassen Streets. Emerson invested some $300,000 to construct and furnish the brick building that contained 27,576 square feet. The ground floor was devoted to commercial and the upper two floors contained 76 guest rooms. A grand opening was held on June 3, 1901, and The Emerson became the town’s premiere social hub.
Mark Arnold’s life was cut short. In late April 1898, he had an attack of appendicitis at Hayden Hill. He never recovered and passed away in Susanville on May 7, at the age of seventeen. A native of Susanville, and a grandson of the town’s founder, Isaac Roop, he was born on October 17, 1881 to Alex and Susan Arnold. He was laid to rest in the Susanville Cemetery, but there is no marker for his grave.
His family did finally remember him. In 1920. the Arnold family created two subdivisions just north of present day Memorial Park. There was Arnold Orchard Tract and the Arnold Addition. Separating the two, was one block long street between Grand Avenue to the east and North Weatherow. They named it Mark Street, in honor of Mark Arnold.
The intersection of North Weatherlow and Willow Streets, Susanville, 1960.
The street would double in length when on July 6, 1952, the City of Susanville approved the Compton Orchard Subdivision. The new subdivision created 51 building lots. Mark Street was extended by one block to connect with Parkdale Avenue. Other streets were extended as well, Arnold, Parkdale and Willow. A new street was created–Vista. Construction of the streets began in the fall of 1952.
