A subscriber inquired that for most of their experiences Honey Lake was either a dry dust bowl or a small mud puddle. The lake can be a lot of things.
First of all, the lake is a remnant of the ancient Lake Lahontan, so is nearby Pyramid Lake. There is a difference between the two, as Honey is a playa lake—a shallow body of water that goes dry in times of drought. However, there is another factor in play, since a great amount of water that would normally flow into the lake, is now diverted for irrigation, thereby never reaching the lake.
Honey Lake, June 26, 2021—Larry Plaster
When there is a heavy wet winter, that causes flooding with excessive run off can fill up the dry lake bed. When the lake is full it covers some 60,000 acres. On the average it takes a successive three drought years for the lake to completely evaporate. When the lake is dry and with the downslope winds from the Diamond Mountain range creates a dust bowl. What is fascinating is the amount of sediment the winds remove, thereby allowing the lake to still retain in certain places a depth up to twenty feet, though on the average four to five feet, and shallower on the east side, when the lake is filled up with water.
Benjamin E. and Mahala (Conklin) Shumway—Carl Illig
Shumway was a ranch and stage stop located at Horse Lake. Benjamin Emerson Shumway (1823-1909) settled there in 1869 and built the first cabin at Horse Lake. In addition, he built the road from Willow Creek Valley to Horse Lake and then onto the Madeline Plains. For a time, it was the quickest route to Alturas and Surprise Valley.
On May 23, 1883, the Shumway Post Office was established with Susie Shumway, as postmaster. On October 31, 1913, it was discontinued. In 1916, Horse Lake residents attempted to re-establish the post office and have a mail drop off at the NCO Railroad’s Horse Lake siding. The postal authorities denied the request. They stated they did not need a mail drop as there were only four permanent families residing in the area. In addition, it was cited, the NCO was an unreliable operation, with irregular train service and since there was no attendant at the Horse Lake Station, there was no way that the mail could be protected.
In 1908, the trustees of Lassen County High School ordered to have a fence built in front of the school. Its primary function was to keep stray livestock off the school grounds.
It should be noted that in Susanville during its early years had a problem with stray livestock roaming the community. It was so bad, that in 1870 the California Legislature passed “Barnes Hog Law”which prohibited free roaming pigs in Susanville. This was a major concern after all, since the town’s water supply came from Piute Creek and was distributed by open ditches.
Lake was one of the original six school districts established in 1864–the others being Susanville, Richmond, Susan River, Janesville and Long Valley. It was so named, due to its close proximity to Honey Lake and the school house was located some four miles south of Janesville.
In 1877, the District constructed a two-story schoolhouse with the assistance of the Independent Order of Good Templars. The second story was used as a hall for that organization, as well as others.In 1898, the student population was 31.
Numerous changes were on the horizon, especially with automobiles and highways. The second story no longer used by fraternal organizations. In 1934 the second story was removed as part of a WPA project. Francis Wilbur, a local carpenter was hired to do the work at a cost of $1,740. According to former student, Erma Reuck McNett, she stated during the renovation process school was held at the nearby Bailey Ranch.
Lake School as a private residence, February 7, 2016.
In 1953, a ballot referendum was held to consolidate the Janesville, Lake, and Missouri Bend schools. The Lake District voters opposed it. In 1971, the Lake School closed and annexed to Janesville. At the October 9, 1975, meeting of the Janesville School District Board declared the Lake School as surplus property, since the old school house would not meet current state building code standards for a school. The title to the property was a bit “cloudy”concerning a reversion clause. It was deemed that the property should revert back to the Bailey family. On October 17, 1975 it was deeded to George and Jane Bailey and the schoolhouse converted into a private residence.
Susanville’s Gay Street, looking north, 1864. Courtesy of Gilbert Morrill
By the mid-1860s, Susanville had its very own Chinatown. It was located in the area of Main and Union Streets. It is interesting to note, where the current Elk’s Lodge is, it was owned by Chinese in 1864. Anyhow, this being Chinese New Year, the following is the earliest account of that event being held in Susanville.
Lassen Advocate – February 13, 1869 – “The celestial portion of our community have had a good time enjoying their New Year feast. It was ushered in by burning three bunches of fire crackers—superior size—at Main Street, much to the annoyance of our peaceable and quiet citizens. Rice, hog, gin, chickens and red paper are in great demand.”
Approaching the summit of the Fernley & Lassen Railroad in 8 feet of snow, February, 1914—B.R. Zimmerman Collection
It was a very wet and snowy January 1914 in the Lassen region. There was so much snow on the ground, the ground hog, could not even make it to the surface, even if it wanted to see his shadow or not.
In January 1914 Susanville had received nine inches of rain, along with 93 inches of snow. The total precipitation for the month was 18.27 inches.
Approaching Westwood, the final destination, February 1914–B.R. Zimmerman Collection
This is a good day as any to showcase these photographs of the construction of the Fernley & Lassen Railroad between Susanville and Westwood during that time. The snow depths in early February 1914, ranged from 8 to 10 feet.
In February 2012, a classified ad appeared in the Lassen County Times that a person had a small trunk of old photographs of the region. I called the number and it took several attempts. An elderly gentleman answered and said the trunk was found in an old barn in Richmond, Contra Costa County. It took several months before the trunk was shipped to me. It was twice the size, I was told, and when I examined the contents, which were photographs of the B.R. Zimmerman family, long time Susanville residents, I was thrilled. I did end up paying about $70 for the cost of sipping and it was worth every penny.
County Surveyor Patridge’s Field Notes recorded on June 5, 1869
Researching the Official Records of Lassen County can be challenging. The above is a perfect example how vague a document can be. The title of this document is confusing, too. “Field Notes of the Survey of County Road from Susanville and Johnstonville Road to Richmond and Susanville Road.”
John C. Partridge, spent two years as the Lassen County Surveyor. In 1871, after the U.S. Government Land Office established an office in Susanville, he was appointed to U.S. Deputy Surveyor. He spent five years conducting the initial Government Land Office surveys in the region.
Some years have a way for things to come together and that was the case for Spaulding Tract. On May 21, 2005 a dedication ceremony was held for the new $2.5 million Spaulding Marina.
In 2004, the property owners there approved to build a sewer system at an approximate cost of $10 million, which the community’s cost would be $8.8 million. In May 2005 it was announced that the Spaulding Tract Community Service District received a $1.8 million grant from the USDA as a part of rural development. With everything in place that summer they were ready to accept bids for the construction.
A view of Spalding Tract from the Eagle Lake shoreline,June 21, 2020.
Personally, this east side Honey Lake Valley resident, is a fascinating figure and I relate to him in on many levels. He began his career first working for U.S.G.S. He did extensive travel in the western United States with that agency. In 1905, he was part of the survey team to survey the boundaries of Crater Lake National Park. He put together four albums of his work there, with detailed notes.* During this same time, his brother, Marvin, was lured to the sagebrush plain of eastern Honey Lake Valley, and took up a homestead that would later become the nucleus of the town of Stacy.
In time, Marvin convinced Carl to join him the reclamation enterprise there. Their first endeavor was a well-drilling business, since the new homesteaders arriving in the region would need wells for domestic purposes. Carl kept well logs, that information nearly a century later is an important resource. In addition, he monitored the flow of High Rock Springs to see how the wells affected its flows.
The big project in the region was the establishment of the Standish Water Company in 1910 and their intent to build a pumping plant to use the water of Honey Lake to reclaim the sagebrush lands. The company recruited Carl, as its engineer. Not only, did Carl oblige, he and his brother invested $20,000 towards the project. The project went bust for a number of reasons.
On the bright side, Caudles had a great well, that not only provided their domestic needs, but irrigation, too. The family carried on. During the height of the homestead era, Carl was busy as a surveyor to plot out each land claim. By 1920, the area was deserted and services as a engineer or surveyor were no longer needed. Nevertheless, Carl persevered. In the 1930s, the United States Army contacted Caudle for information on this portion of the Honey Lake Valley. Caudle’s knowledge not only paid off for him, but for the region as a whole. It was with his information and lobbying efforts that the government established the Sierra Army Depot in 1942. He never saw its complete development, or that of the community of Herlong for he died in his sleep at his Stacy home on August 4, 1942. He is buried in the nearby Honey Lake Cemetery, with other family members.
Carl Caudle’s grave, Honey Lake Cemetery.
*The albums have been donated to Crater Lake National Park.
Note: This post originally appeared in April 2016. While examining a Government Land Office survey map of 1882, it notes the location of the Soldier’s Station.
In the fall of 1856, Levi Breed set up a trading post on the Nobles Emigrant Trail where it crosses Willow Creek, just north where the current Lassen County road A-27 crosses Willow Creek. It was second such post for the Honey Lake Valley. The following year Breed located to Janesville and became that community’s largest merchant for a number of years.
Looking north along Willow Creek towards the site of Dragoon Bridge, April 19, 2016.
It was the military that came along next to locate on Breed’s abandoned post. In 1859, a military station, under the leadership of First Lt Milton T. Carr, A 1 Dragoons, was established at the Willow Creek crossing. Its main purpose was to protect the travelers on the Nobles Emigrant Road. This group consisted of twenty-four men from Fort Crook, Fall River Valley. “Dragoon” is the name for a mounted soldier or cavalryman.The following year, it was replaced by Soldier’s Bridge which was located further to the east and along the Susan River.
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