When William Greehn took possession of Dr. J.G. Leonard’s residence he decided to make it a rental. The exterior had a very dilapidated appearance. It had never been painted. The windows on the top floor were never installed, so they were boarded up. Greehn had no intention to make improvements to the building.  The residence rented for $10 a month, and it was rarely vacant. In 1906 Greehn passed away leaving this and numerous other properties to his two daughters—Fannie Asher and Hattie Grunauer.

On April 11, 1908, during the liquidation process of the Greehn Estate, Joel Henry Swain purchased Leonard’s residence for an undisclosed amount. In 1888, Swain, along with other members of his family originally located in Dry Valley between Grasshopper and the Madeline Plains. In 1903, Swain decided to switch careers from farmer to saloon keeper and moved to Susanville. Swain found the bar business to be very lucrative. This provided him with the means to finish residence that Leonard had started. In just  a short time it became one of the most prestigious homes of Susanville. In an interesting side note, his wife, Annie, somewhat disapproved her husband’s line of work, she being a staunch tea-toler, but she enjoyed the finer things of life that the saloon trade provided. An awkward situation to say the least.

In 1917, J. Henry Swain’s health declined. No treatments seem to improve his condition. He passed away on May 3, 1918. Besides his wife, he left four small children, Frances, Fitzhugh, Blanche and Nellie. In 1922, Annie Swain sold the residence to the Antlers Club, which would in turn become the future home of the Elks Lodge.

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Susanville’s iconic Elk’s Lodge located at the west end of the town’s Main Street, had a humble origin. The story unfolds when Michigan native Dr. J.G. Leonard (1843-1916) opened a dentist office in Susanville on March 1, 1884.  A large vacant lot at the west end of town caught his attention, especially since it was so centered to have an excellent view looking down through the center of main street. He approached the owner, Sarah Hosselkus about its availability. On March 22, 1884, she sold the lot to Leonard for $450.

Leonard then proceeded to design a unique residence on this unique lot. The instincts came naturally for him, since for a time he studied to become an architect.  Dentistry or Architect are noble positions, such professions, even in cities, during the late 1800s could be financially challenging.

In November 1884 work was underway to clear the homesite. The proposed two-story home, contained twelve rooms, many of which were octagonal. Leonard hired local contractor Charles Odette to build it, though no record exist as to its cost. In February 1885 Leonard moved his family into their new home, though it was far from finished.

Leonard quickly learned that there was not a sufficient enough  population in Susanville, as well as the Honey Lake Valley to sustain his practice. Like others before him and after him he rode the circuit to provide his services in neighboring counties, with an emphasis on Modoc County. The other financial obstacle Leonard faced, was his patients would provide goods and/or services rather than paying in cash. After five years of eking out a living, Leonard, filed for bankruptcy on April 17, 1889. One of his main creditors, was Susanville merchant William Greehn who he borrowed money to construct his home. Greehn secured the promissory note with Leonard by attaching a mortgage to Leonard’s home. At the conclusion of the bankruptcy proceedings Greehn was awarded the property. Leonard moved on and by 1898 established a practice in Reno where he lived the rest of his life.

Tomorrow: The residence transformed

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On June 6, 1900 an early morning fire started at Dave Stark’s blacksmith shop on the southeast corner of Main and S. Roop Streets. Within two hours some forty structures from Roop to South Union Street were destroyed in the blaze. The only building remained standing was Alexander & Knoch’s store, constructed of native stone, though it did sustain damage.

While this fire became the catalyst to incorporate Susanville, many resorted to the old wooden frame building practices of the past. The above photograph is a perfect example. What is interesting with this photograph you will notice the vacant lot between the Cohn Bros. and the Pioneer. It should be noted that the Pioneer used the lot for a beer garden, until O.M. Doyle constructed a two-story stone building that eventually became home of the Grand Cafe. The building to the right to the Pioneer, which was Alexander & Knoch’s store, though the store front has been modified is home to Margie’s Book Nook. 

In 1902, Susanville passed Ordinance No. 17 which prohibited wooden frame buildings in the heart of the town’s business district. All future materials, would be brick, native stone or cement. Roofs were required to be metal, slate or tile.

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