Category Archives: History

History

The Job Jitters

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Red River Lumber Company’s Westwood mill, 1931.

By 1930, the nation’s lumber market had suffered big time not only with the economy teetering but supply flooded the market where there was no demand. In the Lassen region, this was a new experience as everyone had been accustomed to the good times. The big three mills had not only scaled back their labor force, but curtailed production. This fueled the rumor mill, and in December 1930, the rumor on the street that the Red River Lumber Company was to permanently shut down its mill. Company officials had to put out the word, that this was utter non-sense. After all, in December there was the usual slow down with the end of logging season, and soon it would be time for annual maintenance of the mill.

On the other, Lassen Lumber & Box Company was in dire financial straits. They closed down Camp Lasco, their logging camp for good and would rely upon logging contractors for their future needs. The company also went through major refinance of all the other departments.

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History

Religion Comes to the Honey Lake Valley

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Gay Street, Susanville,  looking north, 1864. Courtesy of Gilbert Morrill

East slope Sierra Nevada communities of the 1850s and ‘60s were isolated from California, especially in the winter months.  Thus, certain social developments were a challenge. While folklore describes western frontier outposts as rowdy and bawdy, that was not always the case.

In November 1860 it was announced the Presiding Elder of the Methodist Church from the Sacramento Valley would visit the Honey Lake Valley in late December—a first. However, it is not clear if that preacher ever visited the region. In 1862, the Rev. E. Paddison of the Methodist Church, held a service in Susanville with fourteen people in attendance. From 1862-1864 Honey Lake Valley became part of Nevada Territory District of the Methodist California Conference. In September 1863, the Rev. Richard C. Cardberry was assigned to Susanville, replacing Paddison. By 1868, the Methodist Church was firmly established in the Honey Lake Valley to be followed by Catholics and the Congregational Church.

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History

Your Tuesday Tidbit

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Amedee, 1916
Amedee, January, 1916 courtesy of Marie Herring Gould

During this pandemic winter I will attempt to at least send along a brief Tuesday post.  This picture was the very first one I posted back in February 2015 when I was learning how to do such, and that learning curve continues to this day.

Times were very quiet for Amedee and eastern Lassen County, and Modoc too, due to a heavy January 1916 snowstorm that left those residents isolated. The snow blockade created a twenty-one day shut down of the NCO trains.  The lack of outside communications with no mail, newspapers etc made for a trying time.

I hope everyone will enjoy the next three months of these Tuesday Tidbit installments.

Tim

 

History

Fire – Diamond Mountain Inn

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Diamond Mountain Inn
Diamond Mountain Inn as it appeared in the 1920s and was located next to the Masonic Hall. It was destroyed by a fire in 1931.

The Diamond Mountain Inn was originally known as the Janesville Hotel. The two-story wooden structure contained twenty-two rooms and was built by Dennis Tanner in 1872.

In 1913, B.R. Holmes acquired the hotel. It was in need of substantial upgrades. He named his new enterprise the Diamond Mountain Inn—the named remained until its demise.

Holmes operated the hotel for a brief period. It would change numerous ownerships over the years. In 1920, LeRoy Pollock was one of them, whose son Jackson Pollock would become well known in the modern art world.

On the night of December 6, 1931, J.C. Moore, the current owner, was awakened by the crackling sound of fire. He hastily escaped the burning building. A bucket brigade was quickly assembled, with all efforts to prevent the fire from spreading. The hotel was a total loss, and only partially covered by insurance. The origin was a defective flue in the dining room.

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History

Hill’s Market, Susanville

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Hill’s Market—-Phil Long

It was on this date in 1931, Hubert “Hoolie” Hill opened Hill’s Market in the Knoch Building on the corner of Main and Lassen Streets. Hill was formerly associated with the Mt. Lassen Packing Company. The market was also known as the Red & White. In 1939, Hill opened a second store on Highway 36, next to the Meadows and across from the Coppervale Ski area. He sold that store in 1941, and it became known as the Meadows Market.

Hill died in 1949, but his wife, Mildred carried on with the market. Unfortunately, I do not have the exact year when it closed. It is one of those research challenges created by Covid-19, as access to certain records hampers research.

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History

Doyle versus Portola Update

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The Portola Depot. Notice the rails had been recently laid, no ballast.

Back in August 2018 I wrote about how Doyle and Portola were in competition to become the division point for the Western Pacific. A reader recently questioned a comment that I stated the Western Pacific Railroad built the line, and wanted clarification that it should be the Western Pacific Railway—in their opinion two different companies.

In 1903 the Western Pacific Railway was incorporated to build a railroad from Salt Lake City, Utah to the San Francisco Bay. This was accomplished. The Western Pacific struggled financially, since it had no capital to build its proposed feeder lines that would increase freight traffic, thus increase revenue. In 1916, on the brink of financial collapse the Western Pacific Railway reorganized to become the Western Pacific Railroad—same company just a change in semantics.  Now back to the  original question, technically  it was the Utah Construction Company that did the physical work to construct the railroad, under a contract with the Western Pacific Railway.

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History

Eagle Lake, 1893

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A 1893 topographical map of Eagle Lake

Some might be interested in this map of Eagle Lake. No doubt, there might be a few folks, who think that the cartographer had gone mad. I can rest assure you that was not the case. In the modern era, the Gallatin name has always been synonymous with the south shore of the lake. As one can see from the map, the south shore was referred to as Halls in the late 1800s. It was so designated as Wright P. Hall, a Susanville resident and well known Lassen County public figure, owned Papoose Meadows since 1876. Albert Gallatin’s, ranch manager Byron Bell had a sheep camp near what is known today’s as Spaldings. Prior to this, there had no designation for that locale. In 1914, things suddenly changed. Malvena Gallatin had a built summer home at the south end of the Lake. It was in 1914, the first Spalding subdivision was plotted on the west side of the lake.

Another interesting note, is Madeline located in Grasshopper Valley. The first Madeline was established in 1870s as a stage stop to accommodate travelers to Hayden Hill and other points north. The Madeline we know today on the Madeline Plains came into existence 1902 with the arrival of the NCO Railroad, which was formally known as Van Loans.

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History

Mixie Flat, Nevada

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Indian Springs, Mixie Flat, October 1985

Last month, this obscure location was in the news about two travelers, who for reasons unknown, perished near there—no foul play was involved according to officials of both the Lassen and Washoe County Sheriff’s Departments.

Mixie Flat is in northern Washoe County, Nevada, just north of the Smoke Creek Desert and just east of the California-Nevada border. It is also the headwaters of the east branch of Smoke Creek.  While I do not know much about the history, I have some interesting memories camping there in 1985–the kind that you never forget. If one wants a truly memorable lifetime experience, depart Mixie Flat from the east and descend down Parsnip Wash to Buffalo Creek at your own peril.

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History

Gyppo Loggers

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A Red River Lumber Company Ad—-Lassen Mail, October 7, 1935

This is one aspect of logging operations that I have never addressed. It is by the way, a term near and dear to me, as my father was a gyppo logger.

The term originated during World War I from the Industrial
Workers of the World (IWW) one of the earliest unions to attempt to organize loggers and sawmill workers. Just exactly how word was coined is not known. The IWW referred to the gypos as strike breakers. Basically, a gyppo logger could be an individual or small company who worked as a independent contractor to log certain tracks for large companies such as Fruit Growers Supply, Red River Lumber Company among others.

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History

The Lucero Mortuary

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The McDow residence at the intersection of Lassen and Cottage Streets, January 1911.

Seasoned residents will recall Carlos Lucero and his mortuary located on South Lassen Street, which is now Walton’s Mortuary. In November, 1935 Lucero purchased the George McDow residence and proceeded to renovate it into a mortuary to compete with the town’s other mortuary—Edenholm & Morrill. Lucero hired A.K. Philbrook to operate it, who had been in the local undertaking business since the early 1900s.

Fast forward to the spring of 1938 when Edenholm & Morrill took over the premises. They, too, made extensive improvements including the use of knotty pine in the interior, that was quite popular then. Within ten years, Lucero would again own it and this time operate mortuary for several decades.

It is now known as Walton’s Mortuary, 145 South Lassen Street, Susanvillr. September 21, 2019

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