Yesterday, I mentioned the Bocci Ball Court, and the only way I learned of their existence is because I possess a 1929 Sanborn Map of Susanville, with a 1935 update. The maps are quite rare because Sanborn never gave up ownership of their maps. As was customary, an insurance underwriter rented the map, and was later returned back to the company. My copy is only one of four in existence. How, I received a copy is an interesting story in itself, but it was in a junk pile of other records destined to the dump.

The maps are a treasure trove of information. The maps are quite detailed indicating whether a building was made of wood, brick, stone etc. Take for instance, the steeple of Sacred Heart Church was thirty feet in height. Another example, as the above illustration indicates, Carroll Street crossed Susan River to connect with Richmond Road. The street has since been realigned and no longer crosses over the river, but one can see the cement bridge abutments. Another example with streets, Alexander Avenue was not a through street and its length was from North Railroad Avenue to Cornell Street.

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This is the second installment of the “mobile home” tour. This was home of Marcus Nathan, well known merchant way back when and it was originally located on the southeast corner of Cottage and South Gay Streets. In 1920, the Susanville School District purchased the property for a new school that would eventually be known as McKinley. This was a relatively short move, almost across the street and it is now Elise’s Barber Shop.

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Susanville’s founder, Isaac Roop on why he came to the Honey Lake Valley, was different than Peter Lassen. On the other hand, Roop came to California in 1850. Roop was not a member of the gold rush. He came here from Ohio at the urging of his brother Josiah, who had a general store in the mining community of Shasta. Josiah asked his brother Isaac to operate the store while he returned east to bring his family out to California. Josiah never made back it, as he died en route. Isaac had no choice but to remain to settle his brother’s estate.

On June 14, 1853 was a turning point for Roop when a devastating fire in Shasta left him nearly destitute. A bit background on Roop. He was widowed and the father of three small children whom he left in the care of his in-laws. Roop decided not to rebuild in Shasta nor was he going to return to his family in Ohio. Instead he set out out on the Noble’s Emigrant Trail in the fall of 1853 in search of a location for a trading post. He found a spot at the very western end of the Honey Lake Valley. In June 1854, Roop with his brother, Ephraim returned and built a log cabin trading post/home that became the foundation of what would become Susanville.

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