Category Archives: History

History

Sierra Shangri-La—The Great Deer Hassle

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A popular Lassen County postcard of the 1950s.

Another excerpt from Harold Gilliam’s Sierra Shangri-la about Lassen County.

“The State Fish and Game Commission last year [1951] set off a major explosion by declaring a 9-day open season on does in the Doyle herd of some 20,000 mule deer which migrates down from the mountains and winters in the Doyle-Milford area below Honey Lake. The purpose was to hold down the surplus deer population which the commission said was outgrowing its own food supply and diminishing the natural pasture for cattle and sheep.

“A vociferous protest immediately arose from Northern California hunters’ organizations. They denied that there was any ‘surplus’ of deer and condemned the whole principle of shooting does which violates the instinctive code of many California hunter who regards it something akin to shooting women and children.

“Farm groups supported the Fish and Game Commission. Hearings were held in Susanville and protests were made to Governor Earl Warren.

“‘I shot my first doe last season,’ said one regretful hunter. ‘When I heard that poor doe let out a bleat of pain I knew I could never do it again.’ The man at the bar in the Pioneer felt the same way. ‘It’s all a few big cattle ranchers down there,’ he fumed, ‘that put the pressure on to get this doe shoot put through. They’re the ones behind it. They’d as soon get rid of all of the deer. I never violate a law, but if they’re gonna start shooting does, if I get hungry I’d soon shoot a calf or two.”

“The doe-shoot controversy may die out this year if the severe weather conditions kill off enough deer to make the doe shoot unnecessary in the opinion of the Fish and Game Commission.”

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History

A 1929 Wild Horse Round Up

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Dixie Valley Ranch

The following is an interesting tid-bit that I happened to come across. This is the earliest known round up of wild horses by a government entity that I have come across. In November 1929 the forest service conducted a roundup in the Dixie Valley area of northwest of Lassen County. The following is the statement they issued:

“Wild horses and scrubs have become a nuisance on the national forests. With the shortage of feed, due to the unusually dry season, there is a serious shortage of forage and these animals are taking a large amount that right fully belongs to the stock entitled to grazing privileges in the forest.

“The forest service, in cooperation with the C.W. Clarke ranch in Dixie Valley, recently staged a roundup in which about 140 of these scrub animals were corralled and sold to the buyers of chicken feed.

“While these horses are termed as “wild horses,” in reality they are scrubs that have escaped from herds ranging the forest and from Indian owners. They are of no value, except as chicken feed, and the cost of catching them often amounts to far more than can be realized for them for that purpose.

“When the horses are rounded up those bearing brands are marked and again turned loose. Indians and others are notified and if they can establish ownership are allowed to take their property upon a fee of catching them.”

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History

Elusive Photographs

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The July 4, 1906 parade with the city/fire hall in the background—Lola L. Tanner

Photographs of certain places and/or events just want to remain hidden. Take for instance Susanville’s combination City/Fire Hall. It was built in 1905 and destroyed by fire in 1921. A photograph of it does appear in the 1965 Lassen Advocate Centennial publication. One would think a public building, adorned with a sixty-foot tall bell tower, would appear in a variety of photographs.

Another example. My good friend, the late Hank Martinez, spent a life-time in search of a photograph of the El Centro, in Old Town, Westwood. It was a combination store and community hall. I had hoped to find one in the Red River Lumber Company’s archives but to no avail.

In May, 1923 one of the largest public events ever held at that time, occurred in Litchfield. It was a grand celebration to celebrate the completion of the Bly Tunnel at Eagle Lake, that would irrigate lands in the Honey Lake Valley. Over 5,000 people were in attendance and yet, to this day, I have never come across a single photograph. 

Interesting, however, some times rare photographs do surface on Ebay. Some times I make a purchase, and some times not, depending on price range, etc.

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History

Red River Facts Opening Page

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Every pine buyer wants to know , “What do I get for my money?” And “What does Red River-California offer that I can get nowhere else?” We submit herewith a few facts concerning Red River-California Sugar Pine and White Pine and the plant at Westwood, California, that produces it and delivers it to all parts of America. This service, more than any other gives you:

  1. QUALITY: “Old-fashioned White Pine, “scientifically manufactured.
  2. UNIFORMITY: Full specified thickness and width, thoroughly seasoned.
  3. ECONOMY: Reduces your working-up cost. Gives you a superior product.
  4. SECURITY FROM SUBSTITUTION: As manufacturers, we ship nothing but genuine Red River-California. Unlimited forest resources assure this uniform supply of many years to come.
  5. RELIABLE DELIVERY: Plant runs the year ‘round. Westwood lies east of the Sierra Nevada snowsheds, on a direct line to eastern points and near a great transcontinental empty-car center.

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History

Red River Facts

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The Red River Lumber Company’s westward expansion had many obstacles to over come. While many were obvious, there was in general that those on the west coast were not aware of.

The biggest problem that faced Red River was its final product. While in time, they would break into the west coast market. Red River was concerned about its customers in the Midwest and South. Their customers were used to white pine, but they would have to educate them that were was no difference between white pine and ponderosa or sugar pine.

In 1916, Red River developed a major marketing campaign. They produced two publications Facts and Introducing Paul Bunyan. The results were mixed. The Facts booklet is an interesting piece of literature, which excerpts will be presented in future posts.

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History

Where are we—Lake Almanor West

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August 3, 1983 — Courtesy of Hank Martinez

In 1950, Ed Clifford and others purchased large tracts of lakeshore property at Lake Almanor from the Red River Lumber Company. They initially focused on the Lake Almanor Peninsula that later evolved into the Lake Almanor Country Club. Thus, the one tract they owned on the west shore of Lake Almanor remained idled. That changed in the early 1970s with the proposed development of Lake Almanor West. In 1974 the first lots were placed on the market of the 615 acre subdivision.

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History

A Winter Wonderland Mecca?

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The Snowball Special at Norvell, 1938.

The Susanville progressives of the late 1930s were an active bunch. By February 1938 major progress had been made with ski runs at Coppervale and Willards. Then, the Western Pacific Railroad started running a special “Snow Ball Express Train” from Oakland, picking up passengers on various stops with the final destination at Norvell, just north Westwood. The passengers then embarked and spent the day frolicking in the snow.

Then Eric Hebbe and Leslie Mastolier* set their sites on developing a ski area on Diamond Mountain, just south of Susanville. With tremendous snowfall that winter, a number of ski enthusiasts would spend five hours hiking to the summit of Diamond, to ski down in less then two hours. However, no development occurred, though over the years, the topic surfaces.

*Mastolier was best known as the founder of Susanville’s Leslie Jewelry. During the 1930s and 1940s he made films of these episodes. His son, Gary, years later offered to me, but it never materialized.

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History

Sierra Shangri-La—Sierra Ordnance Depot

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Sierra Army Depot. Courtesy of Donna Perez

This is an excerpt of Harold Gilliam’s small booklet Sierra Shangri-La. This is a quite unique observation that one does not normally see in print. Gilliam noted that there was some anxiety/hostility towards the new residents of Herlong when the Depot was established in 1942.

“One Lassen controversy which for a time threatened to erupt into an intra-county feud has to a large extent been resolved by diligent effort on the part of community leaders.

“Out beyond Honey Lake in the southeastern corner of the county are long rows of concrete ‘igloos’ stretching for miles across the gently rolling plain—storage places for the big Sierra Ordnance Depot. In the nearby government housing which comprises the war-born town of Herlong live depot employees and their families, some 4000-5000 people altogether.

“Herlong is a complete community in itself, second only to Susanville in population, with 40 business establishments, churches, clubs, schools, a library, a weekly newspaper, a well-equipped hospital and a movie theater. The depot has storage facilities for all types of ordnance equipment, including anything from cotter pins to complete vehicles and from .22 ammunition to blockblusters.

“The sudden mushrooming of a town of such size in a county less than 20,000 could not avoid having considerable impact. The big political question which arose was whether or Herlong’s people, living on a government reservation and paying no county taxes, were to be considered an integral part of the county, with the right to vote and participate in county affairs.

“Legal authorities ultimately ruled that Herlong people could vote in the county and considerable heat was generated in the 1950 election, in which Herlong’s candidate was chosen as one of the County Supervisors.

“Since that time, due partly to an astute public relations program carried on by the depot’s former commanding officer, Colonel H.E. Hopping, the dispute has subsided and the people are no longer regarded as ‘foreigners’ by most Lassenites.”

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History

McCoy Flat

McCoy Flat, July 11, 2019

There are three McCoy Flats in Lassen County. Today’s feature is the McCoy Flat located approximately three miles west of Spalding Tract. It was named for Tehama County rancher Leo Lewis McCoy who used this area for summer pasture from 1874 to 1913.

In 1951, there was a lot of activity at McCoy Flat when the Fruit Growers Supply Company logged the region.

Log landing at McCoy Flat, 1951. Courtesy of the Fruit Growers Supply Company

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