When Lassen Peak came to life as an active volcano in the spring of 1914, it brought an avalanche of curisoity seekers to examine the mountain. At this time, the peak fell under the jurisdiction of the forest service. Attempts to discourage climbers were fruitless, after all there was only one ranger for the vast territory. What was rather remarkable there was one serious injury from a climber during a volcanic blast.
The photograph is a little bit deceptive, since the lake went dry or as one of my companions on this excursion, noted someone must have pulled the plug. It was named for a prominent Tehama sheepman of the 19th century. There is also a mountain and spring in western Lassen County that bears his name.
With the passing of former Nevada Governor and U.S. Senator, Paul Laxalt on Monday August 6, 2018, many may not realize that family is part of the heritage of the Madeline Plains. Dominique was the youngest of the three Laxalt brothers who had various interactions on the Madeline Plains. Unlike his brothers, Dominique was a true tramp sheepman (though many today use the term itinerant instead of tramp). Dominique would take his band of sheep and move them place to place in search of feed and water. Other Basque sheepman, like his brother, Pete, eventually acquired a home place. During World War I when sheep and wool price went soaring, Dominique and fellow Basque sheepman, Pete Etchecopar formed a partnership. It was during this time when Dominique married Therese Alphetche in Reno, where he moved. In the early 1920s, when wool prices crashed Dominique, Therese and their infant son, Paul, returned to the Madeline Plains. While residing there, the second son, was born, Robert, who became the well known author of Sweet Promised Land. Things did not work out well on the Madeline Plains and Dominique moved his family to Carson City, and started a new chapter in his life.
John Hamlin was a frequent visitor to the Lonkey Ranch, known today as Five Dot in Willow Creek Valley. Of course, it should be noted that he was a brother to Georgianna Lonkey. Hamlin was a writer and his stays in the area provided him with lots of material for several novels. In 1925, Beloved Acres was published about the saga of the Hill Ranch in Willow Creek Valley, though he renamed it Clover Valley, after all it is a work of fiction. He published two other works borrowing on the local color namely Desert Dancer and Range Rivals.
Certain Susanville residences have undergone major renovations over the years. Take for instance the former Alexander residence at 145 North Roop Street. It was built in 1893 by Susanville merchant Abe Alexander, and was originally Italiante style, a style popular with Susanville’s Jewish community. Abe did not enjoy his new home for very long, for he moved to San Francisco. In the meantime, he sold the house to his brother, Jules Alexander. In 1910, Jules had the home transformed into a Craftsman’s style. He continued to reside there until his death in 1935. Shortly, thereafter, his daughter and son-in-law, Jeanette and Jess Worley moved in to take of her mother, Rae. The Worley’s remained in the home until 1947, when they had a new brick home constructed next door, and that too has been significantly altered.
In 1922, John Hamlin, novelist and part time resident of Lassen County wrote an article for Sunset magazine about Asa Fairfield and his Pioneer History of Lassen County. When asked why he devoted so much time and effort to the book, Fairfield replied, “The book just had to be written. I knew I would have no piece of mind until it was done and in print. I had never used a typewriter, but I secured one and went to work, transcribing all my notes for a volume of five hundred pages. Nobody was asked to subscribe. I published at my own expense. It was a labor of love. I could not bear to think that the early history of Lassen County would die with its pioneers. It had been an isolated section, no railroads connecting it with other points. No one else had taken the trouble to compile its history. The responsibility seemed to rest upon me.”
Unfortunately, my family heritage, at times has a lot to be desired. Take for instance the 19th century two most prominent Lassen County bachelor uncles—James Byers and Jake McKissick. Both settled there in 1859, and both amassed a huge ranching empire. With their passing they left behind an incredible amount of wealth for the heirs to fight over, which they did.
That was not the case with my Uncle Jake Murrer. In 1898, Jake with his brother Ed, bought Joseph Eddy’s ranch at the headwaters of Willow Creek, now known as Murrer’s Upper Meadow, though the family refers to it as the upper ranch. This is where Jake’s claim to fame was born. Jake made his home at the upper ranch, while his brother remained on the home place. For whatever unknown reason on September 2, 1907 he literally blew up the ranch house with dynamite stored at nearby Eagle Lake tunnel works. When authorities inquired where he was at the time of the explosion, he stated he was seated on the sofa. This could not be as pieces of fabric from the sofa were now decorating the cottonwood trees. After a brief stint at the Napa State Insane Asylum, he later returned and sold his interest to Mary Murrer, and would later spend the rest of his life in Susanville, with his sister, Rose Bagin.
Another bit of his legacy, is how and where he is buried. Not only was he not buried in the family plot, the family selected one the furthest possible from the family plot. Not only that they cemented the top of his grave, as his sister-in-law Mary Murrer, remarked they were not leaving any chance behind for him to escape.
E Clampus Vitus is a fraternal organization dating back to California’s gold rush days, that was a spoof on the more stoic fraternal societies such as Masons. Asa Fairfield in his Lassen County history briefly noted their existence in Susanville. In the early 1880s, E Clampus Vitus was a major force in Modoc County.
In the 1930s, after being dormant for some time the organization was revived, with a focus on historical preservation, and having a good time along the away. Some referred it to as a “drinking historical society.” In 1984, the Neversweat Chapter #1864, of E Clampus Vitus was chartered in Susanville. The local group flourished for awhile placing historical markers at such places as Jacks Valley, Milford, the Grand Cafe, and, of course, the Pioneer.
In 1892, when the local Catholics deemed it was time to build a house of worship, they selected a site on Richmond Road. The town’s two newspapers were critical of the location, since just across the river was the area’s Chinatown. Thus, the local press chastised the Catholics choice to associate with the “heathen Chinese.” In 1909, the church was moved to Nevada and Union Streets, the current site of Sacred Heart. It should be noted that was Susanville’s Chinatown district of the 1860s.
Long before Lassen Volcanic National Park was created, hiking to the summit of Lassen Peak was a popular past time. In late August 1864, a camping party consisting of Pierson B. Reading, Kendall Bumpass, S.S. Thomas and Aurelius and Helen Brodt made the ascent to the top, and thus becoming trendsetters. Two weeks later, Aurelius Brodt wrote: “We found a beautiful little lake near the top of the mountain which was named Lake Helen after my wife, she being the first woman that had ever seen it, also her name and date, Aug. 28, 1864 is inscribed on the side of a large rock on the very peak, she being the first woman that ever ascended the peak.”