Category Archives: History

What a Reputation

May 21, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

The NCO train near Amedee, January 1916. Courtesy of Marie H. Gould

The poor little Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad had a troubled beginning that would stay with it. The N-C-O for those not familiar was narrow gauge line that ran from Reno, Nevada to Lakeview, Oregon. It was initially known as the Nevada & Oregon and later the Nevada & California, before it finally incorporated all three states in its name in 1888.

These initials, N-C-O became a target for criticism for the railroad’s poor service. The railroad received such dreadful titles as the Narrow-Crooked & Ornery, Northern California Outrage, Never Comes Over and the Nevada-California-Occassional. J.M. Tremain, editor of Susanville’s Lassen Weekly Mail, called the N-C-O a Tri-weekly: “It goes to Reno one week and tries to return the next.”

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All That Volcanic Ash

May 19, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Lassen Peak eruption, June 14, 1914. Courtesy of Dolores Gasperoni

With Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano in the news, I thought we take a look back during Lassen Peak’s numerous eruptions that spewed ash everywhere. On May 22, 1915, when Lassen had its most historic eruption that sent a mushroom like cloud four miles into the atmosphere. The prevailing winds carried volcanic ash all the way to Winnemucca, Nevada. Susanville resident, an avid fisherman, Med Arnold, was at Eagle Lake that day and reported that the area was covered in like a fine alkali dust, and that enough fell from the sky to muddy the water of the lake. The eruptions continued for several years, and with the west to east prevailing winds, Susanville and the Honey Lake Valley experienced sporadic falls of volcanic ash. In 1917, Janesville resident, Gordon Rice commented, Lassen Peak is good to Lassen County, volcanic ash is a splendid fertilizer.

History

A Willow Creek Flume

May 18, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

A subscriber wanted to know about an old abandoned flume at Willow Creek near Hayden Hill. According to the 1938 adjudication report of Ash Creek and its tributaries had this information:

”Diversion 87 is that of the Lassen Mining Company Ditch on Willow Creek. This diversion has a low rock dam which is used to divert to the south side of Willow Creek into an earth ditch and wood box flume three-fourths mile in length. The ditch is used to transport water to a small power plant. Power is generated to pump domestic water to the Hayden Hill mine. The ditch has a capacity of 3.5 cubic feet per second which is the average available operating head during the summer months when the entire stream is diverted into the ditch.”

History

Sacred Heart Church Groundbreaking

May 17, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

On Friday afternoon, September 3, 1948 with little fanfare, a simple groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Sacred Heart Church. Father P.J. Moran had the distinct honor of turning the first shovel of soil. T&M Carpenter Shop had the contract to build the Spanish architecture style church, that would seat 300. The old church could only handle 100. The building contract had a clause the church would be completed in 120 days. So much for good intentions, as the first Mass in the new church was not held until July 9, 1949.

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Sacred Heart Church For Sale

May 16, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

In 1941, Father P.J. Moran of Susanville’s Sacred Heart Church announced plans to build a new church to replace the wooden one constructed in 1894. The raising of funds would take longer than Father Moran expected. In the spring of 1948, all systems were go so to speak. The first order of business was the disposal of the old church. In June 1948, it was advertised for sale, no specific price, just to the highest bidder. Alas, there were no bidders. Off to Plan B. Taylor & Roberts were awarded the bid to dismantled it, which the intended goal was the middle to July. It took a little bit longer, but in August, the old church was part of history.

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Lake Almanor’s Hamilton Branch

May 15, 2018 Tim Purdy 3 Comments

Lake Almanor’s Hamilton Branch was named for John Hamilton one of the first Anglo settlers there. However, during his time there was no Lake Almanor, which was not created in 1914. Located there is Big Springs, and a popular spot then and now. In the 1920s, the place started to flourish when the cabins from Red River Lumber Company’s Camp 32 were retrofitted to be included in Hamilton Park, which would eventually evolve into Lassen View Resort.

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Susanville – 10 North Pine Street

May 14, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

This image appeared in a Sunset brochure, 1910.

This home was built in the 1880s and for many years was the home of Ike and Blanche Knoch. Initially, Susanville’s Jewish community had a special affinity for Italiante architecture, but that would go by the wayside for Craftsman style homes. In 1911, the Knoch’s had the house remodeled giving its current appearance.

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The Magpie Menace

May 13, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Magpies have a reputation of being voracious predators of songbirds, among other things, as they feed on their eggs and chicks. With that introduction, in February 1930, F.H. Taylor, Lassen County Horticultural Commissioner and Stan Brown, Lassen County Farm Advisor experimented on a poison concoction to combat the “magpie pestilence” in the Standish district. They considered it a success with more than 100 magpies killed in the first attempt.

On a final note, when my mother, then Ardene Tanner, was a small child, who grew up in that region, told me she would collect magpie eggs as Fish and Game would pay her five cents for every egg. This she said was a worthwhile financial endeavor, since this was in the late 1930s.

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Used millpond for sale

May 12, 2018 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

Smith Properties, a Susanville real estate firm, has a for sale sign at the former millpond of Fruit Growers/Sierra Pacific Industries located along Riverside Drive. Even though I do have an inquisitive mind, I have not been able to bring myself to place an inquiry. First of all, I am not even sure what can be done with the property. It should be noted that Fruit Growers purchased the twenty-acre millpond site in 1919 from George and Pearl Bassett for $9,500.

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Lilacs

May 11, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

It is that time of year when the lilacs are in full bloom. With that in mind, here is a bit of trivia. Lilacs were introduced into the region from colonist from New Englanddc who located at the utopian community of Standish in the late 1890s. During the 1950s, Susanville’s gardening community tossed around the idea to hold a lilac festival, the plant being abundant there.