Desert prospectors.The heavy winter of 1906-07 brought tremendous flooding to the region. One of the side effects was the erosion exposed a variety of minerals, especially that of gold. Thus, folks were finding gold in places they never thought of like Antelope Grade and Bass Hill. It was the discovery of gold on Skedaddle Mountain that caused quite a stir. So many mining claims were filed on the mountain that it necessary to create the Hot Springs Mining District.
Advertisements that appeared in the handbook.While sorting through all kinds of materials from my Mother’ Estate, I found a 1941-1942 Student’s Handbook for Lassen Union High School. It is pocket size and an interesting read. In his closing statement to the students Principal N.H. McCollom wrote:
“The citizen you will be in 1951 is determined by the kind of citizen you are in 1941. Today you are building character, formulating attitudes, developing habits which will characterize you, henceforth. Build substantially, build nobly, build beautifully. Practice courtesy, courage, comradeship and cooperation.”
Superintendent of Schools, Fred Brunhouse letter of approval.For those who have traveled the east side of Honey Lake Valley, it may seem to difficult to fathom the number homes and schools that once existed. On January 6, 1915, the residents of Calneva, the Western Pacific Station on the stateline north of Doyle, petitioned for the establishment of the school citing that the proposed district had nineteen scholars. The request was granted on February 2, 1915. The school was located in a small one-room building on the Harry Hill homestead. It was later moved to the Aldrich House, a larger building, located in the center of the district. In the summer of 1918, the school was on the verge of being suspended, as enrollment declined to four. The trustees persuaded County Superintendent of Schools, Julia A. Norwood, to keep the school open, as they promised an additional four students would attend in September. The request was granted. The school’s existence was brief and it was closed in 1924. In 1926, the furniture from the school was purchased by the Janesville School District. But, like the proverbial phoenix, the name was resurrected in November 1986. The voters of the Herlong and Long Valley School Districts approved the consolidation of the two schools and the new district was named the Fort Sage Unified School District.
Pitt River School, near Pittville, 1916. Courtesy of D.M. DurstLassen County covers 4,690 square miles and that is a lot of territory. Not only that, is the diversity of terrain. With that in mind here is a little bit of trivia. The highest point in Lassen County is that of Hat Mountain in the northeast corner of the county at an elevation of 8,737 feet. The lowest point which is in the northwest portion of the county is Pittville on the Lassen-Shasta County line at an elevation of 3,270 feet.
A.K. Philbrook and his new buggy in front of the Sol Nathan residence on Roop Street. Courtesy of Philip S. HallThis falls in one of more unusual transportation categories. In 1892, Susanville’s furniture maker/undertaker, Alonzo K. Philbrook purchased a new buggy. I realize that does sound so dramatic. It was the first rubber tire buggy in Susanville.
Fruit Growers Supply Company, 1922.In the fall of 1919, Susanville was filled with excitement when the Fruit Growers Supply Company accepted the residents offer of $40,000 to locate their lumber mill in that community. It was not all that long ago, when they had lost the opportunity of the Red River Lumber Company to locate there. To understand how big a windfall to have Fruit Growers is that the company would initially employ 1,500 people, more than the population of Susanville.
Janesville Cemetery, August 9, 2017I had intended to include a photograph of Fairfield’s grave at the Janesville Cemetery when I wrote about his book Fairfield’s Pioneer History of Lassen County. When I went to the cemetery in mid-May I was not able to take a photograph since there was an inmate crew working there, getting everything ready for Memorial Day. When I went out over Memorial Day weekend, I thought I took a picture. Alas, when I got home there was no memory card in the camera. In my case third time is a charm and mission accomplished. What is unusual about his headstone is that he in essence is promoting his book!
The abandoned Milford Flour Mill as it appeared in 1901. Courtesy of the A.J. Mathews familyBy 1887, residents of the west side of the Honey Lake Valley were excited when railroad surveyors showed up for the NCO Railroad. For Milford and other communities this would be a wonderful opportunity for growth. A year later they were snubbed, when feisty Erasmus Gest, the railroad’s manager abruptly changed plans to abandon the west wide of Honey Lake for the barren east side. Later management was quoted about this bypass as “one of the most monumental blunders I have ever known a sane man to commit.”
1917 eruption of Lassen Peak.Call it what ever you may, and most people will refer to it as at Mount Lassen, though it is officially Lassen Peak. It does get confusing especially since so many of the prominent points of the Cascade Range have the appellation of Mount, i.e., Hood, Ranier and Shasta. When Lassen came into national prominence during its notable eruptions of 1914-15, it prompted the United States Board of Geographic Names to resolve the name issue. On June 2, 1915, the board officially named it Lassen Peak. But not everyone embraced the official designation. For example in 1917, when the peak had another eruption, E.W. Hayden of Susanville’s Lassen Advocate wrote, “Old Mount Lassen (we’ll call it Mount, if we want to) had another tremendous eruption of steam, smoke and ashes on Wednesday, and the display is regarded as one of the greatest since it ‘came back’ as a volcano.”
David Knoch. Courtesy of Lassen Lodge #149 F&AMWhen I published his brief biography, I used his store’s stationery since I did not have a photograph of him. Thanks to Jim Chapman and the Janesville-Lassen Masonic Lodge that situation has been corrected. It should also be noted upon Knoch’s passing the graves of his wife and two small children, were disinterred from Susanville Cemetery, along with his remains were shipped to San Francisco for burial in the Jewish Cemetery.
