This Susanville Italianate style home was built in 1877. While some homes remain in one family for generations, this one has had multiple owners, of course, for a number of years, it was also a rental.
Category Archives: History
Who murdered Sam Shaw?
Several weeks ago I wrote about the murder of Sam Shaw on the Madeline Plains. At that time, the sheriff was directed to launch an investigation as to who might have been the culprit. All fingers pointed to Shaw’s neighbor, Jim Looper, who was an employee of George Bayley. After all, Looper was supposed to claim the land where Shaw settled due a valuable spring. During the coroner’s inquest, Looper pleaded ignorance of even knowing Shaw, but when he questioned by authorities, he reversed his testimony. There was one problem with the whole puzzle, where was Shaw’s decapitated head? There were some who thought Looper was hired to murder Shaw, and when Looper died of a drug overdose in Susanville in 1888. Continue reading Who murdered Sam Shaw?
The Government Land Office
The United States Government Land Office played an important role in the development of region locally, as well as across the western United States. It was through the Government Land Office (GLO) is where a person went to file for a federal and, in certain instance a state, land claim, once the region was officially surveyed by the government. Continue reading The Government Land Office
Buffalo Meadows Salt Works
One of the most interesting enterprises around the region was the Buffalo Salt Works in the Smoke Creek Desert. It is so easy today to take many things for granted, but back in the early days of settlement of the mid-1850s, those hardy souls did not have that luxury.
First of all, it boggles my mind, how B.F. “Frank” Murphy and Marion “Comanche George” Lawrence discovered and claimed the salt marsh in the summer of 1864. For most of its existence Murphy was the main operator of the Buffalo Salt Works. Two types of salt was produced. The first being table salt that 99.8% pure. A lesser grade was sold to mining operators with a smelting plant that utilized the salt. The salt was obtained from wells, the brine pumped into vats, and left to dry. In 1888, it was reported that 200 tons of salt was produced annually. Continue reading Buffalo Meadows Salt Works
Bayley Creek Sawmill
There were two different sawmill operations on Fredonyer Peak, north of Eagle Lake. The first one was on the Horse Lake side operated by the Shumway family. The second one, and much later in time was on the north side near Bayley Creek reservoir, the latter which was constructed in 1899. It should be noted, that many maps misspell it as Bailey, but it was so named after Likely rancher George H. Bayley.
In 1912, H. T. Risdon established the Eagle Lake Lumber Company and constructed a sawmill at Bayley Creek. Risdon encountered problems finding skilled labor. In time he leased it to Thomas Coulter and Frank Spencer, who in 1919 bought it outright from Risdon. The mill remained in operation until 1942, when it closed for good.
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Honey Lake Gold Mine
The following account was provided by Jere Baker and originally appeared in Lassen County at 150.
In 1929 the Honey Lake Valley Gold Mining & Development Co. was incorporated. Two years prior to that event, Hilding Sundberg, a mining man from Oakland, California took possession of an abandoned gold mine called the Badger Group located some six miles southeast of Milford on the Diamond Mountain range at an elevation 6,000 feet. Sundberg began work on the property with a new cross-cut tunnel, reaching a small vein of gold 300 feet in. The property was incorporated in 1929 with Sundberg as the new president and general manager of the new company. A second tunnel was cut 720 feet into the mountain, 500 of which were driven along a ledge of gold ore. Assayed samples taken from tunnel no. 2 showed an average of $55.00 a ton. A third tunnel was started at the mining company’s base camp at the 5,000 foot level. Sundberg took a calculated risk that a horizontal tunnel driven far enough would reach the same vein of gold, whereby the entire body of ore could be mined by gravity at a much lower cost. Continue reading Honey Lake Gold Mine
Paul Bunyan Lumber Company
In what might be biggest irony in the history of the Red River Lumber Company was its Susanville mill. Before the site of Westwood had been selected, there was a heated debate inside the company about locating at Susanville. Continue reading Paul Bunyan Lumber Company
Susanville – 200 S. Roop Street Revisited
Susanville’s uptown/historic district has an eclectic blend of architecture. During the 1920s, during the boom era brought on by the lumber mills certainly left its mark.
Charles McGowan one of the original owners of the Lassen Lumber & Box Company had a very striking residence. The home was constructed in 1924, and he moved his family into their new residence in July of that year. In November 1928, McGowan resigned his post as Vice-President of the Lassen Lumber & Box Company as he was in the midst of taking a new position with the Castella Box Factory in Shasta County. In the spring of 1929, he had the house converted into three apartments, and remains that way after all of these years.
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A Janesville Windstorm
The residents of Janesville became giddy when the news broke in late August, 1910 that their local masonic lodge was to build a new hall, next to the Janesville Hotel. By September plans were underway to hold a dance in the new hall scheduled for November 4.
By early October, the skeletal two-story frame of the building had been erected. Then on Monday, October 3rd, Charlie Wilbur, the contractor told this crew to stop work, due to the poor weather conditions, especially the high gusty winds. Then out of nowhere, gust hit the structure practically demolishing it. The next day Wilbur’s crew were busy picking up the pieces and work resumed on the building. However, the celebratory dance scheduled in November had to be postponed for another time.
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Datura – Lassen County
Datura was an interesting little wide spot in the road east of present day Standish. Its existence came into being first as a stage stop in the 1890s and also referred to as Four Corners or Cain’s Corner. For a brief time, it appeared that it actually might be a substantial outpost. By 1894, William Henry Harrison Fuller opened a store there. On May 11, 1895 the Datura Post Office was established with Fuller serving as the first and only postmaster. George M. Cain followed suit and opened a livery stable where stage coaches could change horses. The newly formed Honey Lake School built their first school at Datura.
During 1897/98 the Honey Lake Valley Colonial Club held their meetings at Datura to formulate the plans for their utopian community of Standish. On April 21, 1899, the Datura Post Office closed and its operations moved to Standish. As Standish developed, Datura slipped into oblivion.