Category Archives: History

History

Johnstonville School – Then and Now

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Johnstonville School
Johnstonville School, 1916. Courtesy of D.M. Durst

Usually, on a monthly basis I like to feature a then and now post of what a particular site/building has changed over the years.

This month’s feature is the Johnstonville School, one of the original school districts created in 1864 when Lassen County was formed. The original school house pre-dates the school district and was built in 1863, on land that Eber Bangham eventually donated.  On January 20, 1961, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to build a new school to replace the old one. School board members, Harry Reuck, Mary Barr and Leroy Cramer, broke the ground for a new four-room schoolhouse which would cost the district $134,518. When completed the old school house located on an adjoining parcel was sold and converted into a private residence.

The old school as it now appears.. August 6, 2016.
The old school as it now appears.. August 6, 2016.

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History

Lassen County – McCoy Flat Reservoir

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McCoy Flat Reservoir dam, 1915. Courtesy of Alphozene Terrill, granddaughter of Ben H. Leavitt
McCoy Flat Reservoir dam, 1915. Courtesy of Alphozene (Perry) Terrill, granddaughter of Ben H. Leavitt

In 1875, Benjamin H. Leavitt constructed the first reservoir on the Susan River watershed, which was named after him Leavitt Lake. Leavitt, of course, had dream of much larger irrigation system, however he was stymied by the lack of financial capital.

In the late 1880s, numerous reclamation projects of the Honey Lake Valley had been proposed. This, of course, attracted a lot of attention. In 1888, Clinton Hutchinson arrived in Lassen County from Kansas with money to invest. Hutchinson and Leavitt formed a partnership and a Susan River irrigation system became a reality. In 1889, they built two reservoirs in the mountains west of Susanville,  known today as Hogs Flat and McCoy Flat. In addition, they enlarged the capacity of Leavitt Lake.  For the next sixteen years, this system would go through numerous owners until in 1905 it was reincarnated as the Lassen Irrigation District.

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History

Susanville – Gay Street

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Gay Street, looking north, 1864. Courtesy of Gilbert Morrill
Gay Street, looking north, 1864.  In 2016 , South Gay Street  is the location of the farmer’s market, stop by and check it out. Photograph courtesy of Gilbert Morrill

It was one of the original streets when the town was surveyed in 1863. Its name was derived from the slang of gaiety, which then  meant happy. Times have changed.

Back then, though, most everyone did not even know the streets had names. Residents received their mail at the post office. It was not until 1925, when street signs were placed. This had to due with the fact that residential mail delivery had been in place for two years prior. As the city grew, so did its problems, even mundane ones. On March 19, 1953 the city adopted a new house numbering system. As with any change, there were always a few who grumbled. Cross streets, whether it be Gay  in uptown or Spring at the east end, would receive new designations of North or South.  Previous to this there had been no distinction.

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History

Lassen Volcanic National Park

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Park Entrance. Courtesy of Margaret A. Purdy
Park Entrance. Courtesy of Margaret A. Purdy

One hundred years ago today, President Woodrow Wilson signed Congressman John E. Raker’s bill to create Lassen Volcanic National Park. There were a lot of obstacles on the journey to make Lassen Peak and its surroundings a national park.

One of the first movements to create a Lassen Park began in 1904, but it was a fleeting moment. It would not be until the fall of 1910, when Modoc County Superior Court Judge, John E. Raker was elected to California’s First Congressional District seat, that the park movement was truly put into motion.  One of the first bills Raker introduced  called for the creation of a Redwood National Park, but it failed. On February 23, 1912, Raker introduced a bill, H.R. 19557, to establish Peter Lassen National Park. The proposed park encompassed 80,505 acres that included  two national monuments–Lassen Peak and Cinder Cone that were designated as such in 1907. Since the lands were under the jurisdiction of the forest service, a report from that agency was required. The agency neither endorsed nor opposed the park. The bill never made it out of committee.  Continue reading Lassen Volcanic National Park →

History

Surprise Valley Railroad – Part II

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Map of the proposed Surprise Valley Railroad
Map of the proposed Surprise Valley Railroad

In the fall of 1915, Robert Strahorn brought new life to the project. Strahorn had a reputation for developing these type of projects. One of the biggest changes was the line would start at Flanigan, Nevada, on the eastern edge of the Honey Lake Valley and its terminus at Cedarville, California. By the spring of 1916, it appeared real progress had been made with right-of-ways secured from the Department of Interior and many of the landowners. In addition, it was announced that Lakeview, Oregon would be the new terminus. For those familiar with the country the railroad now had the daunting task to to cross the Warner Mountains at Fandango Pass. First a grandiose three-mile tunnel was proposed, but was reduced to a 4,820-foot tunnel, which still alleviated 700 difference from the top of the summit. Continue reading Surprise Valley Railroad – Part II →

History

Surprise Valley Railroad – Part I

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Sand Pass, Washoe County, Nevada, looking north at the Smoke Creek Desert, 2008.
Sand Pass, Washoe County, Nevada, looking north at the Smoke Creek Desert, 2008.

In 1903, the Western Pacific Railway was incorporated with its main goal to build a 810 mile line from the San Francisco Bay Area to Salt Lake City. They were successful in one aspect. On November 1, 1909, the last spike was driven on Western Pacific’s line at Spanish Creek Bridge near Quincy, California. When the railroad was incorporated, it proposed to build twelve branch lines. These “feeder” lines were extremely important to generate rail traffic, which would provide necessary revenue for the fledging railroad. One of these proposed lines called for a Surprise Valley Railroad. Continue reading Surprise Valley Railroad – Part I →

History

Eagle Lake’s Water Carnival

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The water carnival at the Sunkist Lodge, 1921. Courtesy of Ed Standard
The water carnival at the Sunkist Lodge, 1921. Courtesy of Ed Standard

For two years, 1921 and 1922, the big three lumber companies, Fruit Growers Supply Company, Lassen Lumber & Box Company, and the Red River Lumber Company held a competitive swimming meet between their respective employees. Continue reading Eagle Lake’s Water Carnival →

History

Susanville’s Emerson Hotel Fire

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The hotel ruins. Courtesy of Vivian Hansen
The hotel ruins. Courtesy of Vivian Hansen

Shortly after midnight on August 5, 1915, a fire was discovered in Emerson’s warehouse on Cottage Street, adjacent to the Methodist Church. The warehouse, it should be noted, was originally the Congregational Church built in 1875.  By the time the fire was spotted the building was totally engulfed in flames. The fire spread rapidly due to west winds, sending embers across the alley and igniting the Emerson Hotel, located on the corner of Main and South Lassen Streets. Two adjacent buildings facing on Lassen Street–The Hyer Hotel and the Methodist Church–also caught on fire.  When it was realized that it was futile to try and save the buildings, all efforts were focused on keeping it contained. The losses were staggering, estimated at over $250,000.

Years later, Charlie Emerson’s daughter Mae, recalled  the tragic event: “I was home for summer vacation from college when the hotel burned on my father’s birthday and stood with his arm around me in the middle of the street and watched it go with all our worldly possessions and Dad’s business records of years destroyed.”

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History

Clampers Invade Susanville

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Neversweat ECV528

On August 4, 1984 some 500 members of the fraternal organization known as E Clampus Vitus descended upon Susanville. The occasion was the chartering of the Neversweat Chapter #1863 of the E Clampus Vitus and the dedication of the Pioneer, the oldest establishment in Northeastern California. The organization has been around since days of the California gold rush, and was a spoof on the more refined fraternal organizations of the day. In the 1930s it went through a revival and focused on marking historical sites and having a good time while doing so. The Neversweat Chapter was not the first for Susanville, as a lodge existed in 1868. In the early 1880s there were several lodges in Modoc County.

Back to that day at hand, the Lassen Advocate summed it by reporting, “By 7:30 a.m. most area residents were awakening for breakfast and routine Saturday tasks, the revelry at the Pioneer was already in full swing. Clampers were 3 to 4 deep at the bar, the beer was flowing and festive mood in the air. The celebrants began arriving at 6:00 a.m. and spilled from the sidewalk into the eastbound lanes of Main Street. Traffic was undoubtedly light during the early morning celebration.”

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