On January 16, 1911 M.O. Folsom unveiled his East Addition to Susanville subdivision containing 300 lots. Many of its north/south streets were named for trees, i.e., Ash, Cedar, Fir, Spruce. The east/west were numbered, i.e, First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth.
Ash Street, initially ended at Fifth Street. Travelers headed north either used Hall Street or Weatherlow Street to Chestnut. In 1947, Ash Street was incorporated into the Lassen-Modoc Joint Highway #14, the pre-cursor to State Highway 139. Ash Street was extended to connect the highway making for a straight route into Susanville.
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Red River Lumber Company’s 16 foot big wheels and team with a 2 1/2 ton log at the 1923 Lassen County Fair.
This being Lassen County Fair week, it is only fitting to have an article about the fair. The first fair was held in 1878, a regional one that comprised the residents of Lassen, Modoc and Plumas Counties. While it was desirous to make it an annual event it was fraught with financial problems.
What we consider the current Lassen County Fair was established in 1922, with five men who organized it. At that time major changes had taken place in the county with the establishment of three large lumber mills–Fruit Growers Supply Company, Lassen Lumber & Box Company and the Red River Lumber Company. Lumber was now king in Lassen County. Besides the traditional horse racing and such, a new feature was added to reflect the community at large, the logging shows. This was a big attraction for the Lassen County Fair for over seventy years, though with the dwindling decline of the lumber industry, this feature was eventually cancelled.
However, in 1923, the first logging exhibition at the Lassen County Fair was certainly noteworthy. For many attendees it was the first time they were able to witness the current logging methods of the “big wheels.” The Fruit Growers Supply Company won top honors in this category. It should be noted by 1927, the lumber companies began phasing out the “big wheels” for the motorized Caterpillar traction engines.
A full story how the Lassen County Fair has evolved since 1878 can be found in the latest issue of the California Traveler.
Brockman and Jensen Sloughs are man made irrigation ditches originating from Susan River, at the east end of Susanville, with the diversion point of Woodstock Dam. The dam was constructed in 1861 by Loyal Woodstock and Luther Spencer, and constructed a small irrigation ditch on their adjacent land. It was in that same year, that Woodstock planted the first crop of alfalfa in the Honey Lake Valley.
Woodstock’s downstream neighbors liked his irrigation system. On May 4, 1875, W.W. Scholl, John Cahlan, William Brockman, Jurgen Jensen and Fred Hines extended Woodstock’s irrigation ditch and about a mile from the original diversion, the original ditch was split into two, the northern one became known as Jensen Slough and the southern Brockman Slough.
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Chester, California, 1914. Courtesy of Dolores Gasperoni
On April 26, 1894, the Chester Post Office was established at Burwell Johnson’s establishment, which included a saloon plus rooms for travelers. Johnson’s was located at the base known today as Johnson Grade on Highway 36, approximately where the causeway begins. The post office was named after Chester, Vermont, former home of the Jonathan Martin family, Johnson’s neighbors, who were instrumental in the development of Chester.
In the early 1900s, the Great Western Power Company began acquisitions of properties of Big Meadows, which it was their intent to construct a reservoir for hydro power development. This they did, and known today as Lake Almanor. The Martin and Olsen families sold their properties to Great Western Power, retaining everything about 4500 elevation contour. In 1911, Edith Martin hired Everett M. Cameron to survey and subdivide her property and thus, the town of Chester was born.
Gallatin Beach and Peak, 1916. Courtesy of Wyn Wachhorst
On Tuesday afternoon, July 17, 1951 residents of Susanville were alarmed with smoke billowing over the town. It was soon reported the smoke’s origin was from a forest fire on Gallatin Peak at Eagle Lake.
The fire started along the lake shore just past the Gallatin House. Over 400 men fought the fire, many from the logging crews of Fruit Growers and Paul Bunyan Lumber Company. It was believed the fire’s origin was that of a careless cigarette smoker. The fire was contained the next day and was stopped just 300 feet before it would have spread into virgin timber. Of the 760 acres burnt, most of it was owned by the former Red River Lumber Company, which the Shasta Forest managed those lands. The peak had been logged over two years earlier by the Paul Bunyan Lumber Company.
Merrill Tunnel, 1916. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal
By 1875, Capt. C.A. Merrill began work in earnest to tap Eagle Lake for irrigation in the Honey Lake Valley. He first formed the Lassen County Land & Flume Company, but within four years that endeavor failed. Continue reading Where are we – Merrill Tunnel→
So it is a different from the French version. On this day in 1993 groundbreaking ceremonies were held for High Desert State Prison. Long before construction of its neighboring prison the California Conservation Center as it was originally called, was highly debated. So much in fact, the issue whether to build a second prison was put before the voters of Lassen County in June 1992, that won by a 58 percent voter approval. High Desert State Prison was designed to house 4,500 inmates and opened in September 1995.
The grave of Henry Stratton. Courtesy of Martin Balding
In 1871, Gabriel McLean Stratton moved his family from Butte County to Grasshopper Valley, Lassen County. On August 16, 1872, his nineteen year old son, Henry Stratton died there and was buried nearby. According to Pete Gerig there were two Stratton graves. In an old letter he mentioned coming across “ancient graves” scattered throughout the region. Unfortunately, I never asked for clarification if they were Anglo or Native American On October 23, 1884, Stratton sold his ranch and stage stop to his son-in-law, Charles Franklin Loveland, for $2,500. Stratton moved to Adin.
The ice caves was featured on the cover of Susanville’s weekly TV guide, August, 1965
Note: This brought back by popular demand. Remember at the upper right hand corner there is a search feature, where one can insert a topic.
Exploring lava beds, which there is plenty around Northeastern California, there is no telling what a person might find. The Brockman Flat Lava Beds on the west side of Eagle Lake is no exception. Continue reading Eagle Lake Ice Caves→
At the St. Patrick’s Cemetery Tour,the first grave visited was that of Matilda Todd Montgomery. In 1865, Matilda’s two sisters, Margaret Streshly and Mary Drake, were instrumental in soliciting both building materials and money to build the first Richmond School.
May 26,2016.
On April 1, 1966, Richmond School was held for the last time in that building. The original one-room school was replaced with a $175,000 structure that consisted of three classrooms, offices, a kitchen and a multipurpose room and located a short distance to the east. The original school building still remains, though it has been remodeled, and converted into a private residence.
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