Category Archives: History

Soldier Bridge School Conclusion

November 16, 2015 Tim Purdy 2 Comments

Soldier Bridge School Bus at Litchfield.

In 1916, the school was located on the Gibson/Haley Ranch and it was later relocated to Litchfield. On February 25, 1929, a $10,000 bond election was held to build a new schoolhouse at the Litchfield location and the bond was narrowly approved, 40 for and 37 against. The opponents retained an attorney, Ben V. Curler, to file a protest against the bond measure, the school district, and the County Board of Supervisors, the latter having had the authority to sell the bonds. The opponents argued that there were only 34 students and no prospect of any increase in student enrollment. In addition, they stated, the majority of the voters supporting the bonds were non-taxpayers and while most of the property owners favored a new building, they thought the proposed cost too excessive. On April 10, 1929, the school trustees and the County Board of Supervisors held a joint meeting to seek a solution. They agreed on a smaller school, only $6,500 in bonds was issued to construct the school. In 1951, Soldier Bridge, Standish and Bridgeport Schools were consolidated to form the Shaffer Union Elementary School District.

It is never too late, subscribe today and enjoy tomorrow with daily notifications. You can also surprise someone with a gift subscription

History

Sergi-Sacco Wedding

November 15, 2015 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

Sergi Cake — The Sergi-Sacco wedding cake. Courtesy of C. Derek Anderson

One just never knows how pieces of history make it to the surface. The above photograph is just one example. When the bar from Marion’s on Weatherlow Street was being moved to a new home in Chester, some interesting material somehow managed to get lodged behind the bar. There was an assortment of about a dozen Red River Lumber Company photographs and this wedding cake picture.

On 10:00 a.m. Sunday, November 15, 1936 at Sacred Heart Church, Rose Agnes Sergi and James Sacco were married. The bridesmaids were Louise Saffores, Concha Larrea and Camilla Alosi. The best man was Marion Larrea. After the ceremony a wedding breakfast was held at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall, with 500 guests. The centerpiece at the bride’s table was a magnificent five-foot tall wedding cake, weighing 250 pounds.

Subscribe and support this site at $5.00 a month, that is a bargain costing 16 cents a day.

History

Susanville Ranch Park, Part II

November 13, 2015 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

The ranch as it appeared in 1922, when Fruit Growers owned it.

On October 30,1919, the Fruit Growers Supply Company purchased it from McKissick Cattle Company, for approximately $29,000. Fruit Growers anticipated using Bagwell Springs for a water supply and they would use the ranch land to provide winter pasture for the horses they used in logging. Fruit Growers constructed a water pipeline from the ranch to the mill, but it was never used due to litigation filed by other water right users. Fruit Growers briefly operated their own dairy there and, in 1923, leased it to the O’Kelly family who operated Lassen Dairy through the 1950s. In 1934, Fruit Growers offered to sell the ranch to the City of Susanville. Fruit Growers cited it would make an ideal golf course, that the money received from the golf course could be used to develop the remainder of the property into a park. The City liked the idea, but said no. In 1935, Fruit Growers sold the ranch to the Republic Electric Power Company who wanted to acquire Bagwell Springs as an additional water supply for Susanville. Over the years, that Company went through numerous reorganizations and became CP National. In 1984, CP National donated the ranch to Lassen County, and it is now a county park.

An interesting footnote to the story is that Lassen Community College examined the property for a future campus back in the 1960s, but the asking price was too expensive.

It is never too late, subscribe today and enjoy tomorrow with daily notifications. You can also surprise someone with a gift subscription.

History

Susanville Ranch Park, Part I

November 12, 2015 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

This is how the ranch appeared in the early 1900s when the Longs owned it.

In November 1855, Moses Mason claimed this property and became the second person to file a land claim in the Honey Lake Valley. On September 12, 1856, William Weatherlow located on Mason’s abandoned claim and lived there until his death in 1864. William B. Long purchased the property from Weatherlow’s Estate. In the early 1880s, James Bagwell located at the north end of the Susanville Ranch. In the mid-1870s, Abner and Margaret Van Buren settled on the western end of the property. By 1898, William B. Long’s son, John T., had not only purchased Van Buren’s and Bagwells’ properties, but that of his father. He consolidated these lands into one ranch. On June 2, 1913, Long, heavily in debt with his extensive ranch properties and a slaughterhouse in San Francisco, deeded this property to Alexander & Knoch, whom he owed $13,362.11. Alexander & Knoch, in turn, sold it to the McKissick Cattle Company.

It is never too late, subscribe today and enjoy tomorrow with daily notifications. You can also surprise someone with a gift subscription

History

Bassett Hot Springs

November 11, 2015 Tim Purdy 3 Comments

In the late 1870s, Isaac Wilson Bassett developed the springs near Bieber, first by excavating a swimming hole where water was diverted because the springs were too hot. Later a bathhouse was constructed that contained wooden tubs. If the water became too cool, a wooden spigot could be turned into the tubs to add additional hot water so that optimum temperature was maintained in the pool. As Frances A. Gassaway recalled, “For twenty-five cents, one could go into the plunge and bathe. For a dime more one could be furnished a swimsuit. It was quite a treat to go to the springs.” In 1928, under Barney Fillingim’s management, the wooden pool was replaced with a concrete swimming pool. The Bassett family continued to operate the springs until 1945 when it was sold to Gerald and Birdie Packwood for $17,500. The Packwoods continued operations for a short period of time. Due to health regulations, maintenance, and insurance the Packwood’s deemed it too costly to operate and the facility was closed.

It is never too late, subscribe today and enjoy tomorrow with daily notifications. You can also surprise someone with a gift subscription

History

Desert Homesteaders

November 10, 2015 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

This weathered sign of the NCO was updated to show that its headquarters had moved from Reno to Alturas. Photograph taken by Lassen County Librarian Lenala Martin at Wendel, 1920.

Amedee served as a hub for a number of reclamation projects that all held the belief that they were going to transform the eastern portion of the Honey Lake Valley into a garden oasis. These companies were persistent with their proposals. Initially, the optimism ran so high that the water from Eagle Lake would not be needed from the other reservoirs being constructed that its water could keep Honey Lake full for the Amedee Yacht Club. However after several decades reality set in and the region would remain a vast sagebrush plain.

In the early 1900s there were several other factors that seem to make the desert bloom. It was like a harmonic convergence where so many things came together at the same. Well-drilling had greatly improved, an extreme wet cycle in annual precipitation, the sugar beet industry, a second railroad and the Standish Water Company irrigation plant and canals. Stay tuned for further developments.

It is never too late, subscribe today and enjoy tomorrow with daily notifications. You can also surprise someone with a gift subscription.

History

Amedee

November 9, 2015 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

Amedee and Hayden Hill are two interesting Lassen County communities that no longer exist. Each one went through boom and bust cycles, for Amedee it was the railroads for Hayden Hill it was mining.

Amedee’s lifespan was brief. By 1892 its population was equal to that of Susanville. By the 1920s its population had dwindled to one or two, that being the caretakers of the McKissick Cattle Company who owned the majority of the town. The Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad that created the town, in certain aspect also killed the town. In between, however, with an agricultural boom and the Fernley & Lassen Railroad did briefly rejuvenate the community. In the near future, we will explore the many facets of Amedee.

It is never too late, subscribe today and enjoy tomorrow with daily notifications. You can also surprise someone with a gift subscription.

History

Knoch Building Fire

November 7, 2015 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

On August 9, 1898, the Ladies’ Literary Society held a fundraiser on the courthouse lawn to benefit the Mountain Echo Band. The event was well attended, and was to be followed by midnight banquet at the Masonic Hall, which had recently been acquired by David Knoch. At around 10:30 p.m. the alarm of fire originated with the clanging of the fire bell three blocks to the north. At first, those gathered at the Courthouse thought it was a false alarm. They could not see any signs of smoke or flames. By the time when it was realized the Masonic Hall was on fire, everyone quickly dispersed. Continue reading Knoch Building Fire →

History

Bieber

November 5, 2015 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Originally known as Chalk Ford because of the chalky nature of the ground. The solid ground at this location on the Pitt River made it the easiest place, in the mid 1860s, for travelers to cross the river. In May 1873, Theodore Pleisch claimed 160 acres and built a cabin there. In 1874, development began slowly and the town’s first two houses were built by Anton & William Gerig. In 1876, Max Posner opened the Josephenson General Store, that town’s first store. In 1877, Nathan Bieber (1858-1922) arrived there to manage the Josephson General Store, owned by his uncle, Max Posner. Bieber had a natural talent as a merchant and made the store a success. Lafayette S. Barnes, editor of the Adin Hawkeye dubbed Bieber the “young prince merchant.” On November 17, 1877, Bieber purchased Pleisch’s property, where the town had slowly developed, for $600. The town continued to grow and on May 6, 1881, its first newspaper, the Mountain Tribune, made its debut—an effort to elevate the area from a mere frontier settlement to that of a town. However, the 1880 census tallied only 43 residents. In 1884, the town plat of Bieber was surveyed and recorded. In 1932, a revised townsite had been made to conform to the actual layout of the streets and houses versus that of the 1884 survey.

It is never too late, subscribe today and enjoy tomorrow with daily notifications. You can also surprise someone with a gift subscription.

History

Eagle Lake Biological Field Station

November 4, 2015 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

At the October 2015 meeting of the Eagle Lake Interagency Board, the Bureau of Land Management reported that Chico State University was exploring avenues to close down the facility. At that time, the Bureau of Land Management reported that they would be willing to take back the property they donated to the University back in 1964. However, they stated in order to do so, the University would have to remove all improvements, i.e, buildings etc. At the moment, from my limited knowledge on the topic, it appears everything is at a standstill, as the University does not want to be burden with the costs of removal. It also appears the Bureau of Land Management is being a difficult, not allowing another institution to intervene.

The field station was the creation of biology instructor Doctor Vesta Holt. The first classes were taught at Spaulding Tract in 1945. In the early 1950s, with increased enrollment studies were moved to the south shore at the Eagle Lake Resort. After the Merrill Flat Fire of 1955, operations were moved to Susanville and Westwood and until a new home could be located. It was not until 1964, when a new home was located just north of the abandoned Bly Tunnel and in 1968 dedication ceremonies were held at the new facility.