Category Archives: History

History

A Different Kind of Mobile Home

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The NCO Depot, Alturas, 1921

Earlier this year, I wrote out Lassen County’s so-called Mobile Home Culture. It was about instead of demolishing a structure, it was moved to a new location. You can read the story here.

Our neighbor to north in Alturas, took moving a building to the extreme. First a little background. In December 1908, the NCO Railroad finally made its way to Alturas.  One would think the residents would be thrilled. That was not necessarily the case, since the NCO had increased its freight  rates, it had a chilling effect.

The NCO built a stone passenger depot on 12th Street, far from everything else in town. The residents complained. To appease the situation, the railroad carefully disassembled the stone depot, numbering each stone, and once dismantled the stones were reassembled at the new location on  Fourth Street. The depot closed in 1938, and in 1962, the Alturas Garden Club took over the property and still maintains it.

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History

Ravendale Bar & Cafe Request

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The Ravendale Garage.

Recently, I acquired a photograph of the Ravendale Bar/Cafe. However, I do not have that much information on this former establishment. It was a fun place to stop. My memory is a bit hazy as to when it was destroyed by fire. It had recently changed ownership, and some were of the opinion that the fire’s origin was “suspicious.”

If anyone has information has on this topic, I would like to hear from you.

Tim

History

How The Agriculture Stations Came To Be

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The inspection station at Jacks Valley, ten miles north of Susanville. Many folks know the location as the cement water trough on Highway 139.

California’s Agricultural Inspection Stations along its borders, are often referred  by locals as “bug stations.” The agricultural inspection stations, locally,  originated with an alfalfa weevil infestation in the southern portion of Lassen County in 1921. The county originally conducted the operations, and in 1923, the state took over.

As the infestations spread, more stations were opened. There was one just west of Susanville near the present day intersection of Highway 36 and Eagle Lake Road. Another one ten miles north of Susanville, just before approaching Willow Creek Valley.  These would later be replaced and in 1953, the main station was at Long Valley. In 1976, when the segment of highway 395 was to become a divided highway, the station was in limbo, and the current one was put into place in 1986.

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History

War Rationing of the Past

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Jim Nutting’s War Ration Book

This is a brief, yet contemplative post. During World War I and II, rationing whether clothing, food, gas etc was a way of life. in the United States. Equally impressive how citizens overwhelming purchased Liberty or War Bonds. So here is a point to ponder. Given how society has changed would such rationing work today?

Back Cover

Notice how one was instructed was to save their tin cans and waste fats for the war effort.

Tim

History

Fruit Growers Railroad Map

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Fruit Growers Railroad logging map 1920-1952

After the logging season of 1952 ended, Fruit Growers discontinued  railroad logging.  In the Hazard Reduction of the Pine Creek Unit timber sale with the forest service in 1936, stated that all existing railroad grades be converted into roads,  once the steel and ties were removed. In 1952 Fruit Growers had 48 miles of railroad line. A total conversion would be excessive. To rectify the difference Fruit Growers and the Forest Service conducted a joint field survey–the parties agreed upon the conversion of fifteen miles instead of the original 48. Fruit Growers agreed to maintain the roads for ten years after the timber sale.

It was one of those days, that I had a lapse of better judgment should have, but did not take a picture of Shay’s Hole. However, about a mile down the road, we stopped to take pictures of these old railroad ties still in place.

Tim

History

701 Nevada Street, Susanville

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701 Nevada Street, Susanville, October 7, 1939–H. Frodsham photograph

In 1912, the Great Western Power Company was in the midst of the construction of Nevis Dam to create Lake Almanor. The company hired Dr. Fred J. Davis to provide medical care for the construction workers. In September 1913, Red River Lumber Company hired Dr. Davis to provide medical care to its newly constructed company town of Westwood.  Dr. Davis would remain in charge of the Westwood Hospital until 1939. Dr. Davis, along with son, Dr. Fred J. Davis, Jr., moved to Susanville to open their private practice.  At 701 Nevada Street, Susanville they had an office constructed. In 1965 Dr. Davis Sr. retired. In 1974, Dr. Fred J. Davis Jr. retired and he sold the office to Dr. Jay Beams. In 2022. Beams closed the office, which now sits vacant.

Tim

History

Happy 4th of July

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July 4, 191 Susanville parade—Lola Tanner

Here is a bit of worthless trivia about the early 1900s 4th of July parade route in Susanville. It was a short one. Entrants gathered at the corner of Cottage and South Gay Streets. From there the parade proceeded north on Gay and then turned left onto Main Street.  Then the parade went one block west to Lassen Street, where the route took a left onto Lassen Street, which concluded at the intersection of Lassen and Cottage Street, basically a nearly one block loop.

The Johnston House, July 4, 1909. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal

Tim

P.S. Any one who is a long time reader, know that I a firm  believer on a ban of fireworks. This is an excerpt from yesterday’s New York Times:

Fireworks sparked 916 wildfires in the state in 2021, the most recent year for which full data is available, and those fires caused more than $3.2 million in property damage, according to CalFire. The year before that, in the state’s worst fire season on record, fireworks caused more than 2,000 fires and $8 million in property damage, along with injuries to 11 people and one death.

It is not just a California phenomenon. A study published last year in the journal PLoS One found that more than 11,000 wildfires nationwide were caused by fireworks between 1980 and 2016 — and that two-thirds of those blazes occurred in the two-week period around July 4.

In fact, more fires began on July 4 than on any other day of the year, it found.

History

Lassen High’s Block L

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The “L” as it appeared on the mountainside in 1947. In the foreground is the Paul Bunyan Lumber Mill, now the area of WalMart, etc. Courtesy of Fred Lendman

On February 18, 1928 the Lassen High Block L Society formed, that was the boy’s athletic organization. One of their first activities was the painting of the “L” on Susanville Peak. In 2008, Betty Jo Buckles Coplen provided me with this behind the scene account: “In 1924, my father, Maynard Robert “Billy” Buckles accepted a position teaching at Lassen Union High School, and we moved to Susanville. Four years later, members of the new Block L Society came to my Dad. They asked him to help them plan a Block L for them to lay out on the hillside. He helped them to design a letter L with the proper classic proportions (200 yards long). He also warned them that a letter of that size would be difficult to keep whitewashed. The Block L boys persevered and constructed the letter on the hill, moving rocks into the outline to be painted white. For decades as planned the freshman boys painted the letter each year, but eventually that practice died out.”

While the Block L Society no longer exists, the Lassen High Alumni Association has from time to time maintained it, the last time was done in 2008.

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History, News

Modoc County at 150

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Modoc County Courthouse

On February 17, 1874 the County of Modoc was created from the eastern section of Siskiyou County. It should be noted that in 1864, Lassen County laid claim to Surprise Valley, that is a story for another time.

On Saturday, July 6, is Fandango Days in Alturas, and they plan on celebrating Modoc County’s 150th birthday. I was delighted to hear this years’ Grand Marshall is Maxine Madison. Maxine and I go way back, and I first met her, she was working as Superior Court Clerk. When Iris Turner retired Modoc County Clerk, Maxine ran for that office and won! There was a time when I made numerous research trips to Modoc, and most of that time was spent in the Modoc County Clerk’s Office. Of course, Maxine and I had many an entertaining discussions whether it was the board of supervisors, elections or the courts. So congratulations to Maxine and Modoc County.

Tim

 

History

Eagle Lodge

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Eagle Lodge, June 9, 1936–H. Frodsham photograph

This facility was not opened to the public. Its name a bit of a misnomer. It was built circa 1918 by the Red River Lumber Company at the south. shore of Eagle Lake near present day Merrill Campground. It was used by those in the company’s management positions. Unfortunately, I do not have that much information on it, due to the nature of how Red River operated. However, It was the location of water carnivals during1921-23.

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

Tim