The Electrical Department, Westwood, 1939–Calvin Sharp
In one sense this is kind of personal. My dear friend the late Hak Martinez would always for years make references to the “Ham and
Eggers.” What is peculiar is when the Ham & Egg movement was strong, Hank was a small child. No doubt he was probably influenced by his father.
Originally known as the Ham & Egg movement, the latter half of the name evolved into”Eggers.” It was a Southern California movement wherein people over 50 years old would receive a pension of $30. Some thought these residents, when they received that check would splurge on “ham and eggs” for breakfast, hence the name.
In 1938, it appeared on the California Ballot as Proposition 25. It was narrowly defeated. The movement’s idea lingered on, as my friend was a testament. Such initiatives of the late1930s, had an unforeseen challenge in World War II where everything went by the wayside and what was started in the late1930s was abandoned and forgotten by 1946, when life had some sense normalcy. Past initiatives were either no longer relevant or were forgotten.
Drakesbad, circa 1930. Courtesy of the Sifford Collection
For those that have never been there, this is a hidden gem inside Lassen Volcanic National Park. It was Susanville resident, Alexander Sifford (1861-1957) who was key figure into transforming the place into a resort. However, in 1874, Thomas Malgin first settled in the upper end of the Warner Valley, and built a bath house to take advantage of Hot Springs Creek. Malgin focused more on raising sheep, than operating a remote tourist attraction.
Malgin was succeeded by Edward Drake, who in 1890 built the first lodge. His operation was simply known as Drake’s Spring. In June 1900, Susanville school teacher Alex Sifford arrived with his family as friends suggested the springs might help his ailments. Sifford was so taken away, that he negotiated to buy the place from Drake for $6,000. In 1914, for marketing purposes, the name was changed to Drakesbad. The Sifford family continued with operations until the 1950s when the last of their holdings was sold to Lassen Volcanic National Park. You can learn more by reading Roy Sifford’s memoirs Sixty Years of Siffords: Drakesbad directly from this site.
It should be noted the region received damage from the Dixie fire (2021) which I have not seen. This just in, I understand Drakesbad will remind closed this season while still doing recovery work from the Dixie Fire.
The United States Government Land Office played an important role in the region’s history. To file a homestead on government land required a trip to the nearest government land office. This was rather a major inconvenience for local residents as the nearest office was located in Marysville in 1850s/60s. It was Susanville resident John S. Ward who lobbied officials in Washington D.C. for a land office to be located in Susanville. In 1871 he succeeded. The land office served the region of Lassen and Plumas Counties, and included Modoc County when it as created in 1874.
An interesting episode transpired when the records from the Marysville office had been transferred to Susanville. Upon examination, it was discovered that Isaac Roop had never taken the proper procedures with the Government Land Office to procure title to the Susanville townsite. Thus owners of town lots were vulnerable to any claim-jumper who desired to do so. That is a whole story in itself.
Some may be familiar with the phrase doing a “land office business.” In the spring of 1902, Susanville saw such a land rush. The Government Land Office offered Northern California timberlands for sale. The out of towner “timber grabbers” descended upon Susanville to file 160-acre claims at $2.50 per acre without being subjected to pre-emption and homestead laws. Thus, the original intent of the law was designed to prevent timber companies and speculators from obtaining large tracts of timberlands, it had, in reality exactly the opposite effect.
Times were changing and on April 30, 1925 the Susanville Government Land Office closed. In the 1930s with the adoption of the Taylor Grazing Act the Government Land Office was transformed into the Bureau of Land Management.
Just like one-room school houses, rural post offices, small sawmills dotted the landscape. One of these mills was the Hurlbut mill at the upper end of Willow Creek Valley. In 1872, Adam Jakobs saw the potential for the lumber market and built a sawmill along Willow Creek, two miles upstream from the Neuhaus (Murrer) Ranch. In 1878, Jakobs sold the mill to P.D. Hurlbut and Jakobs returned to his ranching activities in Willow Creek Valley. Continue reading One of Many–Hurlbut Sawmill→
The big news locally is the Rainbow Family Gathering the 4th of July week just north of Antelope Lake. As they usually do, they select rural locations where by their shear numbers overwhelm local law enforcement etc. The easiest way to access the encampment is via Janesville Grade. What happens remain to be seen.
In 1984, the Rainbow Gathering occurred at Camp One Spring on the Modoc National Forest and near the Lassen-Modoc county border, not far from Blue Lake. This was their 16th annual gathering. It was estimated that between 22,000 to 28,000 Rainbows were in attendance–more than the population of Lassen County at that time. That gathering was marred by a horrible event in which Anne Figueroa of Oakland, “freaked out” and threw her baby into a campfire.
Currently, the Rainbow Gatherings are not as large as in the 1980s, and estimates range between 7,000 to 10,000 this coming week.
The outlet construction camp of the Bly Tunnel, 1922. Courtesy of Lola L. Tanner
Desperate actions, some times involves desperate measures. The Baxter Creek and Tule Irrigation Districts final plea to salvage the fundamental problems that plagued it from the onset of their Bly
tunnel at Eagle Lake. They were at a such low point, nothing ventured, nothing gained looked promising.
The district’s failed with their applications under President Roosevelt’s New Deal Programs. Exhausted of all avenues. their last plea was for a Civilian Conservation Corp Camp (CCC). In their petition, it was their belief, that such a camp would prove very beneficial, not just the salvation of the endangered farmers on the verge of bankruptcy, but the county at large. Such a camp, they proposed, would employ some 700 men, not including administrative staff, etc.
The outlet in 1924. Courtesy of Lola L. Tanner
In a special meeting held on November 1935, the Susanville Chamber of Commerce, endorsed the district’s application. It was not enough, and the application for a CCC speciality camp was denied.
It should be noted, that in the late 1940s and into the 1950s attempts were made to revive the Bly Tunnel project. However, that is another story, for another time.
4th of July 1912, Susanville. Courtesy of Lola L. Tanner
Note: This is a perennial post, because it has merit and in my opinion they should be banned permanently.
he following appeared in the New York Times, July 3, 2024 “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.”
In Susanville’s early years as an incorporated city, it was remarkable what the council did. One of their actions, I still support today, and that is the prohibition of fireworks. The first time they banned fireworks was in 1906, following the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake and fire. It was also a nod to the insurance companies who suffered tremendous loss from that event. It was their belief, as well as many other communities, that this preventive measure would reduce the risk of fires.
In 1912, the City once again banned fireworks. The Lassen Advocate applauded the city and wrote: 21 June 1912 – “No Fireworks on the Fourth. We desire to congratulate our Board of Town Trustees on their action in placing the ban on all kinds of fireworks on July 2, 3, and 4. This action has been taken by large and progressive cities for years past, and we are greatly pleased to note that the smaller places are falling into line. Fireworks do no good and may do a world of harm. Fires may be started that will blot out blocks of cities or towns; little boys and girls all over the United States have lost fingers, hands eyes and in many instances, their lives from the dangerous pinwheel and firecrackers. Let them yell all they will, let them spend their money for ice cream, candy—anything on earth but the fireworks.”
In 1916, the Monticola Club appeared before the Susanville City Council asking for a ban of fireworks for the 4th of July. Their answer was no. The council assured that the utmost care would be done, but they were not going to deprive children of the festivities. In 1926, due to the tinder dry conditions, the City banned fireworks for fire, health and safety reasons.
A view of Westwood with Keddie Ridge in the background, 1955.
Truth be known when Red River put its mill plant and town on the market in the early 1940s, no one wanted it. Some of the factors were an aging mill facility and majority of the tributary timber depleted. There was also the major headache of operating a town. It was not until Red River sweetened the proposition with the Burney Tract that contained an estimated one billion board feet of timber that made it more attractive. Reluctantly, Fruit Growers Supply Company succumbed and made the purchase.
Major changes were on the horizon and the universal adoption of the cardboard box changed the way Fruit Growers business operations in the future. On August 25, 1955 Fruit Growers announced it would shut down the Westwood plant. Since it appeared there was not market for the mill, Fruit Growers sold everything the following year to a liquidator Wershow and Weiz of Los Angeles. For Fruit Growers one of its greatest relief it no longer had the complicated burden of maintaining a town.
Many may not know Leavitt Lake was natural water basin. In 1863, when Government Land Office surveyors came across it, they dubbed it Alkali Lake. The following year, Ben Leavitt located to the west of it. Many consider Leavitt the father of the Susan River Irrigation System. A portion of it still survives as the Lassen Irrigation District.
In 1875, Benjamin H. Leavitt transformed Alkali Lake into a small reservoir by diverting water from the Susan River to that place. In 1889, the reservoir was enlarged. When construction was underway, Victor E. Perry, Leavitt’s son-in-law, worked on the dam. Perry planted a gold nugget there and when it was discovered it caused great excitement with the other workers. Leavitt informed the construction workers that they could keep whatever gold they might find, as long as it did not interfer with the construction. With that incentive, the men worked twice as fast to build the reservoir, in hopes of locating more gold, that unbeknownst to them would never be found. It should be noted that also in 1889, Leavitt was instrumental in the construction of Hogs Flat and McCoy reservoirs.
An interesting footnote, in times of extremely wet winters. it has been documented that the Leavitt Lake receives enough run off from Bald Mountain to fill it.
When Fruit Growers Supply Company accidentally became owner of a sawmill and town at Hilt, Sisikiyou, County, it was a major learning curve. One lesson they learned early on, you treat your employees well and they in turn do the same for company. Recreation amenities for Fruit Growers employees was deemed essential. By offering such, the company recouped its investment by reduced employee turnover.
In 1922, Fruit Growers constructed a three-story recreational facility known as the Story Club. In July 1924, on the on the north side of the Story Club and adjacent to Riverside Drive they built a public park complete with a children’s playground, the first in Susanville. When the Story Club was destroyed by fire in 1944, the company decided not to rebuild since there were a variety of recreational outlets in Susanville. However, not to let the vacant space go to waste, they expanded the park.
In 1963, Fruit Growers sold its mill properties, which included the park, to Eagle Lake Lumber Company. Prior to the sale, the City of Susanville, agreed to take care of the park’s maintenance, since the public had use when it was created. In 1976, A.A. “Red” Emmerson, president of Sierra Pacific Industries, of which the Eagle Lumber Company was a division, offered the park to the City for $23,000. It had recently been appraised at $45,000. The City accepted the offer and by end of the year the deal consummated.
