For nearly the first eighty years of the building’s existence it was street level. So what happened? A major change came in 1922 when Highway 36 was constructed it would enter Susanville on South Pine Street. Prior to this highway one left town via North Pine Street.

In 1965/66 the California Division of Highways  did a 8.3 mile highway realignment from Susanville to Willard Creek. The curve near the Elks Lodge saw a drastic change. The retaining wall was removed thus lowering that segment of Pine Street below the Elks Lodge. to what is today. One of the other dramatic change was a new bridge span over the Susan River at Devil’s Corral.

On a trivial note, when Lake Lahontan covered the Honey Lake Valley, the property of the Elks Lodge would have been lake front.

Tim

Of course, editorials have a hint of bias. This particular one that was published in the Lassen Advocate in 1924 caught my attention. While truthful, its also misleading. Newspapers then were great civic boosters and promoted their locale. Susanville was still in its boomtown heyday, but to some outside the region was still known of its Wild West atmosphere of saloons and bawdy antics. While the Advocate’s editorial provided the appearance, that it getting things  under control, and it looked good on paper, the reality was a different story.

There was Susanville proper as in the city limits, which was relatively small. The southern boundary was Susan River, eastern Weatherlow Street, northern Piute Creek and western Inspiration Point. The greater Susanville region as a much larger territory. While the editorial proclaims how Susanville is cleaning up after bootleggers proper those bootleg operations outside the city limits continued as usual. The three main areas was Rooster Hill (Indian Heights), Milwood and the area around the Susanville depot. This territory was under the jurisdiction of the county to enforce. Some times they did and some times not. Some county officials thought that prohibition since it was a federal offense, and it was up to federal officials to enforce it. Anyhow, here is the editorial.

Lassen Advocate, 20 February 1924 – Enforcement in Susanville. Not only the bootleggers of Susanville, but the consuming public at large is beginning to feel the pinch of an honest endeavor to stop illicit in traffic in Susanville.

Taylor Clement who has been on night duty relieving the regular nightwatchman has been giving the bootleggers a run for the money at night and they have been complaining. He makes his regular rounds every 15 to 20 minutes and has kept bartenders and proprietors busy by dumping their liquor. And he does not make his calls at any stated times. They never know when he is coming. A few nights ago, he through h is actions forced the proprietor of a Gay Street establishment to close. Later in the evening espying three men under the grammar school hill he threw his light on the same three men that had left the Gay Street resort. They broke a bottle that they had with them.

Between Marshall Lannie Long in the day time and Taylor Clement at night the bootleggers are between the devil and the deep. Even some of the heavy consumers are complaining that they can not buy a drink as often as they used to.

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Awhile back we explored the origins of the triangle at the west end of Susanville’s Main Street. For a refresher, you can read about it here. In the coming weeks we will explore how this intersection evolved over the years.

The 500 block of Main Street was criticized by many of its unkept appearance, with sagebrush creating a median. The Mountain Echo Band had an idea to change the scruffy landscape. In September 1902, an octagonal bandstand was constructed there and even adorned with electrical lights. On September 14, 1902, the bandstand was dedicated by the Mountain Echo Band  with their first concert. Two weeks later it was focal point of a  royal pageant during one of the infrequent county fairs.  A few years later the Mountain Echo Band disbanded and the bandstand fell into disrepair. By 1906, one observer said the relic had become eyesore on the community. In 1908, it was torn down.

Up Next: For nearly 80 years, the prominent Elks Lodge was street level.

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