In this day with the internet, some might think is quaint. However, the postal service provided a key role for people to communicate. Actually, there are several people that I still exchange letters the old the fashioned way. Personally, I think it is rather nice, to check the mailbox and there is a letter for me.

The Susanville Post Office was established in 1859. A little known fact, it carried the postal cancellation of Susanville, U.T., as in Utah Territory. Nevada had not yet been created and Utah’s western boundary was that of California.

The biggest problem for the new post office was receiving mail for distribution.  On March 3, 1860, Susanville resident wrote to Col. F.W. Lander in Washington, D.C. about the state of the postal affairs:  “There is an effort being made to have a daily mail established from Oroville from the first of June to the 30th of November, and semi-weekly for the balance of the year. Now Sir, if you could get the same service continued on through Indian Valley which needs a P.O. having about three hundred inhabitants through Richmond to Susanville with a P.O. at each place you would confer a great favor on the people here about five hundred in number and constantly increasing (There having been rich mines discovered here since your departure.)

“There was three routes established last year, one from Shasta, one from Oroville (the route you went down) and another from LaPorte all arriving at Susanville. There was however been no service on either of them and if we could get the above route from Quincy it would answer us better than all three of those which were recommended by Judge Crane without knowing the actual wishes of the people.”

During the 1860s witnessed improvements with the Idaho-California Stage Company that had the mail contract from Chico to Idaho via Susanville. In 1869, conditions for receiving mail was stabilized with the completion of the transcontinental railroad.

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Herman Brince (1831-1882) was photographer of Lassen, Modoc and Plumas Counties during the late 1870s. He is a person of interest to me, I appreciate the  photographs he took, though I have only see about a half dozen.  Newspaper accounts stated he was quite active in taking local scenes.

For instance, Brince first arrived on the scene in the summer of 1878 to set up a studio at Prattville, now Lake Almanor. He took an expedition in what would later became Lassen Park. He set as a base camp at Malgin’s Sheep Camp, known today as Drakesbad. He created a portfolio on 25 images that trip. He sold those images at his studio at Prattville.  I have not been able to locate them. Of note, these were probably some of earliest photographs in the park.

In 1879, Brince relocated to Susanville. His photographic scenes were well documented in the newspaper, yet only a few are known to exist. This pattern repeats itself during his forays in Modoc County. In 1881, he pulled up stakes and went to Australia. He died in September 1882 at Dunedin, New Zealand.

In September 2025, a distant relative Dr. Ron Brinitzer sent this information: Herrman Brince was born as Heimann Brinitzer on 01. November 1831 to Samuel Brinitzer and Rosel Aufrichtig probably in Colonie Dupine or Paulsdorf close to Landsberg in Upper Silesia as oldest son into a Jewish family. He had three younger siblings: Caroline, Hirsch (or Herman) and Louis. In 1844 his mother died and his father remarried to Bertha Matzdorf with whom he had another 12 children (at least the ones I know of), among them Max (born in 1851) and Laura (born in 1861). Hirsch/Hermann is my direct ancestor. Louis emigrated to the US as well around 1869 with his wife Auguste and their daughter Rosalie where he worked as a tinsmith. He changed his name into Brince as well.

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Note: While this repeat, I thought worthwhile since this Lassen College’s centennial year.

Willard Hill located some six miles west of Susanville was a popular winter sports venue. Its initial development came about through Lassen College’s Forestry Program inconjunction with the National Youth Administration. The latter provided each forestry student with not only academic training but to work in related forestry jobs. For their part-time work the students were paid $30 a month, however $20 a month was deducted for room and board in the converted Alpine Hotel dormitory. Continue reading Willard Ski Hill, Lassen County →