Category Archives: History

History

A Penmanship Revival?

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Shinn Brothers 1880 bill for printing services to Lassen County. James O. Shinn excelled in spencerian script, no doubt influenced by his mother, Louisa, being a school teacher. His two brothers,Al and Robert, who became attorneys had sloppy handwriting.

There has been for some time a debate brewing over whether cursive handwriting should be taught. Debate no more. One of the many bills California Governor Newsom signed into law in October was to bring back cursive writing in elementary schools. Seventeen other states have cursive writing as part of the education process.

It should be noted that by 1850, Spencerian Script had been widely adopted in schools as well as in the business community. With the advent of typewriters it began to fade away in the early 1900s. By the 1920s, schools began adopting the Palmer Method. It was considered more streamlined, less laborious and faster technique.

Of note, the Spencerian had some quirky traits, which one sees a lot in early documents of Lassen County. A double “s” such as Lassen, looks like a “p.”  This was evident in the short-lived Lassen Post Office in the Willow Creek Valley that only operated from June 19, 1874, to July 14, 1875.  Some records cite it as “Lapen,” due to the penmanship of Edward Bonyman, its first and only postmaster.

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History

Veteran’s Day Service, McKissick Cemetery, 1936

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McKissick Cemetery, November 11, 1936—C.H. Bennett Collection

Company Clerk, C.H. Bennett of the Secret Valley CCC Camp captured this special service at the McKissick Cemetery in Secret Valley. While there is a photographic record of. the event, the details of what took place is not known.

They assembled at the grave of John Daniel McKissick, a World War I veteran who was buried there on March 17, 1936. McKissick was born on January 13, 1891 in Secret Valley, the eldest child of John Best* and Jennie Swain McKissick. The following is an excerpt from his obituary: “He was drafted in the infantry at the first call and his brother Wilbur Best McKissick enlisted in heavy artillery soon after he heard Johnny had been called. John was found on the battlefield of Argonne (France) by a first-aid nurse, lying among the dead, with a dead comrade laying across him, breathing but still bleeding from a shot over the heart and through the chest by an explosive shell or shrapnel which tore a large jagged hole through his left shoulder blade.

McKissick Cemetery, November 11, 1936—C.H. Bennett

”Aid was summoned and he was carried on a stretcher. to a hospital tent, where he remained until he was able to be removed across the Channel to a hospital in England, where he lay for six weeks.”

John Daniel McKissick—Donald T. Garate

John Daniel McKissick never fully recovered from his injuries. He would spend time on and off in hospitals and  when he passed away he had been in the Veteran’s Hospital, Salt Lake City. for a long time

Tim

*John Best “Buster” McKissick has the distinction of being  the World’s First Champion Cowboy.

History

Where Are We—Smoke Creek Ranch

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Smoke Creek Ranch, June 26, 2023

The Smoke Creek Ranch located near the California-Nevada border is one of the oldest ranches in Nevada. On May 30, 1857, T.T. Kingsbury claimed the property. In the 1860s, he followed by W.V. Kingsbury  (no relation) who had a trading post there. Business was brisk because of not only located along the Noble Emigrant Trail, but there was also military encampment nearby.

Smoke Creek Ranch, September 29, 1979

Theodore Winters an early settler of Washoe Valley, Nevada acquired Smoke Creek as part of his ranching empire. In 1884, his son, George Winters purchased the Shinn Ranch located on the upper portion of Smoke Creek. One of the next owners were the Pon Brothers. Then there was Patrick Flanigan and Rees T. Jenkins outfit among others. In 1949, Albert Freeman, had the reservoir constructed on Smoke Creek that straddles the stateline, not that farm from the ranch house compound. Of course, I am always seeking information about this place as well as the Smoke Creek Desert in general.

It should be duly noted that this was the location of the Roop Post Office that operated from 1894 to1924, when operations were transferred to Wendel.

Tim

 

History

Susanville’s Brashear Street

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The Brashear Residence on the corner of South Lassen & Brashear Streets. Taken on June 11, 1979 when the house was being torn down.
The Brashear Residence on the corner of South Lassen & Brashear Streets. Taken on June 11, 1979 when the house was being torn down.

In 1906, Brashear Street became the first new street inside the original town plat. There would be only three other streets inside the original city limits to be created. The others were Hill, Maple and Quarry..

William Brashear came to the Honey Lake Valley in 1863 and moved to Susanville where he purchased all of Block 32 and segments of Blocks 24 and 31, near the Lassen County Courthouse. These had never subdivided into lots. Creating the street was one matter, and the subdivision a different story. I will be doing a follow up, when I able to due a file transfer, using a one of the local library’s computer.

Tim

History

Tuesday Tidbit – Eagle Lake Marina

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Gentry’s business card advertisement, High Sierra, 1972

In the late 1950s, Lassen County officials working with the Lassen National Forest began implementation of development of campgrounds and a marina at the south shore of Eagle Lake. The county leased the property from the forest service for a marina and in was completed in 1961. The following year, the county sub-leased the marina operation to Richard “Dick” Gentry. In 1970, due to the rising level of the lake, the boat harbor was revamped. Upon completion it was named the William W. White boat harbor, for former Lassen County Planning Director who was an ardent supporter of the project. In an 1971 article in the Sacramento Bee, Gentry complained about the rising water levels of the lake and went on to the state that there was too much water in the lake.

A view of the marina from the lake, circa 1963.

Tim

History

How Folklore Evovled

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Honey Lake Valley, 1898–Betty B. Deal

On August 4, 1857, the Plumas County Board of Supervisors created the Honey Lake Valley Township. The action did not set well with the Honey Lakers who met to protest the Township action on August 29, 1857. (It was originally presumed that the Honey Lake Valley was not a part of the State of California—a logical theory that the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range  created a natural eastern boundary.)  As a result of this meeting , a resolution was adopted opposing any control of Plumas County over the affairs of Honey Lake Valley.

After this event a piece of popular local folklore began,  as to Honey Lakers evaded paying taxes to any one. The news of the Honey Lakers’ meeting had spread and the Marysville Express newspaper of Marysville, California reported: “The citizens of Honey Lake Valley, are for the most part violently opposed as ever by the exercise of any jurisdiction over them by the authorities of Honey Lake Valley. There is, however, some with some inconsistency in their conduct, for when the tax collector of Plumas County came among them, they told him that they were in not in California, but in Utah. Orson Hyde from Salt Lake visited them, they said they lived in California.”

It should be noted Mormon Apostle Orson Hyde was sent to form a Mormon settlement, known today as Genoa, Nevada. The Honey Lakers reluctantly agreed and paid their Plumas County property taxes. Of course, there are those who do not, and this happens every year.  Honey Lakers were not tax evaders per se, but they. were disgruntled with Plumas County because during the winter months they were cut off from the county.

But the Marysville newspaper makes a great story, that is repeatedly told from one generation to the next without any veracity.

Another interesting piece of trivia was the 1860 US Census. Honey Lake Valley was included in the Plumas County head count. However, to the south, Long Valley was included in Washoe County, Utah Territory.

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History

Lassen Post Office Now Known as Janesville

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Main Street, Janesville, 1911. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal

It was on November 5, 1923 when the post office name at Janesville was finally restored. It was on July 2, 1914, when the post office name was changed to Lassen. This was done by a real estate promoter with the arrival of the railroad in the Honey Lake Valley. It was deemed there were too many towns ending with “ville.” Some thought the suffix carried a stigma of a small village. This did not set well with many of the town’s residents. After all the town’s name did not change, nor its voting precinct or school. The residents did not like it and petitioned the Postmaster General to restore the name, but it was denied. In 1923, the residents once again petitioned the postal authorities to restore the name.  It was granted on September 22, 1923, but it was not until November 5 when official change occurred.

Tim

History

Who Killed Peter Lassen?

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The infamous Peter Lassen, a name well known throughout Northern California

The events surrounding Peter Lassen and his mining companion Edward Clapper deaths has always been a bit sketchy. For starters, W.N.Davis, Jr. wrote an interesting piece, and somewhat abridged than other versions. This is what Davis wrote:

”On April 25, 1859, Peter Lassen and his two prospecting companions made their evening camp near Clapper Creek, about twenty miles northwest of Black Rock and some 125 miles northeast of Susanville, expecting that on the next day they would join William Weatherlow and the three other miners of the party and commence examining the area for silver. On the morning of the 26th, Lassen rose with the dawn and was sitting placidly smoking his pipe as was his habit when the stillness was shattered by gunfire. Edward Clapper, one of the miners, was killed where he lay sleeping. Lassen leaped to his feet and shielding his eyes from the sun was endeavoring to locate the assailant when he too received a bullet. The old pioneer fell mortally wounded. The third member of the group, Lemericus Wyatt, seeing the fate of his partners, ran for the horses, only to find that they had pulled their picket ropes and were fast disappearing across the plain. The sixty year old Wyatt had never been in a tougher spot. Then one of the animals stopped, turned about, and galloped to the desperate man. Wyatt mounted in haste, and after a painful four day ride bareback gained the safety of Susanville. A search party went out to examine the site of the attack and Chief Winnemucca was questioned for information as to the culprit, but the assassin was never identified. All that was ever learned from the circumstances of the murders was that the perpetrator was almost certainly an Indian.”

Notice that Davis wrote “almost” but not conclusive. He has not been the only person that leaves some doubt. When one delves into the documentation, there are a lot of points to ponder, a good defense attorney representing a defendant in the matter could have a field day.

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History

Some 1923 Automobile Trivia

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Murrer Ranch, Spring, 1925–Lola Tanner

The following report was published in the Lassen Advocate of October 26, 1923, “Figures received by the Chamber of Commerce from the Division of Motor Vehicles of the state show that 1,941 automobiles are registered in Lassen County. There are also forty-two trucks; thirteen motorcycles and one trailer. The total number for the state is 322,518. Lassen County holds the forty-third place among the fifty-eight counties. The semi-annual statement for apportionment of motor vehicle receipts shows that Lassen County has turned in $8,995 for automobile licenses.”

Tim