One of the most common deed restrictions years ago included a clause prohibiting race and alcohol. In 1914, when John Spalding subdivided his property on the west shore of Eagle Lake. The deed stated no person of African or Mongolian descent would be allowed to occupy, own rent or lease the premises and that no type of alcoholic beverages would be allowed on the premises with an exception for medicinal purposes. Should the owner not abide by these regulations, the property would revert back to Spalding. It was not much of an issue, since Spalding sold only one lot.
Another type was a reversion clause. On August 11, 1877, John Dobler donated the land that the Willow Creek School, was built on with the provision that when no longer used for a school, the property would revert back to him or his heirs. In 1950, when the Willow Creek School District was dissolved, the provision was ignored. The same thing happened with the Lake School, since the property was donated by Epley family with the revision clause that was ignored. This case was a bit unusual since the Janesville School District annexed the Lake School deemed it surplus property. However, the school trustees deeded the school property to the Bailey family, because they assumed the family donated it in the first place.
In 1864, when Isaac Roop sold a Susanville city block to Lassen County for a courthouse, it included a reversion clause. This caused quite a stir back in the late 1970s when the county purchased property on North Mesa Street for a possible new courthouse complex. That is an interesting tale in itself, but as many know it never transpired.
