For those headed out to Eagle Lake for Memorial Day Wekend, don’t forget about Camp Ronald McDonald’s Annual Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast. From 7 to 11 a.m. Saturday May 28, and Sunday May 29, the public can enjoy an all you can eat breakfast; including pancakes, sausage and hot and cold beverages! The camp located at the south shore and adjacent to the Gallatin House.
Tim
The above photograph appeared in a 1956 Susanville Business Directory. While the quality is not the best, I thought some might appreciate the same. In 2020, work began on what is dubbed the Good Fred Project by Caltrans. It consists of a new bridge over Goodrich Creek and a major highway alignment over Fredonyer. Hopefully, the project will be completed this year.
Tim
Truth to be told, the main story to accompany this photograph will probably not appear until this fall. However, there is significance to the image. It was a handful of first scans that I have done recently since my “fall from grace.” Recovery is slow, but sure, and progress is being made.
Tim
On a quarterly basis, I ask you the reader, if there is something you would like to learn more about or maybe its something you heard, but question its validity. So here is an opportunity to participate. I will do my best to answer any questions. It should be noted, it may take awhile for the answer to appear as a post. The primary reason, many of the daily posts are done nearly a month in advance. So by the time you read this I am already working on posts for the middle of May, or at least I should be. Whatever the case may be, I look forward to hearing from you. Of course, it should be noted that paid subscribers requests receive priority. In addition, you can always send a request at any time.
Tim
First of all, I plan to still issue calendars for the next few years. There are some production issues to be worked out. Anyhow, on two occasions I have used a contemporary color photograph for the cover. The above photograph of Dow Wells, near Eagle Lake, graced the 2021 calendar cover. For those photographers out there, if you happen to see something of interest that may be suitable for a cover, please free to submit. It should be noted that they need to be taken in the portrait mode. One has plenty time during the spring, summer and early fall as I will not need the same until October 1.
Tim
A week from today, if all goes well, I should be cast free—one more step towards recovery.However, history never stops. Two interesting items surfaced this month. I will just highlight them, and they will appear in posts of their own.
The first came from Calvin Farris who located a most interesting 1959 BLM Christmas tree permit. The other is from Kevin Corson, whose grandfather, C.W. Corson worked at Lassen National Forest’s Durbin tree nursery—the current site of Diamond View School on Richmond Road, Susanville. Kevin has offered to share some vintage photographs of the nursery.
Finally, a computer crash update. It was suggested to do a “forced restart” It seemed to work, though it will not hurt to be proactive and explore future options.
Tim
Since 1907, Fruit Growers Supply Company has had a presence in Northern California. It first began at Hilt in Siskiyou County. In 1919, it expanded to Susanville. In 1944, another expansion of the purchase of Westwood and equally important the Burney Tract in Shasta County. After the closure of Hilt in 1972, Fruit Growers was no longer operating any sawmills, the company owned some 400,000 acres of timberland in Northern California. In 2019, Fruit Growers began to liquidate, the first to go was the Burney Tract which was sold to Sierra Pacific Industries.
The next to go was the Lassen Tract. In 2020, it was also sold Sierra Pacific Industries.
Hilt, was of course, Fruit Growers first acquisition and it would be the last sold, which occurred in 2021. It was purchased by a firm known as New Forest based out of Sydney, Australia. Fruit Growers has focused on purchasing timberland in Oregon and Washington.
In 2018, US Copper announced preliminary intention to bring the back copper mining in northern Plumas County Copper Belt. They focused on a 13 mile square area that includes Moonlight Valley to the Engel Mine on Lights Creek, just north of Taylorsville. Between 1915-1930 161 million pounds of copper was extracted. It was their intent to begin a drilling program in 2021, but due to last year’s Dixie Fire in the region work was temporarily stalled.
Tim
In 1894, James “Juniper Jim” Roussell located at Post Camp on the Madeline Plains. Those were hardly souls to eke out a living on the plains. In 1913, he was charged with cattle rustling, but was acquitted. There is a full account of the episode in Donald T. Garate’s book Red Rock to Ravendale.
There was a recent inquiry about this event and that concerning the Lassen County Superior Court records. The original records from 1864 to the mid-1920s were never microfilmed and the last time I inspected them they were intact. But a lot has changed since then. With Lassen County Courthouse renovation under way, those records, as well all others were removed. It is my understanding, I could be wrong, the court records were transferred to the Lassen County Hall Of Justice. My experiences with that facility has not been pleasant even to obtain copies of a court case in the 1970s. A request was submitted and was informed I would receive a call when the copies were made. That five years ago, and I never heard back. Others have relayed similar circumstances. So I am unable to answer the question about the court records, their existence or access.
Tim
A reader wanted know about the church in Doyle that survived the 2021 fire, and I featured an excellent photograph in a recent post, where everything around it was torched. The historic church was built at Constantia, circa 1898. In 1994, it was moved to Doyle, adjacent to the Long Valley Cemetery and restored.. It is maintained by the Doyle Historical Society. It is used for a variety of purposes including funerals and weddings, but no regular church services.
Tim