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Tim
Category Archives: News
Give the gift of Lassen County history
Not sure what to give that special someone, but want to keep the budget balanced too? Why not a gift membership to tipurdy.org. At five dollars a month it is a bargain. You can decided whether for a month, quarter or even splurge for a year.
The recipient not only receives a daily email notification of the latest topic, but is entitled to hard to find papers on the Eagle Lake Ice Caves, too. On top of that they can partake in members’ tours such as the summer solstice observance at an ancient solar observatory. Even if that person on your list is not local, they still receive materials associated with the tours.
Information on subscriptions is found right here. Have a question drop me a line at tim@tipurdy.org.
Ask 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 November, 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.
Eagle Lake Book Status
Where are we?
For some this will be easy and others pondering the state of the arrested decay. An easy clue is that in 1948, it was one of three railroad logging camps in existence in Lassen County.
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Lassen County Courthouse Rehabilitation Project
If you happen to stop by the Lassen County Courthouse you might be in a big surprise. The offices are in the process to be vacated from the building while it is being overhauled. The County Clerk/Recorder and the Treasurer/Tax Collector are to be moved to the ground floor of the annex behind the courthouse, while the Assessor is a block away at the corner of Roop and Cottage Streets.
Of course an item of interest, is will the two large Boston ferns in the lobby survive the transition? Years ago, I spoke with former Lassen County Clerk Nadene Wemple about the ferns. After all, she was well versed in the building’s history. It should be noted her family had a dynasty on the clerk’s office, her father George Tomb was county clerk and so was her mother Maude Tombs. Nadene could not recall what the original plants were the graced the left and right stair wells. It was not until the early 1920s, that the Boston ferns were planted and have thrived all these years later, with many years receiving almost no care at all.
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Where are we – Snowstorm Wetlands Habitat
The Snowstorm Wetlands Habitat is located between Horse Lake and the Snowstorm Ranch. In this view, one can see Fredonyer Peak in the background. From what I understand it was created in the early 1980s. I had never seen it before. However, I have travelled Horse Lake Road, in those instances it could have been in dry years when it had no water. It also more visible those traveling westbound as it is in direct line of vision.
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Buzz Aldrin & Constantia
As today’s marks the fiftieth anniversary of the landing on the moon, I thought I would provide a bit of local trivia. On Apollo 11 was Buzz Aldrin. His family, Albert and Robert Ross were early settlers in Long Valley.
In 1884, Albert Ross constructed a 17-room mansion there at a cost of $14,000. This residence and well-known landmark was simply referred to as the White House. In the early 1890s, Ross moved to San Jose to benefit his children’s education and eventually sold the property in 1898. The ownership of the property would change several times. In 1922, the Galeppi family purchased what became known as the Constantia Ranch. The Galeppi’s, for various unknown reasons, did not reside in the famed White House. Fred Galeppi stated that during World War II, the house was still in good shape, and even had furniture. During the construction of Sierra Army Depot, in the early 1940s, Galeppi stated soldiers used the house for recreation, but over the years it slowly began to be vandalized. In the early 1960s, most recall 1963, the house burned down. The cause of the fire remains unknown, though various residents of the region have their own story.
On final piece of trivia about Buzz Aldrin, his mother’s maiden name was Moon.
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Where are we?
While this year I did not lead a trek to Belfast for the Summer Solstice Sunrise event there, later that day we went on expedition to areas that I had not been to in a long time. While we were unable to access the McKissick Family Cemetery in Secret Valley, we did see some interesting sights along the way. The above photograph is a wetlands habitat. If you are able to enlarge it, one can see the nesting islands. So what is the name of this watery oasis in the desert?
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B.R. Zimmerman Collection
Benjamin R. Zimmerman came to Susanville in 1874, at the age of 14. The first trade he learned was making harnesses. The next thing, he has graduated to saloon operator. This he soon discovered was a very lucrative business. All was well, until 1919 and the Volstead Act, better known as prohibition put an end to his business and so he opened a restaurant. Zimmerman died in 1943 in Susanville.
Fast forward to January 2011. A classified ad appeared in the local newspaper about a box of old photographs that the person thought might be of Susanville. Several people alerted me so I answered the ad. The gentleman I spoke to informed me he was helping a friend clean out an old barn in Richmond, that was going to be torn down. That is where he found the box and kept it to find it a home. We had a long discussion, and the impression he left with me, it was a small box, but he would send it and I told him I would reimburse him his costs. Time went by, and I called again. This continued for several months. Finally, he said he shipped it and it cost $60 via UPS. It turns out it was a two-foot square trunk. The photographs were from the Zimmerman family. There are two items impressive about the collection. The majority were photographs I had never seen before, like yesterday’s Freak Party. Equally important, is the majority of the photographs are identified. A portion I had processed and the rest I stored away in a box. I recently retrieved that box, so that is why you are seeing Zimmerman photographs.
