During the month of December I will be examining the Lassen Advocate newspaper of 1898 and 1914. If you are interested in people, places or events, please let me know. I do have a long overdue request for Edward Hilder. In addition, obituary requests for Jesse Cole (1898) and John F. Hulsman (1914).
Tim
Today marks the beginning of meteorological winter. Leading up to December some people approach me for a winter prognosis. First of all, my background is in law and history, a meteorologist I am not. Of course, I have studied the region’s weather history. That aside, as a life long resident, there is one winter prediction I can almost guarantee—no two winters are alike.
When I was growing up, I asked my Uncle Bob Rea the question what kind of winter will it be. His reply, “I will tell you in March.”
Tim
P.S. – For those out of the area, yesterday, the high temperature in Susanville was 25, with 92 % humidity and fog.
Pogonip by definition is ice fog found in mountain valleys, especially in the Great Basin, in the winter. Ideal conditions for its formation is lots of ground moisture’s and high pressure weather system. Thie result is an inversion, when moisture laden clouds were forced down the valley floor, and the dominant high pressure blocks storm systems and with no wind, so inversions is trapped. One can ascend a few hundred feet above the valley floor, bask in sunny temperatures and overlook a sea of clouds.
The term pogonip loosely translates into “white death,” for many Indians caught pneumonia and died. Pogonips vary in severity. A mild one might linger a few days or a week.The worst variety is when it turns into a literal ice fog, coating everything. The first day can be spectacular with ice crystal formations on everything. After several successive days of those bone chilling temperatures, it quickly loses its appeal. The pogonip of 1859 was one of severest on record in the Honey Lake Valley. The heavy cold fog lasted six weeks. So much frost accumulated on the grasses that cattle could not eat it. In addition, since the first settlers had been accustomed to mild winters, very little hay was put up, and a great many cattle starved to death that winter.
This is one the earliest pogonip on record in this territory. Long range weather forecast indicate no storms through mid-December. Time well tell when the pogonip breaks up. Hopefully, they are wrong, and the fog lifts by Sunday.
More than a decade ago, my book sales saw a deep decline. The last profitable book was that of my Red River Lumber Company series. If the truth be known, if it had not been for the Walker heirs of Red River, I would have been doomed. Another example, released in 2002 , and considered by many as my best work was the Lassen County Almanac: An Historical Encyclopedia. Even with rave reviews it did not sale out until twenty years later. Ouch.
Yet, from time to time, I have been asked to reprint a book, especially Eagle Lake and Lake Almanor. That is a pricey proposition that is a doomed financial failure. After all, I would be competing myself since BookFinder.com and other entities have my used books listed.
There is a related subject–calendars. Calendars have also seen sharp decline. I struggle to sale fifty. When I first corroborated with the Lassen High School Graphic Arts in 1979, we published 500! While program ended in 1999, I resurrected it. In 2017 I had 100+ calendars produced and that number has been reduced to half.
Tim
Today, of course, is Tuesday. Some times I post a Tuesday Tidbit and sometimes I do not. When I first started this site, I posted a story seven days week, year and after year. In February 2020, I scaled back to six days a week, selecting Tuesday as the dark day. It just happens this Tuesday is also Odometer Day, that is my customary annual day off.
For those not familiar with Odometer Day, it is a reference to my birthday. While my three siblings were born at Ma Potters Paternity Home, I chose to be different and made my debut at Riverside Hospital, and that structure was torn down in 1969.
Tim
There are readers from far and near. While the later, is well aware of the Susanville’s St. Francis Hotel came to an end on November 1, 2024 when it was engulfed in flames caused by a suspected arsonist.
My great-great grandmother Franceska Murrer Neuhaus had the original portion of the hotel built in 1914. It should be noted that she was 74 years old with this business venture. She was a devout Catholic, hence the hotel’s name. It was also conveniently located near the Sacred Heart Church, which she was instrumental, along with Antone Bantley and Thomas Mulroney that established the parish. When she passed away in 1918, her son Bill Neuhaus inherited the hotel.
In 1925/26 Bill and his wife Flora, had expanded the hotel with a west wing addition. In 1944, the childless couple sold the hotel due to Bill’s health. It should be noted, in 1901, at Willow Creek Valley, during hay season, Bill’s right leg was mangled a steam threshing machine and subsequently amputated.
Tim
Back by a somewhat popular demand are the calendars, though next year, maybe very limited. Time will tell. As usual there are always an interesting mix historic photographs. Among those featured is that Helen Sargent, proprietor of the Grand Cafe, 1984; Eagle Lake, 1916, Paul Bunyan Lumber Company, 1947, Westwood 1918 to name a few.
One has three options to purchase calendars:
1) Locally, you can purchase them at Margie’s Book Nook.
2) You can purchase direct online by clicking here
3) You can also email me to place your order, and it will be sent with an invoice. Important Notice: There are only 50 calendars available, and once sold out that is it.
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.
Tim
In February I received a request from Mark Hakvoort of Hollands Kroon, in the Netherlands. Their goal is to remember the
aircraft and crews perished there during World War II. You can learn more from their website here
Hakvoort wrote: “We are searching for the grave of the USAAF pilot and his family at the Lassen Cemetery. B.A. Pollard was killed in action on 9 April 1944 in the Wadden Sea. His aircraft crashed / ditched in the cold sea water. The body of Pollard was washed ashore near the village of Hippolytischoef. His plane was the P-51B Mustang code 43-6761 C3-R. In the war he was buried at the “Zandburen Cemetery”. After the war his body was moved to the US assembly cemetery in Margraten. And later again moved back to the USA and re-buried at the Lassen Cemetery in Susanville. [in 1949]”
We were fortunate enough to locate several Pollard’s relatives. As a matter of fact, he has a niece still residing in Susanville.
On October 5, 2024, the Dutch held remembrance for Pollard. About 50 people attended, Ten Dutch veterans saluted to show their respect for the fallen comrade. The Mayor Mrs Rian van Dam and the USAAF representative Colonel Juris Jansons unveiled the remembrance post. There was a wreath laying ceremony, followed by the playing United States national anthem.
A job well done.
Tim
In 1978, California passed legislation that Articles of Incorporation would no longer be required filed with the County Clerk. It also gave discretion to the County Clerk to dispose of all Articles of Incorporation that had been filed. Lassen County decided to dispose of them. They were destined to the dump, but I was able to intervene. A portion would go to the dump. After all, I did not need a file drawer to Bank America’s Articles and every subsequent amendment.
I sorted through and retained those that were a local nature. Some of the very early ones were never filed with the California Secretary of State. An example was the Gold Run Roadl Company. incorporated in 1866. It does not appear in any early local history publications, most notably Fairfield’s Pioneer History of Lassen County. This document had an extraordinary attachment. This was a 1866 copy of the Sage Brush newspaper, that featured that company’s legal notice publication. This is the oldest known copy of that newspaper, which later became the Lassen Advocate.
Needless to say there was a treasure trove of documents salvaged that some of the companies I have wrote about such as the Honey Lake Black Rock Toll Road. that included a hand drawn map of the road.
Tim