In 1987, the Lassen County Superintendent of School’s office relocated from the old Roosevelt School in Susanville to the former Eagle Lake Ranger District’s Office of the Lassen National Forest near the Susanville airport. As the case may be, in moving process items are known to get tossed.

Some interesting old photographs and albums were tossed. Among those was an a collection of nearly fifty photographs of rural Lassen County schools. They were taken in 1916, by Prof. D.M. Durst, Principal of Lassen High School. For a number of the schools, this is the only photograph record of the buildings. At this time, the county allowed individuals to salvage at the Bass Hill Landfill. A man approached me with the Durst photographs that he salvaged from the dump. After some negotiations I paid him sixty dollars for them. A couple days later he contacted me again, as he as had some old 1920s photograph albums related to the Susanville Rotary Club. His asking price was too much for my limited means. I learned later that he did find a buyer.

Tim

Today is World Gratitude Day. When I first began my research, I had no idea that it would be a life long journey. There are some folks from my earliest days, that I want to thank posthumously. First. there was Frank Satica (1922-1982) who started it all. I admit when growing up, I was very naive and believed everything. I was told. When Frank told me the tale that the World’s First Champion Cowboy (John Best McKissick) was buried at Secret Valley some thirty miles northeast of Susanville, I did not believe him. One would think that a person of that notoriety would be common knowledge. My journey began as a novice researcher, who knew almost nothing how to locate this type of information. After all this was  pre-internet days. The first person I contacted was Abe Jensen, a former Lassen County Fair Manager and for whom Jensen Hall is named for. Abe knew about the McKissick story and gave me names of other people that were more knowledgeable. One of those folks was Merlyn “Mul” Mulroney who opened my world to other interesting events of the region. If you are wondering, yes it is true about McKissick.  He won the title at the Centennial World Exposition in 1876 that was held in Philadelphia.

Finally, I want to give a shout out to Tandy Bozeman, and Michael, too. Tandy put together my first website and then in 2015, this one. Tandy is aware that I am technology challenged, so he is always there to give a lending hand. Sometimes, its calls for reinforcement and his son-in-law, Michael steps in for the task at hand. Thank you so much.

Tim

For some thing a bit different some tales of my earlier days when I did lot of dumpster diving to salvage historical records from destruction. This involved both private and public records.

In 1984, Milford resident David Ross called me and stated he had a box of old books and photographs and wanted to know if I was interested. Of course, I paid Dave a visit, as one just never knows what treasures might exist. There were a few interesting items, and some well I tossed. I was intrigued with an old leather brand book that I had never seen before. Years later, I was working on a project with Alvin McClane of Desert Research Institute on a past and present photographic survey at Eagle Lake. He happened to spot the brand book on my bookshelf, and informed me that it was very rare and very valuable.

In another instance, in 1985 I received a telephone call from Fred Lendman, a forester for the Paul Bunyan Lumber Company in Anderson, Shasta County. Fred stated the company was going to toss a portfolio of some 300 8×10 photographs of that company when it was located in Susanville during 1940s and 1950s.. Needless to say, I quickly made arrangements and off to Anderson I went.

One now has a little glimpse as to how I have but together a unique archive collection of the region. More tales to follow.

Tim

On this date in 1850, California became the  thirty-first state to enter the union of the United States. Alas, it goes largely ignored. It used to be a state holiday, so schools, city, county and state offices were closed in observance. Today, that is no longer the case. In the  late 1970s or possibly 1980 there was a holiday switcheroo. Labor organizations lobbied and instead of having a paid holiday on Admission Day, they traded that date for the day after Thanksgiving. So a piece of trivia history, that depending on one’s age knew this, but if you are the younger set, now you know.

Tim