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 in the middle of September.  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 an request at any time.

The topics readers wanted to learn about from the last inquiry are a wide range from Susanville’s Sierra Theater,  Honey Lake’s Dragoon Bridge to Antelope Lake and the Ramsey Ranch.

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The other week there was a post Go Exploring and that is what I recently did. One of the sites visited played a major role in Lassen County development, though there is no historical marker and in addition no reference on maps. The initial concept was in 1875, construction began in 1881 and the site was not abandoned until 1917.

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Here is the July lineup, as usual lots of different topics for everyone.

A bonus was this morning’s full moon.

Today, I decided to take the day off, the first one this year.  With Memorial Day Weekend approaching I have lots to do between now and then. More to follow in a future post.  In the meantime, you can always use the search feature in the far right corner and explore 500 plus previous posts.

Enjoy your day, while I do the same.

Several folks figured it out, that it is Sunkist Street in 1920, which was the road leading to the Fruit Growers Supply Company’s mill. There was a real easy clue, as I forgot to change the photograph’s name. In case some of you may not realize, if you click on the photograph, it will enlarge the image.

It has been awhile since I did quiz.  Some may remember the last featured question was High Rock Ranch, and it stumped quite a few to my amazement. So just for fun, does anyone recognize this Susanville Street? You may leave your answer in the comment section, or the shy one can email me. The winner, by the way will receive the 2017 historical calendar when it is released in the fall.

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It appears it may be my Internet Provider, Frontier. Stay tuned and patient. The postings continue, which comes from a different server, its the daily notification that is the issue.

Logging operations of the early 1900s was extremely labor intensive. Motorized equipment was still in the experimental stages. One of the best advancements was the development of the Michigan Big Wheels, which everyone just called them big wheels. The wheels were a simple but efficient way to transport fallen logs to a landing, wherein they were then loaded onto railroad cars. The big wheels in time would become a key component in revolutionizing logging methods.

Horses provided the power to operate the big wheels. The name big wheels stems from their size ten to twelve feet in diameter. It was necessary for that size, in order to straddle a log and navigate moderate terrain. The logs were attached to a twelve foot tongue and with a lever, the driver could not only elevate a portion of a log in the front thereby making it easier to drag, but could loosen or tighten the cable, for braking purposes. One big drawback of big wheels was that it required a great deal of labor. Most big wheel logging camps employed as many as of 150 men. Two thirds of them worked as “swampers.” It was their job to remove brush, tree saplings, rocks and other debris that could injure a horse’s leg.

By the late 1920s, both Fruit Growers Supply Company and the Red River Lumber Company had replaced the big wheels with motorized “cats”.

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