In the spring of 1913 when the Red River Lumber Company was busy constructing the company town of Westwood, there was a lot of resistance to its location. As a matter of fact, Fletcher Walker was the only person that liked that site.
This, of course, greatly disturbed T.B. Walker, the family patriarch. After all, the California operation, was designed with the intent that it would be completely operated by his sons. In attempt to keep harmony in the family, T.B even scouted out several different locations while construction of Westwood was in full swing. One site in particular that caught his attention was the John T. Long Ranch just northwest of Susanville—known today as Susanville Ranch Park. One of the key componets for the site, was that it have an ample water supply. T.B was not sure if Piute Creek and nearby Bagwell Springs would be sufficient. With that in mind, in a memo dated March 17, 1913 T.B wrote: “Water could be pumped from Gold Run, a distance of probably not more than three or four milles to reach our mill site. This was can be piped underground in wooden pipes banded with steel bands, that costs much less than iron pipes and stand a still greater pressure.”