By 1911, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that shortly the Great Western Power Company would transform what was known as Big Meadows into Lake Almanor. The area had been undergoing a major transformation when the power company purchased many of the ranches and resorts that would be submerged once the dam was built.
At the northern end of Big Meadows, the Olsen family were on the fringe and while they sold the majority of their ranch to Great Western they still retained the property around their home. Their neighbor, Edith Martin had witnessed a large amount of campers at her place with the demise of the town of Prattville. In August 1911 Edith Martin and the Olsens hired Everett M. Cameron to survey and subdivide their respective properties, thus officially forming the town of Chester.