On July 27, 1918 was a certainly the proverbial red letter day in Susanville history. The Lassen Lumber & Box Company began operations of their mill located on the south side of the railroad tracts and adjoining Alexander Avenue (The site is now Lassen Auto Body). It was Susanville’s first major lumber manufacturing plant. There were attempts to lure Red River Lumber Company’s to locate in Susanville, but the family bickering of Red River dashed that hope.

Anyhow, this brief synopsis how Lassen Lumber came to be. The progressive arm of the Susanville community, as an incentive offered a free mill site and a $8,000 cash bonus for anyone to locate sawmill there. They succeeded. C.E. Cotton, R.D. Baker and Charles McGowan had been inspecting forest service timber lands. They liked what they saw. They contemplated a sawmill site at the base of Peg-leg Mountain. The Susanville business community, led by M.O. Folsom, convinced Cotton & Company to locate at Susanville with the aforementioned incentive. They took it, and a new chapter began in Susanville’s history.

Tim