Murrer’s Upper Meadow is an interesting place east of Eagle Lake. On the east side of the meadow is the headwaters of Willow Creek. On the west side is the outlet of Bly Tunnel. Up until the 1930s, the old highway route ran along the east side of the meadows.
About the place. In 1873, the Murrer family located at Round Valley, between Susanville and Willow Creek Valley. In 1876, the Murrer’s moved to their present location in Willow Creek Valley.
In the mid-1890s, the two Murrer Brothers—Jake and Edward began pursuing their own ranching efforts besides the home ranch. An opportunity came along to buy the meadows upstream from the home ranch. On September 24, 1898, the brothers purchased the meadows from Robert Eddy for $1,200.
Jake resided at the meadows that the family referred to as the Upper Ranch. Jake is best known for an event that occurred there. On September 2, 1907, Jake literally blew up the five-room house he was living in. This feat was accomplished with twenty-five pounds of dynamite. The dynamite had been stored at the nearby Eagle Lake tunnel works of Merrill & Marker. When questioned about the explosion, Jake professed ignorance and stated he was lying on the sofa when the blast occurred. However, this could not be, as nothing remained but shattered pieces of the house with pieces of the fabric from the sofa hanging on the nearby cottonwood trees.
Three days later, Jake found himself in the Lassen County Superior Courtroom for an examination of his mental competency. His mother, Franceska Neuhaus had filed for guardianship of her son. It was decided, in Jake’s best interest, that he receive some form of treatment. Judge Frank A. Kelley committed Jake to the Napa State Insane Asylum for a period of six months. Franceska was appointed the guardian of his real and personal property that was valued at $3,500.
On April 18, 1908, a court hearing was held to determine whether Jake was mentally competent. The Judge declared Jake was. However, Jake had to pay restitution costs for this episode–$128.55 to the Superior Court, $75 to the Napa Asylum, and $161.28 to the County Sheriff for care and transporting him! Now that Jake had his wits back, he returned to the family ranch at Willow Creek Valley. In 1909, Jake relinquished his one-half ownership in the Upper Ranch to his sister-in-law, Mary S. Murrer.
In 1912, Edward purchased the home ranch from his mother, Franceska Neuhaus. Jake in time, moved onward working in the woods for the Red River Lumber Company and Fruit Growers Supply Company. In the final yeas of life, he resided with his sister, Rose Bagin, in Susanville until his death in 1935.
On a final footnote, the Murrer family still owns the upper meadows.