“If you have a yen to go to California, land of sunshine and flowers, take a look at these two pix of Co. 740, Litchfield, Calif., camp, and see that snow thrives there as well. Not a light snow that disappears beneath the sun’s first rays, but a heavy snow that lasts and has to be piled, shoveled and plowed. Men from Missouri were shown all this snow and now they are sorry that they were skeptical.—Charles Bennett reporting. Happy Days, January 23, 1937” The reference to Company 740 was the CCC camp at Secret Valley, not known for heavy snowfall.
Personally, I liked Bennett’s commentary. When I traveled to Minnesota to research the T.B. Walker papers, I also spent time visiting with my Dad’s numerous cousins. Of course, many of them, had this preconceived notion that since I am from California, in their mind it is all palm trees and sunny beaches and that it does not snow in California. With some cousins I stated I was from Susanville, Nevada not far from Reno, which then I endured a deluge of questions about gambling.
Another trait they shared, was they were clueless how large California is. One cousin mentioned that on some Sunday afternoon I should stop by and meet a cousin who resides in Ventura. I just politely nodded my head and was not going to attempt to explain how far that was from Susanville. This was after I made an excursion to Wilmar, Minnesota, about 45 miles distant from where I was staying, and some thought that was a major trip. I had tried to explain where I live 45 miles does not get you anywhere.