Sunflower demonstration on the A.F. Babcock Ranch, Bieber, 1923. This appeared in one of those reports.
The records salvaged from dumpster dives cover a wide variety of topics. One of those were the Lassen County Horticultural Reports filed annually dating back to the late 1880s. This would later be superseded with the Lassen County Farm Advisor Reports. In the 1920s, nearly every Lassen County agricultural community had a farm bureau. It was the farm advisor’s many duties ro assist each one of the bureaus and would compile all the data collected in an annual report. These reports were meticulous in the information they provide. In certain instances, they included photographs of various demonstrations and/or experiments, such as today’s featured photograph.
The Colony Dam, Susan River, November 1897. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal
When proposed and built this dam on the lower Susan River just below where Willow Creek feeds into it was controversial. Nothing truly unusual about since water has and will be a heated issue.
When the Associated Colonies of New York proposed their puritan community of Standish in the Honey Lake Valley, they created the Colonial Irrigation Company to handle the complex water right issues of Susan River, the main water source for Standish. The community had a European design, wherein the residents resided in a clustered village, but tended to their farms/livestock that surrounded the village.
Whatever the case may be, in November 1897, the Colonial Irrigation Company began work on the controversial Colony Dam on the Susan River.. The construction of the dam outraged their neighbors downstream in the Tule District, who claimed it obstructed their water flow and riparian rights. The Tule folks took the matter to court and not only asked for an injunction, but demanded the $12,000 dam be removed as a nuisance.
The old Smith homestead, also known as the Brubeck field. November 19, 2015
Lewis Brubeck, who owned the Smith place in the Tules (now a part of the Fleming Unit of Fish & Game), also filed a separate lawsuit against the Company in 1898, as the waters of the river had been diverted, never reaching his property. The Brubeck verdict was important to the Tule people, for while Brubeck only received a damage award of $750, the court placed a restraining order against the Company, preventing them from irrigating any other lands until Brubeck’s lands were thoroughly irrigated. It was a major court ruling, that with future lawsuits would bring about the landmark adjudication of Fleming v Bennett filed in 1934.
Leona Jackson at Susanville’s SP Depot, 1919–Lola L. Tanner
In 1913-14 when the Fernley & Lassen Railroad was built through a major segment of the Honey Lake Valley, the residents rejoiced. This was especially true for the agricultural community. While there was the NCO railroad, many deemed it expensive and unreliable. There was also other issue, its depots were not conveniently located.
Yet, on the other hand, no one knew what to expect when the Red River Lumber Company established its company town of Westwood. The agricultural community was overwhelmed that it had a large local market, and thanks to the railroad it was easy to get their products to Westwood. The scenario would repeat itself with establishment of the lumber mills—Lassen Lumber & Box Company and Fruit Growers Supply Company—in Susanville. The bottom line, it came as a total surprise that the railroad would create a large local market for local products. The region witnessed an increased local production in the agricultural sector, that allowed for more export of produce by rail.
William Wolfskill, native of Kentucky, (1798-1866) had an interesting life. He leaves many legacies to California history. In his westward journey he became a Hudson Bay trapper and even traipsed around Northeastern California, that would later have an impact on the timber industry—but he is credited to establish California’s first commercial orange grove.
In 1831, he settled at Los Angeles. Wolfskill like what he saw and two years later acquired a small tract of land, complete with its own vineyard. In time. this vineyard and winery did quite well.
In 1841, Wolfskill intrigued with thirty-five orange trees owned by his neighbor Dom Luis Vignes (and thinking that oranges just might have commercial value) planted a two-acre grove with trees from the San Gabriel Mission. His experiment was successful. He expanded his acreage to seventy acres. The year of his death, 1866, his orange crop sold for $25,000.
It wasn’t Wolfskill’s skill as a grower, however, as much as it was his marketing abilities—and the effects of disease—that led to his success. Wolfskill took an advantage of a scurvy epidemic in Mexico to export his citrus and another new market was brought on by California Gold Rush. In the early 1850s, oranges were selling a few pennies a pound in Los Angeles, were going for much as a $1 pound in the Northern California gold fields, and that is where Wolfskill sent his fruit.
Wolfskill’s son, Joseph is credited with shipping the first oranges to eastern markets. In 1877, his fruit took one month to travel via Southern Pacific Railroad to St. Louis, Missouri. Wrapped in paper and packed in ice (which had to be replaced eleven times en route) they arrived in very good shape—and made young Wolfskill a very good profit.
Next Week: Chaos among citrus growers and the birth of an co-operative.
Partial Cover Sheet. of the the monthly Milk Report
These reports generated during the 1930s provides some interesting insight into the local dairy industry. While there is the detailed analysis of milk samples, it also includes notations about various operations some of which I highlight below.
The Ralph Bass Ranch was given notice to comply with the Agricultural Code in regard to Dairy House and Equipment. They are now in the process of remodeling the Dairy House and putting in sterilizing equipment—January 1935
The C.C. Ulch Dairy discontinued selling market milk this month. A new cold storage box was installed at the Swiss Dairy Plant. J.H. McClelland was requested to put a canvas cover over his milk cans on the truck—April 1937
The Mt. Cove Dairy moved from the W.L. Sovy Ranch to the Masten Ramsey Ranch and is doing all bottling and capping at the new location—November 1937.
McKay Residence on Alexander Lane, Standish circa 1915. It is still there in a modified state. Photograph courtesy of Jessie Lowe
Back in the 1970s, when I first doing my research, I came across real estate promoters literature of the 1890s about the balmy climate around Amedee and it being ideal for citrus production. Of course, we know that is not true, but there was a lot of deceptive literature just waiting to fleece some strangers hard earned money.
While doing research on the Standish book, that I will never do, for lack of interest, one of the area’s residents came up with a unique marketing plan to sell his crops. Frank B. McKay needed to come up with a ploy to make his produce stand out from the others. Word spread that he had a new specialty of oranges, when it fact that large orange orbs he offered for sale, were known to many as the standard pumpkin.
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Stock corrals at Leavitt, circa 1922. Boggs put a lot of pressure on the railroad to keep the right of way clear between Leavitt and Susanville.
The Russian Thistle, (Salsola tragus), is best known too many as the iconic “tumbling tumbleweed.” Ironically, it became a symbol of the American West, yet it is a non-native plant. Its origins are from eastern Russia. Some sources indicate it was accidentally introduced in 1873 by Russian emigrates to South Dakota. The seeds from the plant are initially disbursed by wind. It is believed that many a railroad stockcar were imbedded with seeds, that allowed for them to be scattered throughout the west.
By 1914, a major infestation plagued the Honey Lake and Long Valleys. Some blamed it on the newly constructed Fernley & Lassen Railroad for the outbreak. L.W. Boggs, the Lassen County Horticultural Commissioner started an all out “war” to eradicate it. Boggs September 1914 report to the Lassen County Board of Supervisors provided this insight:
“In continuing of my August report on the work of destroying the Russian Thistle, a public nuisance. I have to inform you that I have been clearing the county road from about two miles north of Milford to the Constantia Ranch at the southern end of Long Valley, a distance of about 32 miles. Along which road, the farmers have willingly complied with the law requiring them to destroy the same pest, where found growing on their lands. One or two absent owners have been communicated with and plans are underway for favorable work the coming season or as soon as possible. ..From correspondence with County Commissioners of other counties in California, I have been informed that it is very practicable to rid the land of this pest and feel very much gratified that I have been working along the lines they have been doing and in which manner they claim that in three years time the Russian Thistle can be destroyed. This, which by keeping the highways and railroad tracks cleaned up annually and adjacent farming lands cleaned by cultivating.”
In July 1916, Boggs reported the Russian Thistle have been eliminated by two-thirds. Just when it seemed victory was near, on the horizon something unanticipated derailed the fight. With World War I on the horizon in 1917, such work had to be put on hold, and after the War, the Russian Thistle was firmly established.
This is not only Lassen County Fair Week, but it is the fair’s centennial. In the summer of 1922, Bert Jensen, Russell Brownell, C.E. Lawson, L.E. DeForest and H.H. Riddels formed the Lassen County Fair Association. It had been sixteen years since the last fair, and these ambitious men were not only going to correct that, but make the county fair an annual event.
They wasted no time to put together a fair, but a permanent fairgrounds as well.. Twenty acres of land were acquired which is still the present Lassen County Fairgrounds. In July the Association announced its plans to construct a substantial grandstand, along with a race track. There was plenty community support for a fair as merchants and the agricultural community raised $4,000. In early August Susanville contractor, J.J. Woodward was hired to build the grandstand for $3,256.44.
Lassen County Fair, 1922. Courtesy of Lola L. Tanner
On Friday, September 29, 1922, large crowd assembled for the opening day of the fair. A lively time was had by all. However, it was not a financial success. The entire cost was $12,500. Receipts from all sources was $8,700. While there was a $4,000 deficit, it was duly noted that the Association made substantial permanent improvements that would not be incurred in the future.
Lassen Grain & Milling Company, circa 1918. Courtesy of Dick & Helen Harrison
The Lassen Grain and Milling Company was established in 1917 and located on Richmond Road, Susanville across from the Southern Pacific’s railroad depot. By the 1920s, the beleaguered company was barely holding its own. A major problem facing the company was the lack of grain being grown in the Honey Lake Valley to support the mill.
Enter the Susanville Mill Company. Founded in the fall of 1926, this company took over Lassen Grain. Susanville Mill comprised of three men—B.F. Hutchens, E.B. Birmingham and L.E. Deforest. Hutchens and Birmingham were executives of Fruit Growers Supply Company, while DeFores was well known in the local agricultural community. It was their intent to encourage local ranchers to plant turkey red wheat and provide them with the seed.
After several years of operation the company sold to Bronson & Doyle.
A.H. Taylor at his orchard on North Weatherlow Street, Susanville, circa 1914
Recently, a reader contacted me about a variety of subjects. Thus, I was alerted to the Felix Gillet Institute.It is an interesting organization propagating heirloom fruit and nut trees dating back to the Gold Rush era in Nevada, Placer and Yuba Counties by grafting stock from old orchards, abandoned homesteads, etc before they become obliterated.
In 1861, Zenus J. Brown is credited with the planting of the first apple and peach orchard in Susanville. It did not take long before the Honey Lake Valley was dotted with apple orchards. By the1880s, apples from the region were being sold in the Sacramento Valley. In 1906, Lassen County reported to the State of California that there were 10,000 fruit bearing apple trees in the county. The trees produced 770,000 pounds of apples valued at $8,000.
There are a lot knowledgable readers, some of whom might enlighten us as to what historic varieties of the fruit trees of the area, before they disappear. If I am correct, there was an old orchard near Janesville that was destroyed in the 2021 Dixie Fire.
