In 1971, Susanville dentist, Robert “Bob” Amesbury had a book published about Eagle Lake. In the book’s dedication is to the pioneers there, which he includes Alfred Murrer. On page six Amesbury wrote about the lake level. He includes this sentence, “The narrows was shallow enough during the 1940’s to permit Alfred Murrer to swim his horse across.”

There is a slight problem. The east side of the lake that Amesbury refers is quite rocky, one would have problem with that condition with a horse. Even if you and the horse could overcome that, once you reached the other side, the horse would sink in a muck of. mud/water combination.

I do have some inside scoop about this. Amesbury never approached Alfred Murrer, or any Murrer family about his research of Eagle Lake. While the Murrers resided and still do in Willow Creek Valley, events at the lake were front center. After all, the two tunnel outlets are adjacent to Murrer property, among other things. The reason I happen to have first hand knowledge about this   Amesbury tale about Alfred Murrer, stems from the fact I knew Alfred well—he being my grandmother Lola Murrer Tanner’s youngest brother.

Fast forward to 1988, when my book on Eagle Lake was published. That summer, by chance, I encountered Bob at The Galley, a bar and restaurant at the north shore of Eagle Lake. Bob congratulated me on my book and then stated, “You have all the facts, I had all the bullshit.”

Tim

In the fall of 1921, construction began on Leon Bly’s Eagle Lake Tunnel. The mile and a half long tunnel purpose was to convey water to Honey Lake Valley for irrigation. Water from the tunnel began flowing in the spring of 1923. The tunnel has a long complicated history. In 1986, the tunnel’s inlet was sealed. The outlet, in a somewhat remote location remains intact, but water no longer flows through the tunnel.

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By the late 1920s Malvena Gallatin rarely visited the lake and John and Alberta Christie, who operated the Eagle Lake Resort became caretakers of her summer home.

In 1944, Malvena’s only grandchild Norma Virginia Harvey Wacchorst passed away. Gallatin House, in essence was built for Norma and when she was growing up in the late 1910s would spend the summers at the lake with her grandmother. It was Christmas 1944 that Melvena returned to spend a lonely holiday at Gallatin House.

Then something unexpectedly happened. On February 1, 1946 Malvena sold all of her Eagle Lake property, except a 1.96 acre parcel that the Gallatin House was situated on to the Lassen Lumber & Box Company for an estimated $100,000. This alarmed Lassen National Forest officials. After all, who knew what the lumber company’s intention were. Would they log it, or even worse develop it in such a fashion the public would never have access to the lake. The forest service contacted Lassen Lumber & Box about a land exchange for the property. By summer an agreement had been reached and on August 27, 1946 a deed executed transferring the Gallatin property of the forest service. Lassen Lumber & Box were allowed to harvest nearly 14,000, 000 board feet, and the company, in addition received over $500,000 of timber in the deal.

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In August 1913 construction began on Malvena Gallatin’s summer home at the southeast corner of Eagle Lake. Who knew how such a humble event would have such a wide ranging impact for a large swath of Lassen County. It was also in that same year that Red Bluff resident Leon Bly was involved in a campaign for a highway to connect Red Bluff to Susanville. Malvena, of course, supported the project as it would make it easier for her to travel to Eagle Lake. The following year, Malvena invited Bly to her summer home. It should be noted Bly was a civil engineer.

Since the 1870s the water level of Eagle Lake steadily increased. Beginning at the same time, there were schemes to tap the lake for irrigation in the Honey Lake Valley. Malvena wanted Bly’s opinion if the project was feasible. Malvena’s concern was the lake level was now encroaching on her timber land, killing the trees. Bly would not only do an exhaustive study of the project, but would develop and implement an entire irrigation system. n 1923, Bly’s tunnel and irrigation system was completed and within five years it was a failure forcing many farmers who invested in it to bankruptcy and the Bank of America took over the Lassen Industrial Bank that was on verge of collapse from effects on the loans to those same farmers. Of course, the lake level dropped substantially that nearly ruined the lake. Thus, the legacy of the Gallatin House, Eagle Lake’s first summer home.

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Tomorrow how Gallatin Beach became public property.