Originally known as Papoose Valley and some time in the 1920s it was changed to Papoose Meadows.

In 1933, the Baxter Creek and Tule Irrigation Districts sought funding from the Civil Works Administration to lower intake at the Bly Tunnel at Eagle Lake. There was a problem since Malvena Gallatin and Jim Fritter had filed an injunction to prevent lowering the lake from the irrigation districts. At a CWA hearing J.A. Pardee who represented the districts in his argument stated “It is a most worthy project and complies in every way with the terms of the CWA, but there is an injunction in force against lowering Eagle Lake. We are not asking to lower the lake,” said Pardee, We only want to lower the intake.”
After a long pause the CWA director threw up his hands and said “You win,” smiling he continued, “You get what you came after.” The bottom line, the districts use of lowering the intake, did not necessarily relate to lowering the lake. With that the government gave the districts $25,000 worth of labor and materials for lowering the intake.

Subscribe!

The intrepid traveler of yore faced many daunting obstacles whether on an emigrant trail or the road less traveled, due to the terrain. Some times those routes were improved and some times they were abandoned. A prime example was Eagle Lake’s Heartfailure Grade between Spaulding Tract and Bucks Bay. It originally had a grade of 18%, but in 1976, the road was redesigned and the grade was reduced to 7 %.

This spring I wrote about the pamphlet entitled Lucky Land of Lassen that was produced and distributed at the Panama Pacific International Exposition that was held in San Francisco during 1915. In July, I published the first of two installments concerning Eagle Lake. The first account focused on the lava beds and ice caves.

“For years it has been a favorite camping place for the people of this county, and in this respect its attractions are many. It is an ideal place for camping, boating and fishing. During the summer months there is little or no rain to annoy the camper and the nights are cool during even the hottest weather. Its dry, pure air is mixed with the breath of fragrant pine, and gives to the tired mortal a new lease on life. At the southeast corner of the lake is a long stretch of swimming beach and there is another one at Spalding, a new town recently laid out on the west side of Eagle Lake, just south of where Pine Creek flows into it. Both this stream and the lake are full of black bass, cat fish, white fish and salmon trout of a kind unlike any other on the coast. It goes without saying, that on a deep lake like this, surrounded by timber and steep bluffs the boating is fine during the summer months.”

Subscribe!

It is the abandoned Glenn Airport at the south end of Eagle Lake. It was a 4700 foot long runway that met F.A.A. specifications. It was built in 1969 and abandoned in 1974 when its lease expired.

Subscribe!

Unlike many rural outposts there is usually some sort of a nucleus of buildings. There is always an exception to the rule, and Merrillville is one of them. In the early 1870s,the residents of Willow Creek Valley desired mail service. It was Willow Creek blacksmith, Orman Folsom who led the movement. On April 1, 1875 the Merrillville Post Office was established at the Folsom Ranch, (Willow Creek Wildlife Unit), with Orman Folsom as postmaster. Folsom named the post office after Captain Charles A. Merrill who had recently arrived on the scene to tap Eagle Lake for reclamation. Folsom and his successors never had any intent to establish a town. The post office location changed over the years and when it was discontinued, on November 30, 1928, it was located at the Stone Ranch, Eagle Lake.

Subscribe!

With the upcoming Labor Day Weekend soon upon us, and after its conclusion the amount of boaters on area lakes starts to wane with the forthcoming changing of the seasons. In the past I have wrote about Oscar Rankin’s boat The Pelican. Among the larger boats to ply the surface of Eagle Lake was one belonging to the Gallatin family. It was substantial in size and weighed some 3,500 pounds, with a gas engine for motor power and shipped by rail to Susanville in May 1914. It was then hauled to the north end of Eagle Lake for launching. Once placed in the lake, the boat made its journey to the south shore at Gallatin’s new summer home, where a boathouse was waiting its first occupant.

Support!