In the early 1900s, the  founders of Collins Pine Company amassed some 60,000 acres of timberland in the greater Lake Almanor Basin.  It was not until the late 1930s, that they gave consideration to establish a mill there. In the fall of 1940, after much negotiations the Red River Lumber Company offered a mill site adjacent to Chester, along with thirteen miles of its main line railroad from Chester to Clear Creek Junction where it connected with the Western Pacific Railroad, which Red River estimated its value at $80,000.

Thus, the Almanor Railroad was born. Collins Pine changed it from a private line to a common carrier, should anyone in Chester desire to use it. Collins Pine had a lot of work to upgrade the railroad line. It also needed motive power, as it decided not to purchase any of Red River’s locomotives. At its Grande Ronde operation, it had discontinued its railroad logging in favor of truck logging. There it had at its disposal a Heisler geared steam locomotive, the 104, and it was put into operation on the Almanor.

The winds of change occur, and Almanor Railroad was abandoned, The railroad bed has been converted into a recreational trail

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In 1901, when L.W. Bunnell built his second hotel at Big Meadows (now Lake Almanor)  changes were on the horizon Quietly, behind the scenes in that same year Great Western Power Company with plans to transform Big Meadows into a massive reservoir as part of its hydroelectric power system. Agents for the company, at first were buying up properties at Big Meadows, though no one knew what was exactly going on. When Great Western Power Company contacted Bunnell he was agreeable, after all he was 76 years old.

On April 11, 1906, Bunnell sold his properties to Great Western Power for $35,000. He continued to operate the resort for the 1906 season and the following year he moved to Susanville. Great Western then took possession and abruptly closed the resort. The company, however, did use it as their local headquarters. In 1914, with the dam nearing completion and the flooding of Big Meadows to become a reality, on the evening of June 6, 1914 all the buildings at Bunnells were set ablaze for demolition.  

A somewhat lasting legacy of Bunnell’s remains in its name which was applied to tip of the Lake Almanor peninsula–Bunnell’sPoint–near where where the resort once stood.

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In 1855, native New Yorker, Luther Wellington “Wells” Bunnell settled in Butt Valley, Plumas County. He soon connected with William H. Miller and they operated a trading post. In 1867, they parted ways and Wells relocated  to nearby Big Meadows, known today as Lake Almanor. Like many in the region he had a dairy cows. He noticed when his neighbor Dr. Willard Pratt, who opened the first hotel in Big Meadows, met with great success. After all, those who could escape the heat, ever so briefly in the summer months from the Sacramento Valley, flocked to places like Big Meadows,, after all this pre-air conditioner times. Wells, decided to establish his hotel for summer visitors. All went well, until on June 10, 1899 it was destroyed fire, the cause a defective flue. The loss was stated at $15,000 and the insurance paid Bunnell $7,144 a week after the fire.

Bunnell contemplated whether to carry on with the resort business, after all he was approaching 70 years age.  Rebuild that he did. Then, in 1901, Wells expanded his resort and a built a second one–the most elaborate structure ever to adorn Big Meadows.

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In the 1920s, Red Riverbed began extensive logging in the Lake Almanor basin. It would be just a matter time that logging activities might spark a fire. On July 27, 1926, a fire started at Butt Valley west of Lake Almanor,.

The fire started from sparks of a steam donkey engine which spread rapidly over the recently logged over lands toward the west shore of Lake Almanor. For a time the fire threatened the Lake Almanor Inn at Prattville and the various cottages adjacent to it, requiring the evacuation of seventy-five campers. The fire burned over 16,000 acres, and destroyed three abandoned logging camps and several miles of railroad ties. Red River estimated its loss at $23,000.

Tim

If you happen to be traveling along Highway 36, between Mineral and Susanville, one of notable features is the Chester Causeway. Travelers be forewarned as its is undergoing highway rehabilitation this summer (2025) and expect road delays. The following is how the causeway came to be.

In 1925, Great Western Power Company announced its plans to enlarge Lake Almanor. The raising of the dam would flood a large portion of Chester Flats, thus flooding a number of roads, and also Red River Lumber Company logging railroad network. Controversy arose when Great Western informed the Plumas County Board of Supervisors that the road across Chester Flats would be re-routed to follow the high water contour. The residents of Chester and Westwood were furious, for such a proposal would add an additional seven miles between the two communities. They wanted a causeway in which the current route would remain the same. Great Western balked at the idea. After all, a causeway would cost Great Western $220,00, while to re-route the road would only cost $50,000. To make a long story short the opponents bypassed the Plumas County Board of Supervisors and had the State Highway Department intervene. In 1926, an agreement was made between the State and Great Western that a causeway would be constructed.

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Prattville, for those who just tuned in was town in Plumas County, in what is now Lake Almanot. In 1914, the last remnants of it was wiped out in preparation to flood Big Meadows to create Lake Almanor.

In the early 1900s, deed restrictions were common practice . Common restrictions would prohibit the sale property based ethnicity, such Chinese and /or consumption/manufacture alcohol. On June 11, 1875 David Boyer purchased a lot in Prattville from the Pratt family. The deed stated: “to have and to hold the same one as it is used for mercantile or mechanical business or for dwelling house or lawful or legitimate purpose, except hotel, restaurant, boarding house of house of ill fame.” Since the Pratt family operated a hotel there, this would eliminate competition. Boyer would operate a saloon. By the end of year, Boyer sold out and moved to Susanville.

Tim

On April 26, 1894, the Chester Post Office was established at Burwell Johnson’s establishment, which  included a saloon plus rooms for travelers. Johnson’s was located at the base known today as Johnson Grade on Highway 36, approximately where the causeway begins. The post office was named after Chester, Vermont, former home of the Jonathan Martin family, Johnson’s neighbors, who were instrumental in the development of Chester.

In the early 1900s, the Great Western Power Company began acquisition of properties of Big Meadows, which it was their intent to construct a reservoir for hydro-power development. This they did, and the reservoir is known today as Lake Almanor.  The Martins along with their neighbors Olsen sold their properties to Great Western Power, retaining everything about 4500 elevation contour. In 1911, Edith Martin hired Everett M. Cameron to survey and subdivide her property and thus, the town of Chester was born.

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George McDow, Jr. was born in Susanville in 1910, which that community was the verge on boom times, that never was replicated. George wrote his memoirs about those experience those twenty years. He spent considerable time at Chester  during summer of 1924. George wrote:

“The only store in Chester was operated by Jack Wardlow, who also had a dance hall next-door to the store. On Saturday nights and some holidays he would stage public dances. These attracted a lot of people from Westwood, even some Greenville and Susanville. The law in the area consisted of a Plumas County Deputy Sheriff. He had his hands full on Saturday nights jut keeping the peace, with no time to hassle the bootleggers, who sat in their cars, a few yards away in the dark and dispensed flasks of moonshine to the thirsty dancers, or anyone else who cared to imbibe. I soon learned that by arising early Sunday mornings, I would take a gunnysack, walk along the old split rail fences, which were then along Chester’s Main Street, and I could pick up nearly a sack-full empty flasks. It was not hard to find the town’s chief moonshine merchant. He would pay what I considered a fair price for my collection of empties. This provided me with spending money for fish hooks and occasional ice cream cone.”

Tim