A native of Maine, Edward Russell Drake came to California in 1850. After nearly a decade roaming around the Golden State he located in northern Plumas County where he spent his time prospecting and trapping.  In the spring of 1884, Drake was overcome with health problems and spent an extended stay at Gilroy Hot Springs.  In 1885, when he returned he relocated at Thomas Malgin’s abandoned homestead at the far end of Warner Valley, which included Hot Springs Creek.  Over time he assembled ownership of 400 acres. Drake made many improvements to the property and the place became commonly known as Drake’s Springs. In 1890, with the assistance of Russell Whitcomb, built the the first lodge, that stood until it was crushed in the heavy snows of 1937-38. In 1900, Drake sold out to Susanville school teacher for Alex Sifford for $6,000. In 1914, the place was renamed Drakesbad. Drake, it should be noted passed away in 1904 at Chico, California at the age of 73.

Subscribe

It amazes me at times, how early some remote places were settled. Take for instance the Drakesbad Guest Ranch in Lassen Volcanic National Park. In 1874, a sheepman, Thomas Malgin located there to establish a summer camp. The following year, by taking advantage of Hot Springs Creekm he built a bathhouse.  While it was rather primitive, it was available free to the public. When time permitted Malgin provided guide service to nearby points of interest. In 1880, Malgin abandoned the property.  In 1885, E.R. Drake took possession of Malgin’s claim.  Drake was not aware, that back property taxes were due and in 1887 Quincy resident F.B. Whiting bought the eighty acres there in a delinquent tax sale for $8.11.  The following year, Drake purchased it from Whiting for $50 and the foundation was in place for the development of the property.

Subscribe

Well, I am stuck in the 1924 drought era. The drought placed a severe strain on Great Western Power’s  hydro-electric operations, though company officials assured its customers there would be no power outages. To maximize the water flow out of Lake Almanor, it was necessary to dredge channels in the lake to its outtake.

In December 1924 Great Western Power announced its intentions to raise the dam at Lake Almanor by forty-five feet. This would double the size of the lake, wherein once completed would be one of the largest reservoirs in North America at that time. The enlargement was necessary not only to protect it from future droughts, but to facilitate additional powerhouses.

Subscribe

In keeping with the Go Exploring theme, a trip to the Drakesbad Guest Ranch in Lassen Volcanic National Park, should be on your list. People have been going to this place since the 1870s, and there is plenty of hydra-thermal sites nearby such as Boiling Springs Lake and Devils Kitchen. If you want to dine there, you will need to call ahead, and they even make sack lunches for your hiking pleasure.

Subscribe

The 1902 plans for a reservoir to flood Big Meadows, now Lake Almanor gave it a designation as Lake Earl, after one of the investors of the Great Western Power Company. Over the years, the name was abandoned. When newly created reservoir began to fill up it was christened Lake Almanor, after Guy Earl’s three daughters. One of the daughters, Alice Wilder recalled the origin of the name: “Mr. Julius Howells [the engineer] was a welcome guest in our home who said children call me Uncle Julius. He asked my father to name the new lake. My father and mother spent many hours finding a name they liked. It had to have a name pleasing to the ear, it had to be readily pronounced, spelled and easily read. They did not want a foreign name and were not fond of surnames. They wanted to name it after their four children. Alice, Martha, Elsinore and Guy. Many combinations to these names were attempted. It was hard to get Guy in. Finally my father settled for a name that was simple and musical and of which three of the four children would be part-and also in the right order-eldest, next eldest and youngest. The lake was named Almanor.  The AL for Alice, MA forth Martha and The NOR for Elsinore.”

Subscribe

Lake Almanor’s Hamilton Branch was named for John Hamilton one of the first Anglo settlers there. However, during his time there was no Lake Almanor, which was not created in 1914. Located there is Big Springs, and a popular spot then and now.  In the 1920s, the place started to flourish when the cabins from Red River Lumber Company’s Camp 32 were retrofitted  to be included in Hamilton Park, which would eventually evolve into Lassen View Resort.

Donate or Subscribe

For those that have never been there, this is a hidden gem inside Lassen Volcanic National Park. It was Susanville resident, Alexander Sifford (1861-1957) who was key figure into transforming the place into a resort. However, in 1874, Thomas Malgin first settled in the upper end of the Warner Valley, and built a bath house to take advantage of Hot Springs Creek. Malgin focused more on raising sheep, than operating a remote tourist attraction.

Malgin was succeeded by Edward Drake, who in 1890 built the first lodge. His operation was simply known as Drake’s Spring. In June 1900, Susanville school teacher Alex Sifford arrived with his family as friends suggested the springs might help his ailments. Sifford was so taken away, that he negotiated to buy the place from Drake for $6,000. In 1914, for marketing purposes, the name was changed to Drakesbad. The Sifford family continued with operations until the 1950s when the last of their holdings was sold to Lassen Volcanic National Park. You can learn more by reading Roy Sifford’s memoirs  Sixty Years of Siffords: Darkesbad directly from this site.

Support this site, Subscribe today.