In 1932 Adelaide and Fred Smith established the Plumas Pines Resort on the west shore of Lake Almanor, located between the Lake Almanor and the relocated Prattville Cemetery. On July 15, 1932, Adelaide became the postmaster of the newly created Almanor Post Office. The post office was seasonal in nature, only open during the summer, i.e. May 1 to September 30.. It should be noted the Chester Post Office originally was a seasonal post office.

In September 1951, Adelaide Smith informed the postal authorities and the public that she would retire as the Almanor Postmaster effective September 30. It should be noted that her husband Fred had passed away in 1946, but she kept the resort running. In the spring of 1950, she sold the Plumas Pines Resort to V.Y. Briggs.

Of a final footnote, the following year on June 16, 1952, the Canyon Dam Post Office opened with Emmett W. Bishop, serving as first postmaster.

Donate

While some of the more astute readers probably have read or heard about how Lake Almanor was named, many may not be aware that it was not the original designation of the reservoir that flooded what was originally known as Big Meadows.

Julius Howells was a civil engineer who initially did work in the Feather River country. When hydroelectric power was coming to the forefront in the 1890s, he became part of that movement. In 1901, two things happened. Howells went back to examine the upper watershed of the North Fork of the Feather River, known then as Big Meadows. Howells also affiliated with well known engineer James Dix Schuyler of Los Angeles. When Howells met with Schuyler he provided with his findings of developing a hydroelectric system of the Feather River. Schuyler introduced Howells to Edwin Earl, who had done so well financially in the citrus packing industry, was branching out to invest other endeavors.  Edwin Earl along with his brother Guy were impressed and created the Great Western Power Company to make Howells’ project a reality. In 1902, Howells officially recording was for the creation of a new reservoir to be named Lake Earl. It would be twelve years before the lake would be created and the initial name had been abandoned. It would be christened Lake Almanor for Guy Earl’s three daughters. Years later, Alice Earl Wilder recalled the origin of the name Lake Almanor:

”Mr. Julius Howells 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, Elinore and Guy. Many combinations of these names were attempted. It was hard tom 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, the MA for  Martha and the Nor for Elinore.” 

For the record, there are certain early maps that indicate the spelling of the lake with an “e” at the end—Almanore.

Support

Antelope Lake in Plumas County is a popular recreational spot for a number of Honey Lake Valley residents, as well as nearby Nevadans. It is part of the State Water Project of the California Department of Water Resources. The project’s original intent was to provide water to Southern California to augment that of the Colorado River. The State Water Project has 21 dams and over 700 miles of canals, pipelines and tunnels.

Antelope Lake is part of the project. The 113 foot tall earthen dam was constructed in 1964. It has a surface area of 931 acres with a maximum capacity of 47,466 acre feet.

Tim

Many a soul has experienced over time criticism from family or friends over a purchase or taking a new direction in life. This scenario played out at Drake’s Springs.

In June 1900, a Susanville school teacher, Alexander Sifford, at the urging friends, went to Drakes Springs for the health benefits of the hot springs. The experience was more than Sifford ever dreamed of.  Before he returned to Susanville, Sifford entered into an agreement to purchase Drakes Springs.

When Tom Sifford, Alex’s brother, heard the news he thought his brother was just plain crazy for buying the remote mountain property for $1,000. Because of Tom’s initial reaction, Alex did not divulge the entire financial transaction. The $1,000 was a down payment. Alexander Sifford paid $6,000 for Drakes Springs, with annual payments of $1,000.

Alex Sifford, along with his wife, Ida, and two children, Pearl and Roy would transform the place into Drakesbad and continue to operate it until the 1950s when it was finally sold to Lassen Volcanic National Park. As for Tom Sifford, it would be a decade later before he made his initial visit to Drakes Springs.

Support

In keeping with yesterday’s topic of exploring, one may want to include the former mining community of Johnsville, Plumas County, near Graeagle. It is adjacent to the Plumas Eureka State Park that was established in 1959.

Johnsville came to the forefront in 1851 with the discovery of the Eureka quartz vein. After the early 1900s mining activity fluctuated like so many other mining communities. The last of mining came to an end during World War II.

It is well worth the trip and for the adventurous minded you could make trip via Milford grade to Beckwourth.

Tim,