On February 21, 1917, the Lassen County Board of Supervisors accepted the newly constructed as complete.That was the simple process. To furnish the building became a nasty and controversial affair. It resulted in a new position – County Purchasing Agent. This, too, was a subject of wrath with taxpayers. More about that later.
Tim
I thought this editorial cartoon seemed appropriate since tomorrow, at the Lassen Municipal Utility District (LMUD) board meeting will adopt rate increases. May be the rate payers will begin a stinging revolt that they did in the 1930s and the 1980s.
After all, the rate payers have a paid for the multi-million boondoggle of the Hayden Hill transmission line that is still not resolved. That line, it should be noted, is not even LMUD’s service area. It will be interesting to see the final costs associated with the former Bank of America building that is to be the future office of LMUD. That is what they say, is tip of the iceberg.
Tim
For years, before the St. Francis was shuttered, the Round Up Room, the hotel’s bar, was a popular gathering place. When St. Francis opened it was denied a liquor license to operate a bar.
In the spring of 1914, St. Francis Hotel opened. Gus Steinhauser was hired as the manager. He applied for a liquor license from the City of Susanville. It did not go well. At the City of Council meeting of April 28, 1914, it was the first item on the agenda. Councilman Emerson made the motion to deny the license. Councilman Rankin seconded it and the application was denied.
The protest began. First was Isaac Knoch, followed by Steinhauser. Bot the gentleman stated a hotel bar was not your typical saloon. Steinhauser stated it would not pay him to open a dining room if he could not serve guests wines or liquors with the diner’s meals. It was an exercise in futility. At the conclusion, Councilman Rankin suggested to amend the liquor license ordinance to be limited to seven, and when those licenses lapsed, they could not be renewed. Eventually, the St. Francis prevailed and the liquor license issued.
United States Congressman, John Raker served the as the representative of California’s First District from 1911-1926. Raker primarily resided in Lassen and Modoc Counties. In fact upon his death in 1926, he became a permanent resident of Susanville since he is buried in that community’s cemetery.
Raker was known for many things. In 1990s environmental groups painted Raker as a villain for the author of the Raker Act that Congress passed in 1913. The Act authorized for the O’Shaunessy Dam, that would flood valley the Hetch Hechty Valley, a part of Yosemite National Park. The purpose was a water supply for San Francisco.
Of course, it was fraught with the usual politics. By 1880, San Francisco sought a reliable water supply for the growing city. As I wrote before, the City even had its eye on the abundant springs at Big Meadows, Plumas County, now Lake Almanor. After the 1906 San Fransisco earthquake and fires, there was an urgent need for a abundant water supply.. One key player, that does not much draw attention is that of Franklin Lane. In 1912, President Wilson appointed Lane as Secretary of the Interior, which managed the National Parks, since the park service was not created until 1916. Previous to Lane’s appointment he served as the City Attorney of San Francisco, thus he was well aware of that city’s water supply issue. Lane, and others in the San Francisco water lobby sought out congressmen to support there cause, and they found Raker.
Raker, it should be noted that was an ardent supporter of Gifford Pinchot, the first director of the United States Forest Service. Along that line, while Raker urged conservation, he thought multiple land uses could co-exist.
In 1911, Raker who was in his first term as congressman, authored a bill to establish Redwood National Park. It failed. It did draw attention to the majestic trees. In 1918, the Save the Redwood League was established. It was not until 1968, that Redwood National Park was created. For the record, it was Raker that was instrumental in the creation of Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Ephraim Van Buren Spencer (1836 -1904) was a fascinating individual. In his 1906 biography, as a testament this is the beginning sentence, “No name is more intimately associated with the history of Lassen County than that of Judge Spencer.” I am going highlight four aspects of his life.
The Lumberman. In 1859, E.V. and his brother, Luther Spencer, settled in Susanville. An opportunity arose, and they purchased the Roop Sawmill on the Susan River, just below Hobo Camp. Very little known as to mill’s operation. It should be noted that it burned down in 1868. What really intrigued me was one of the mill’s employee-Lemericus Wyatt. In April 1859, Wyatt along with Edward Clapper and Peter Lassen were on a prospecting trip in the Black Rock Desert. There was an early morning ambush that claimed the lives of Clapper and Lassen, and Wyatt escaped. Wyatt confided to E.V. Spencer what happened.
The Attorney. Spencer was a sawyer at the mill. He suffered a major arm injury that resulted in a career change. He became a lawyer. In 1864, he was elected the first Lassen County District Attorney. He only served one term. He was proud of the crackdown of gambling, and while it subsided, it never went away. As an attorney he was noted for his eloquent speaking abilities. He had an illustrious career as an attorney. One of his clients was the infamous Holden Dick who was accused of the gruesome murder of Samuel Shaw in 1883. Thus, the legend of the Holden Dick Mine was born. It was purported that Dick gave Spencer a map to the mine’s location. A bit of trivia, Dick’s first name came from Thomas Holden, who was Spencer’s wife’s relations..
The Assemblyman. In 1894, Spencer was elected to the California Assembly. While he only served one term, he was admired by his colleagues who referred to him the as “Lassen County’s Grand Old Man.” One of his causes was the suffragette movement. He was instrumental in getting Amendment 6 on the ballot in 1896 to approve women’s rights in California, but the measure failed.
The Railroad Man. Spencer was the probably the strongest advocate to have Susanville serviced by a railroad. It was his contention that Susanville would be just another “sleepy hollow” without one. In 1885, the residents of Susanville raised $500 to send Spencer negotiate with the Morans, the new owners of the Nevada & California Railroad (later to become the NCO). to build the line to Susanville. The Moran’s informed Spencer that they did not have the money to extend the line north. Spencer was optimistic, since the railroad did a preliminary survey along the west side of Honey Lake to Susanville. On March 31, 1887 Edgar Heriot the new general manager of the railroad announced they would commence work of 45 mile extension from Junction House to Brubeck’s Ranch on the east side of Honey Lake. Spencer did not sit idly by about the news of the bypass. It’s an interesting story for another time. In 1899, Spencer lobbied the railroad to build a branch line from Hot Springs (Wendel) to Susanville. It would be a most interesting dinner discussion about Spencer on this topic.
Summation. Spencer’s life was hardly dull. For instance, in the late 1880s his family would vacation at Drake’s Springs, today known as Drakesbad. The seed for creation of Lassen Volcanic National Park was planted via his son-in-law Congressman John Raker.
In the summer and fall of 1931 the heated and controversial topic was the formation of a public utility district-Lassen Municipal Utility District. Robert Cook, editor and publisher of the Lassen Mail newspaper was an ardent supporter for the district. The Mail used a lot ink on the subject. In the September 21, 1931 issue a front page article titled Electric Prices for Bieber Half Susanville Rates:
“The Pacific Gas and Electric Company is rushing the construction of its line from Fall River Valley to Bieber.. The new line is 20 miles in length and will serve about 400 hundred people. The rates that will be in effect as soon as the line is established has been announced as follows:
“For the first 30 K.W.H the rate is 5 1/2 cents per K.W.H. and 3 cents thereafter. Greater reductions are made for large users of power.
“Susanville with its population of 4000 is paying 10 cents per K.W.H. and eight cents thereafter to the Lassen Electric Company.
“Just across the Susan River the employees of the two mills enjoy a still lower rate than the people of Bieber. The same condition prevails in Westwood. The only users of electricity in Lassen County that do not receive a decent electric light rate are the residents of Susanville and the Honey Lake Valley.”
Notes of note; The Cady family not only owned the Lassen Electric, but the water company and had an financial interest in the Lassen Advocate newspaper. That publication opposed the formation of a public utlity district.
Tim
In the spring of 1892, Amedee was in its glory as a boomtown craze escalated. The regional newspapers proclaimed that Amedee would “kill” Susanville and that county seat would be moved to Amedee. It should be noted that many leading merchants of Susanville had opened stores in Amedee.
By fall, the talk of moving county seat had somewhat subsided. That would change. On July 18, 1893, the worst fire in Susanville’s history occurred. The entire business district had been reduced rubble. Certain segments of the population pondered whether to rebuild, and let Amedee prevail by moving county seat there. Of course it did not happen. While Susanville was slow to rebuild Amedee’s shine would fade. This was especially true in 1899, when the NCO Railroad began construction of extending the line to Madeline Plains, and Amedee was no longer was terminus.
Tim
In essence this is one of those instances where history repeats itself. During the 1850s, Congress passed several bills for a transcontinental railroad and wagon road to connect California to the Union. Numerous routes were surveyed, though most ended at California’s eastern border, with the assumption the State of California would decide the best route. The Honey Lake-Fredonyer-Deer Creek route was deemed one the best, since there was no high elevation summits to cross, thereby reducing the problems associated with winter, i.e., Donner. In 1859, with the discovery of the Comstock Lode in Nevada was a game changer. Politics and the influence of money the Donner Pass route was selected, a costly one at that.
Fast forward a hundred years later. In June 1956 Congress approved the Federal Highway Act, also known as President Eisenhower’s Interstate and Defense Highways. In 1957, Susanville resident F.W. Loosley saw an opportunity and proposed the Isaac Roop Low Pass All Weather Highway, as a viable alternative to Donner Pass. One of the most obvious was it would reduce construction costs and even more importantly annual maintenance, especially where snow removal was a concern. The proposed Roop Highway would go from Winnemucca, Nevada to Viewland, Lassen County, California via Gerlach. There it would merge initially with U.S. Highway 395 to Johnstonville and then connect with State Highway 36 over Fredonyer to Red Bluff. (This should not be confused with the Winnemucca to the Sea Highway.) It received widespread support in California and Nevada. The wheels of commerce, those along the then Highway 40 put pressure because the proposed interstate would bypass them, and they won.
After the conclusion of World War I, the nation’s patriotism did not subside, if nothing else it continued to gain momentum. In 1921, the California Legislature amended provisions in the Political Code to allow cities and counties to provide homes and meetings places and associations for veterans.
Los Angeles County jumped on the bandwagon and appropriated $500,000 to build a “Victory Hall.” Not so fast stated the county auditor, who refused to pay any warrants associated with the building since it was not for public purposes. Therefore, in the auditor’s opinion, it would be a gift of public funds. The matter went to the California Supreme Court. The court’s decision rendered on November 30, 1923 ruled in favor of Los Angeles County and the American Legion organization.
Tim
On November 7, 2000 the Lassen County voters approved a contentious ballot initiative to amend the county’s General Plan, Zoning Ordinance and the Westwood Area Plan to allow the development of a four-season resort near Westwood known as Dyer Mountain. It was proposed to build three golf courses, ski runs, along with thousands of houses, condos along with commercial retail projects. It became a heated issue fought by environmental groups. Plagued with financial and legal issues the project was derailed.
Tim