McGiffert loader, Camp 28, Red River Lumber Company, 1924—R.S. Pershing
With the advent of railroad logging required the development of supporting equipment. In this particular case, today, a machine to load logs onto flat bed rail cars. Some consider the McGiffert Loader the “Cadallic ” of loaders, which many in the woods just referred to the machine as a “Jammer.” The McGiffert was invented by John R. McGiffert in the early 1900s , and were manufactured by the Clyde Iron Works of Duluth, Minnesota.
The McGiffert while efficient in getting the job done, did not look like much. It had an elevated platform for the boiler and spools. What is interesting it was self propelled wherein its chain-driven axles moved it along the rails. As the McGiffert straddled the tracks, a large, somewhat awkward looking machine. The boiler and spools were mounted on a platform that was elevated over the tracks. The entire machine sat on legs that rested on the ground on either side of the tracks. The McGiffert was self-propelled, as it had a chain-driven drive axles that moved the machine along the rails. The empty log cars were shoved underneath the loader. The log cars would then be rolled through the loader, with logs loaded onto the cars by a boom off of one side of the loader.
McGiffert loader at Camp 28, Red River Lumber Company, 1924–R.S. Pershing
Fruit Growers Supply Company was still using McGifferts into the 1940s on the Susanville Operation, and may have until 1952 when it discontinued railroad logging.
One of things the Red River Lumber Company did not like about California was its politics. After the company established Westwood, it initially took a neutral stance to politics. That would change over time.
The Westwood Auto Club served as a de facto chamber of commerce for Red River. Since 1916, Californians voted on several bond measures to build a state highway system. By 1926 those funds had been exhausted and to the dismay of the residents of Northern California the majority of bond revenue was spent building highways in Southern California. In June a movement was on hand to place on the ballot a one cent per gallon gasoline tax to be used for highway construction. The Westwood Auto jumped on the bandwagon and led a vigorous petition drive to obtain signatures to place the matter on the ballot. It was widely supported and by the end of July enough signatures had been obtained to place the measure on the ballot, to be known as Proposition 4.
To date nearly $100 million had been spent in the last ten years for highway construction. It was estimated an addition $123 million was needed to complete the state highway system. Southern California had an initiative also on the ballot—Proposition 8. This was an effort to grab a major portion of road funds for the next twelve years. It turned into a North/South divide issue. Proposition 4 proponents worked hard and were successful. In Lassen County nearly 90% of the voters approved it.
Red River Lumber Company’s town of Westwood was fairly well planned, but all the facilities built between 1912-14, a house of worship was not included. This was extremely odd when factoring in that T.B. Walker, founder of Red River was a devout member of the Methodist Church.
The spiritual needs, however, was not completely ignored. In October 1913, the Rev. Robert G. Green, a Methodist minister at Akeley, Minnesota, where Red River operated mill, was recruited to come to Westwood to oversee the social welfare of the community. Green found it to be challenge as to where to hold non-denominational services. Westwood’s first multi-purpose facility
was the Opera House, and it was there where Green delivered his Sunday sermons. One of the problems holding services in the Opera House was that Green had to compete with other parties who wanted to use the building, since it was the only facility dedicated to public gatherings. Green had been informed a church would be built after the Opera House was completed, but that did not happen.
By early 1917, the pressure was on for a church to be built. A committee had organized to solicit donations. They had plans for a building, not only for its seating capacity but that it should have a full basement to provide for a library, kitchen/dining rooms, and other rooms for sociable functions such as Y.M.C.A. meetings. After considerable debate it was determined that ideally the church should seat 600 churchgoers. Once the committee agreed to the building’s size, they were able to calculate the cost. They estimated a price tag of $8,700—with lumber the most expensive item at $4,000. The committee had secured $3,000 in pledges and pressure was placed on Red River on its “stingy” spending for its employees. Red River was also learning the hard way in a critical labor market, that to retain workers and their families concessions had to be made. Red River finally obliged.
In the summer of 1917 the church project moved forward with Red River donating the lumber and labor. The site selected was at 500 Cedar Street, which Rev. Green described as a rock pile strewn with empty beer and whiskey bottles. By November 1917 the new church was completed. Initially, it was a church with no name. Since it would serve the needs of variety denominations it was named The People’s Church. On Sunday May 19, 1918 dedication ceremonies were held with Dr. John Wilson, District Superintendent of the California-Nevada Methodist Conference officiating.
The idyllic community of Clear Creek has a long history before it took on a new life in the 1920s by the Red River Lumber Company. It was first settled in 1872 by Henry “Hank” Landt who migrated back and forth between Big Meadows (Lake Almanor). Landt wore many “hats” from being a resort operator, fisherman, fur trader and sawmill operator. On August 5, 1875 he filed for the water rights to Clear Creek to protect the development of the trout fishing ponds that he had established. In 1890, Landt sold the property to Orman Folsom and moved to Susanville. Folsom never did anything with the property, it was an investment, like so many others he had. In 1909, Folsom sold to for Thomas B. Walker, of the Red River Lumber Company for $6,500
Main Street, Susanville, 1927. Note you can see where the fire burned above the Elks Lodge.
In June 2021 I wrote about a forest fireof 1926 that threatened Susanville, when it jumped the Susan River and spread to Inspiration Point.On July 2, 1926 the Lassen Mail had an editorial “Fire Danger Is Concern of Everyone.” Since it is that time of year when fire danger increases, I thought I would share the newspaper’s observation.
”During the closing days of June Susanville faced conditions that do not usually obtain until August. These conditions will become worse as the season advances and it will require the utmost care on the part of everyone to protect property interests. So far as the town of Susanville is concerned it is now reasonably well protected from fires that might sweep in from the surrounding hills. But the wealth of Lassen County lies in her forests and these forests are at the mercy of the camper and the tourist.
”The state forestry department should see that a competent fire warden is placed in charge of the Susanville district. He should be a man who realizes the importance of his position and who has the necessary experience. During the past week more damage was done by back fires set by incompetent persons than was done by the original fire. The fire that destroyed Red River timber and finally crossed the Susan River and threatened the town of Susanville was a backfire set by one of those incompetent people that got way beyond control and made the situation worse instead of better.”
The Westwood Auto Club was the oddest creation of the Red River Lumber Company’s operation at Westwood. Since Westwood was created as a company town one would expect that the community as a whole functioned a bit differently. On the other hand, Red River wanted Westwood to assimilate like the surrounding communities. Enter the Westwood Auto Club. It served as Red River’s de facto chamber of commerce. The Auto Club served as a booster organization of Red River products and civic pride as well.
On February 14, 1916 the auto club held its organizational meeting. Its first goal was to open the road over Fredonyer to Susanville, after all this was prior to the state highway system. On Sunday, April 9, 1916, the Auto Club organized a work party of one
hundred twenty-five to open Fredonyer, with Red River providing
equipment. A much smaller delegation from Susanville was recruited to work on the snow removal from their side of the mountain. The Susanville team was the first to reach the summit, for they had the added benefit that its side receives more sun exposure. Being of goodwill, the Susanville crowd began snow removal on the Westwood down slope. Once the two groups connected, everyone regrouped to the summit to celebrate their achievement. This became an annual event for the next several years.
Within a few short years the Westwood Auto Club saw its membership swell to nearly five hundred. Due to its size, the club felt they needed a place of their own. Upon due diligent search they found an empty building at 303 Ash Street, which had formerly housed kindergarten classes. On New Years Day 1921, after a complete remodel the club opened its doors to the membership.
The Auto Club was on a roll, and in the spring of 1921, it obtained a
lease from Red River to develop a park and campground at nearby Clear Creek. This was a popular picnic site, and the club maintained the park until the organization folded when Red River sold in 1944.
By the mid-1920s the organization had over 1200 members. Its biggest accomplishment came in 1929-30. The Auto Club lobbied hard with the California Division of Highways for the winter snow removal over Fredonyer.
By 1914, Red River Lumber Company’s new company town was open for business. For years there had be lots of speculation while it kept buying vast amounts of timberland in Northern California. The press was eager to pay a visit and write about it. The Chico Record in August 1914 published an interesting article which was titled: “Is Westwood An Experiment? Away up in Lassen County, about twenty miles from Susanville, is the new town of Westwood, a city created within a year. It lies in the center of one of the largest and most valuable tracts of timberland in the United States, a tract of timber which until this year had never been touched by the ax or saw. Westwood is owned solely and exclusively by the Red River Lumber Company, which is but another name for Walker, the multi-millionaire of Minnesota, and his sons.
“Walker came into California a few years ago, and began to buy and
otherwise acquire timberlands in Shasta, Lassen, Butte and Plumas
counties, until it is said that he now owns one million acres of the
finest forests in the world. “With the building of the Southern Pacific railroad from Fernley into Lassen County came the opportunity to work these timber holdings and the Walkers grasped the opportunity. Alongside of a creek in the center of these holdings they established the town of Westwood, and are now completing their mills and factories. The mill is said to have the greatest capacity of any in the West, it being possible to cut one million feet of lumber a day, and at this rate it can be run for more than fifty years without exhausting the timber supply.
“Consequently Westwood is being built to endure. Water has been piped into the place from a point distant ten miles. A complete sewer system is being laid, streets and sidewalks built, streets well lighted, and several hundred residences built.
“Everything in Westwood is owned and controlled by the Walkers. No lots are sold and one cannot be bought. All the houses are rented to the employees, and the Walkers conduct a general merchandise store the equal of which is not found north of San Francisco. It contains everything for human needs from automobiles to a loaf of bread. An immense clubhouse is maintained, for Westwood has no saloons. A large moving picture theater is also conducted by Walkers, which on Sunday night is used as a church. If there is any profit to be made in Westwood, it is made by the Walkers, for no one else can do business there. It is stated, however, by most of the residents that prices are no higher then in other places, and in most instances they are lower.
“It will be interesting to note whether this ‘one-man’ town can be
made a success. It already contains about three thousand people for the Walker’s have on their payrolls about fifteen hundred employees. No one is asked to come to Westwood; there is no chamber of commerce seeking immigration. There are no properties for sale, hence no real estate agents. There is not even a newspaper.
“Doubtless in time there will arise dissatisfaction, for we are so
used to the competitive system in human affairs, that the average one is likely to resent the obligation to work for a man or company and in turn be compelled to live as the man or company directs and turn back most of his wages into channels that will carry them back to their source, even though in doing so a fair share is retained by the wage-earner.”
It being Easter Sunday, I thought it would only be appropriate to provide some of the history of religion in our region. The Methodist Church had a profound influence on the Honey Lake Valley. In 1860, this church held their first service in Susanville. By 1905, there were Methodist Churches in Janesville, Johnstonville, Standish and, of course, Susanville, more than any other denomination. Continue reading Easter Sunday→
In 2003, on one of my visits to see Harriett, at her Rising River place, when she spotted my 1964 TR4 Triumph, she wanted to sit in the driver’s seat. After all, she was 100 then, so driving was not an option. Harriett, like her father, Clinton loved cars, and she had a special affinity for sports cars in her younger days.
Over the decades I have interviewed countless people on a plethora of topics. A lot of wonderful friendships were made along the way. During work on the Red River series, I enjoyed some wonderful lunches with Harriet Walker Henderson, daughter of Clinton and granddaughter of the founder of Red River, Thomas Barlow Walker, who preferred his initials, T.B.
Beginning in the late 1890s, Clinton and T.B. would spend years in California inspecting and purchasing timberlands. In 1909, the Walkers purchased 1,000 acres which included Clear Creek The crystal clear springs were a popular summer camping spot. Clinton Walker was also charmed by Clear Creek and routinely set up camp there while doing timber surveys of the region. Clinton’s daughter, Harriet, recalled many pleasant memories as a child camping there. Harriet stated at times they all got tired of eating fish caught from the springs. Then one day, her father surprised everyone when he returned to camp with a “mountain calf.” I was befuddled, after all I have spent my entire life in this country and part of an old ranching family and I had never heard of such creature. So I asked what was a mountain calf, Harriett replied in a whisper “Bambi.”
Sunflower demonstration on the A.F. Babcock Ranch, Bieber, 1923
During the 1920s, the Lassen Farm Bureau published weekly all the agricultural news of the county. All the rural communities had their own “Farm Center,” that held regular meetings to discuss a wide variety of topics. M.D. Collins who was the farm advisor then, kept very busy. Here are two items, that some may find of interest.
May 1926 – J.H. McClure, assistant freight and passenger agent for the Southern Pacific with offices in Reno, spent two days in Lassen County this week. Mr. McClure states they are now giving Lassen County service in freight that has never been excelled. Freight leaving Reno in the evening arrives in Susanville the next morning. Mr. McClure states that an iced car is leaving Susanville twice a week to carry Lassen County products to the lower country markets. The service is being pushed to the highest possible degree of efficiency and the farmers will be able this season to ship out their products under better conditions than of former years. The rate on potatoes was reduced last fall.
May 1926 – Jack Menser, Arthur Kenyon and Peter Gerig, committeemen for the Big Valley flour mill, report that the money is being paid quite satisfactorily and it is hoped the larger portion will be collected in the near future. Alfred Jacks is ready to make the mill purchase as soon as the money is available.
August 1926 – The Big Valley flour committee has collected $2,450 of the $2,500 required to get the mill. The mill is being ordered by Alfred Jacks who is constructing the new building in which to house the machinery. Big Valley will have another flour mill for operation this fall.
September 1926 – The Red River Lumber Company has built a new hay barn near the dairy buildings which has a capacity of 1000 tons of hay. The barn is practically full of hay at the present time. Other improvements have been made around the dairy barns and the market milk station. New corrals for the dairy cows and feed racks are being installed.
