Like so many religious denominations the Seventh-Day Adventist experienced a rocky road to establish itself in Susanville. It was not so much their faith, but when they first held meetings there in the early 1900s, the population of the community was a meager 1,000 inhabitants, including dogs and cats.  For reasons, not known to me they flourished for a brief time and built a church on Main Street, between Hall and McDow Streets. The good times did not last long, and in 1919, the remaining members of the church petitioned the Lassen County Superior Court to sell the property. In their petition, they stated it had not been used for five years. It was granted. Otto Hisaw bought the church and converted it into a pool hall.

A decade later the Seventh-Day Adventist saw a resurgence in Susanville and on September 7, 1928, Elder J.H. McEchern of Reno organized the Susanville. For nearly a decade the congregation would meet in members homes. In 1939, they built a church on the corner of Cedar and Fifth Streets. In 1976, an opportunity arose and they purchased the Chapel of Memories on Johnstonville Road from Jim and Betty Stone which they still occupy. In 1983, the Adventists sold their old church to the Church of the Foursquare Gospel.

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If you happen to be in Susanville tomorrow evening, stop by Monsignor Moran Hall on North Weatherlow Street for Sacred Heart Church’s St. Patrick’s Dinner, which they have held every year since 1917. The menu, of course, has evolved over the years. For decades the traditional corned beef and cabbage was never served. In 1974, Father William Storan was appointed the parish priest. In 1975, he requested that corned beef and cabbage be placed on the menu and that the church would slowly phase out spaghetti and roast beef.

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In October 1875 it was announced that the D.H. Tucker was awarded to construct a church on the corner of Pine and Cottage Streets. The edifice would cost $2,200 with a $500 loan from the American Congregational Union of New York. At the same time the Methodist were constructing their own church two blocks away. An informal race ensued as to who would have the first church completed. It was the belief of some that the first church dedicated would receive the most support, since some were doubtful that the town could support two churches. The Methodist won.

On November 17, 1878 the congregational church was dedicated with the Rev. John Phillips presiding. Not only was there a large attendance, but two children—Beatrice Partridge and Grace Olive Lovell—were baptized.

By 1900 the church had disbanded. In the fall of 1903, the Lassen Advocate noted: The old congregational church on Pine and Cottage Streets is going to ruin. It is an eyesore and something should be done about it.” Three years later, something was started to take care of that problem. It turned out the American Congregational Union sued the Susanville Congregational Church Society for the $500 that it had loaned them to build the church. They won by default and Lucy Spencer purchased the church property for $1,150. In 1914, Lucy’s grandson-in-law, Charlie Emerson, moved the church down the street, next to the Methodist Church, where he converted into a warehouse for his nearby mercantile business. On August 5, 1915, a fire broke out in the converted church that would destroy most of the buildings on that block.

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The construction of the Methodist Church at the corner of Lassen and Cottage Streets began in 1875. In 1877, with church nearing completion a bell was installed. The Lassen Advocate of June 23, 1877 reported: “The bell is already hung in the tower of the new M.E. Church. It is really a tony bell, its reverberations are heard for miles around. Our town is gradually taking on city airs.”

The bell it should be noted served a dual function for not only calling the faithful to worship, but it was the town’s fire alarm system for nearly three decades. However, it was no match for June 1900 fire that destroyed the church and three city blocks from Roop to Union. The bell survived that fire and when a new brick church replaced the old wooden one it was re-installed. The church was destroyed in the August 1915 fire and this time the bell did not survive.

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Who knew back in 1917, when Father P.J. O’Reilly announced the Sacred Heart Church would celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, that it would be an enduring tradition now in its 100th year.  It is the oldest continuous event in Lassen County, surpassing even the Lassen County Fair. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, March 18 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Monsignor Moran Hall on Weatherlow Street  Believe me, as I can attest they serve the best corned beef around. There is always the cake wheel that can be very entertaining.

Father O’Reilly’s first event was nearly an all nighter.  As was the custom of the day, entertainment and dancing occupied the first half of the evening. Then at 11 p.m. a supper was served and then the dancing resumed into the “wee hours of the morning.”  At the conclusion, Father O’Reilly commented that it was a  a very successful affair  socially and financially.

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The Ladies of the Sacred Heart were an energetic bunch during the early days of the parish. One of their most popular annual events were Christmas dances. The first one was held in December 1910, and was not only well attended, but was a successful fund raiser–as usual the proceeds were used to make improvements to the church. However the next year, when Deputy Sheriff William L. Blake was killed in the line of duty in November 1911, the proceeds of the Christmas dance went to aid his widow Minnie instead. Continue reading The Christmas Ball →

As mentioned in a previous post concerning Father Moran’s quest for a new Catholic church in 1939, had some major obstacles to over come. First and foremost, was his crusade would coincide with World War II, the latter overshadowed much the daily life of the parishioners and the community as a whole. Continue reading A New Sacred Heart Church →

First, I am wishing everyone a wonderful and memorable Thanksgiving holiday. Some annual events come and go, and then some such as Sacred Heart’s St. Patrick’s Dinner just keep going on. While working in the filing bin, I found the above ticket. In my preliminary sleuthing, I have not been able to locate more information about this Thanksgiving Ranch Breakfast. I am examined the Lassen Advocate newspaper, and the only item the paper reported was it being listed under Make It A Date column. So if anyone has ever attended, or knows anything more enlightening please share with the rest of us.

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