Willard Hill located some six miles west of Susanville was a popular winter sports venue. Its initial development came about through Lassen College’s Forestry Program inconjunction with the National Youth Administration. The latter provided each forestry student with not only academic training but to work in related forestry jobs. For their part-time work the students were paid $30 a month, however $20 a month was deducted for room and board in the converted Alpine Hotel dormitory. Continue reading Willard Hill →

On February 7, 1916, the Lucerne School District was established at a special meeting of the Lassen County Board of Supervisors. It, along with the Glade School District, were the two last rural school districts created in Lassen County. Shortly thereafter a school house was constructed about three miles north of Doyle. The school closed in 1925. At that time the Board of Supervisors authorized the sale of the building—asking price $50. But no buyers came forward. The school house was destroyed in a August 1926 forest fire that also destroyed the ranches of Arent, Downing and Wagner.

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In 1928, the Lassen National Forest Service leased seven acres from Lassen County on Richmond Road for a tree nursery. It was originally named the Susanville Nursery. The name was changed in 1932, when  William G. Durbin, the Lassen National Forest Supervisor retired after ten years on the Lassen.  C.W. Corson, a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota has hired to be in charge of it.  It was their goal to raise 750,000 of pine seedlings over a five year period. In addition, experiments were done with cedar, fir and sequoia.

The first planting was done in 1930 to assist the reforestation of the  burn on Antelope Mountain west of Eagle Lake. In addition the nursery provided seedlings to the various national forest service throughout California. It was unique that it was only large Forest Service nursery in California. In 1936, after the establishment of Lassen College’s Forestry program many of those students worked at Durbin Nursery.

Unfortunately, I do not at this time, have a date when the nursery ceased operation, but it appears sometime in the early 1950s.  The property is best known today as Diamond View School.

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Back in 1989 I briefly corresponded with Jerry King, a 1950 Lassen College gunsmithing graduate. He wanted to know what became of C.W. Frost. He wrote, “At that time Mr. Frost was the only gunsmithing instructor and had been since he and one student began the program in 1945 . . . I think it is only fair that Mr. Frost be recognized and Harlan Fritts be recognized for their part in founding the gunsmithing program.” Continue reading Lassen College Gunsmithing Program →

In the mid-1980s, I taught a course for a couple of years in Research Techniques in Local History at Lassen Community College. The students ranged in age from 18 to 78.  The students received hands on training with visits to the Lassen County Courthouse to research records, and numerous other places during the course. They were always an enthusiastic bunch, and it was more the normal, the class would run over an additional hour or two.  Continue reading Lassen County – Jesus Spring →

In May 1888, this school, located between Grasshopper Valley and the Madeline Plains, was established. Unfortunately, due to its remoteness, there is very little documentation.

By the early 1920s, many of the homesteads had either been abandoned or sold, forcing the school to close. In July 1927, the two remaining families with children—Conklins and Sakaris—wrote to the Lassen County Board of Supervisors and wrote, “We want back our school.” The board obliged. Three years it closed, due to a lack of students.

In 1932, Emily Rothlin, rural school supervisor recommended the school district by abolished as the valley’s population consisted of nine bachelors. The board obliged. In 1933, James Leavitt bought the abandoned schoolhouse at a surplus sale for $50.

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