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.
Usually, on a monthly basis I like to feature a then and now post of what a particular site/building has changed over the years.
This month’s feature is the Johnstonville School, one of the original school districts created in 1864 when Lassen County was formed. The original school house pre-dates the school district and was built in 1863, on land that Eber Bangham eventually donated. On January 20, 1961, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to build a new school to replace the old one. School board members, Harry Reuck, Mary Barr and Leroy Cramer, broke the ground for a new four-room schoolhouse which would cost the district $134,518. When completed the old school house located on an adjoining parcel was sold and converted into a private residence.
At the St. Patrick’s Cemetery Tour,the first grave visited was that of Matilda Todd Montgomery. In 1865, Matilda’s two sisters, Margaret Streshly and Mary Drake, were instrumental in soliciting both building materials and money to build the first Richmond School.
On April 1, 1966, Richmond School was held for the last time in that building. The original one-room school was replaced with a $175,000 structure that consisted of three classrooms, offices, a kitchen and a multipurpose room and located a short distance to the east. The original school building still remains, though it has been remodeled, and converted into a private residence.
On June 18, 1864, the County of Lassen purchased its first piece of real estate. On that date, the county purchased the entire Block 22, in the town of Susanville from Isaac Roop for $100.* It should be noted that the majority of the blocks in the original plot had not been been subdivided, mainly those with Main Street frontage. The property, of course, was to be utilized as a courthouse. However, due to the county’s finances, it was not until 1867, when the first courthouse was constructed on this site.
*It should be noted that a covenant was included in the deed that should the county abandon the property it would revoke back to Roop or his heirs. This was a common practice in the era, a number of rural schools received property in that fashion with the stipulation should the property no longer be used for its intended use the property would revert back to the original landowner or that person’s heirs, two examples being the Lake School and the Willow Creek Valley School.
In the beginning of time, the school’s colors were not purple and gold. I know that sounds almost sacrilegious. Back in the earliest years of the school’s history, it was the seniors who chose the colors for the year. The first graduating class of 1907 selected the colors of green and gold and this proved popular for the next few years. The Class of 1911 were a bit more rebellious and opted for blue and white. By the end of the decade purple and gold were adopted, and its been that way ever since.
The school district was created on January 5, 1906. That summer the Wilbur Brothers constructed a $1,300 schoolhouse. On July 1, 1951, the residents of the Bridgeport, Soldier Bridge and Standish School Districts agreed to consolidate and form the Shaffer Union School District. The Standish School was subsequently closed.
It should be noted the Wilbur Brothers also built the Honey Lake and Missouri Bend schools, and all three are similar in design. Honey Lake school has been converted into a residence and no longer recognizable. Missouri Bend is still intact, and for awhile it has been used as a private school.
This topic is certainly a work in progress, after all it does take a lot of research time to put together these daily posts.
Lassen College’s forestry department began in 1938, though now its major emphasis is on fire science, than forestry. It was in this era of the late 1930s and early 1940s that the forestry students developed a small winter recreational area known as Willard Hill. For several decades it was a very popular spot for sledding, etc.
Back to the topic at hand, Paul Bunyan Days. Any one out there who can shed more light on this? If so, please contact me.
Something a little bit different. On the third Saturday of June, the Lassen High Alumni Association holds it all alumni picnic in Susanville. Alumni come far and near to attend this event, some 400+. For me its always been fun, and I can conduct a lot of historical research in one afternoon. For your reading enjoyment, I provide you with the Alumni’s April newsletter, which has a lot of interesting reading material, including a Remember When column penned by yours truly. Clink on the link below to open the PDF file.
On February 18, 1928 the Lassen High Block L Society formed, that was the boy’s athletic organization. One of their first activities was the painting of the “L” on Susanville Peak. In 2008, Betty Jo Buckles Coplen provided me with this behind the scene account: “In 1924, my father, Maynard Robert “Billy” Buckles accepted a position teaching at Lassen Union High School, and we moved to Susanville. Four years later, members of the new Block L Society came to my Dad. They asked him to help them plan a Block L for them to lay out on the hillside. He helped them to design a letter L with the proper classic proportions (200 yards long). He also warned them that a letter of that size would be difficult to keep whitewashed. The Block L boys persevered and constructed the letter on the hill, moving rocks into the outline to be painted white. For decades as planned the freshman boys painted the letter each year, but eventually that practice died out.”
While the Block L Society no longer exists, the Lassen High Alumni Association has from time to time maintained it, the last time was done in 2008.