In the early morning hours of July 17, 1929, the largest fire in the history of Standish occurred. At that time, a next door neighbor to the Standish Creamery saw the roof of that building on fire. Quickly, a volunteer farmer-firemen bucket brigade assembled to combat the blaze. It became readily apparent early on that the creamery could not be saved. All efforts focused on containing the fire and to prevent it from spreading to nearby residences and stores. By the time the sun rose, the creamery was a pile of smoldering rubble. Approximately, $1,500 worth of butter and cream went up in the flames. The total loss was valued at $20,000 and was only partially insured. It was owned by the C.E. Emerson Company of Susanville. Cause of the fire, a defective flue.
A town is born, Litchfield. Courtesy of John M. Gibson
In early 1912, when the news, survey and construction began on the Fernley & Lassen Railroad that would traverse the Honey Lake Valley with its ultimate destination of the new lumber town of Westwood, spread like wildfire through the investment community. Land speculation was rampant. It was none other than the DeWitt Postmaster, W.B. DeWitt, of the Standish-Tule District became a tour guide of bankers from Southern California willing to invest in the region. It was this particular district that had an appeal that could be a major agricultural shipping point. The established community of Standish had been ruled out, it being three miles from the railroad. Two sites were in the running—the B.F. Gibson ranch and the Purser ranch, the latter a few miles west of Wendel. It was the Gibson ranch that appealed to the investors, and thus the foundation was laid for a new town Litchfield—named in honor of Gibson’s father-in-law, Andrew Litch.
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This was an interesting Lassen County measure presented to the voters in the 2002 General Election. Simply put it asked the voters to rezone 2400 acres in the Belfast area of the Honey Lake Valley to “Mountain Resort.” Like so many grandiose plans for Belfast, this envisioned a wide range of recreational amenities. Top on list was a 18 hole golf course along with such outdoor recreational facilities such as a grassed football stadium, soccer field, baseball field, skateboard park, frisbee gold course, paintball park, a year round rifle range, pistol range, Skeet and Trap range, BMX track, fishing ponds and lakes. All this done without taxpayer dollars. The final vote Yes=3910 (52.90%) to NO=3481 (47.10%).
Stock certificate courtesy of Dick and Helen Harrison
In 1906, the fraternal organization Foresters of America built a two-story hall in Standish. As was customary of the day, the first floor was rented to a commercial enterprise, which in turn the rent money used to pay off the construction debt, plus for maintenance of the property. The second floor, of course, was a hall used for various functions. However, the Foresters’ struggled with the building and they found a solution. They turned to the community to form the Standish Hall Association. The Association needed to raise $5,000 to purchase the building, sold stock to raise the funds and were successful.
One of the first tenants was Susanville merchant, Charles Emerson, who expanded his operations to have a second store at Standish. For nearly a decade, all went well. Whenever, Emerson asked for improvements, the Association refused. Emerson’s solution, by members stock to gain a controlling interest. In 1920, Emerson wrote to L.C. Stephenson to purchase his stock and wrote, “The building is practically run by an old man named Wrede. I am a rentor of the store, lower floor and pay monthly rent. The cellar is wet and small and they will not fix it. The front lets in sand and dirt when the wind blows and they will not fix it. Now I am trying to get enough stock to be able to vote and have some say.”
Emerson used the old fashioned barter system. He would give store credit to owners of shares, in exchange for their stock. Emerson was successful and eventually purchased the building.
The Standish store, no date. Courtesy of Camilla Moody.
Seasoned residents will know the building as Neil’s Mercantile, though its doors have been shuttered for decades. There have been plans for the structure, but nothing has ever materialized.
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Standish was a well designed utopian community. Yet, it shared a trait with many other communities that having a cemetery was an after thought. Those who initially passed away there were interred in the Janesville or Susanville Cemeteries. This changed in 1901 with the passing of Mary Pringle. Her husband, James and her were one of the first people to take up residence at Standish. She was buried in a field approximately 300 yards west of the Standish Bible Church on property at that time owned by Jim Elledge. Over the course of years only a handful people were buried there. As Jessie McKay Lowe who lived in Standish during the early 1900s noted the cemetery was abandoned because it would become completely under water at irrigation time. In 1909, the graves of Minnie Winslow and Bruce Ganyon were disinterred and moved to the Janesville Cemetery. The last burial to occur there was in 1918 for Mary Ann Penman.
A volunteer opportunity. If someone with a drone could take a picture of the site, it would be greatly appreciated.
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This is a topic that I plead total ignorance. By the early 1900s, Lassen County had small jails in outlying communities. Whether they were just temporary holding facilities, I do not know. The jails at Hayden Hill and Standish were nearly identical. They were not your typical structure. Instead of having vertical boards, they were placed horizontal, making for a very stout structure. The jail at Hayden Hill remained intact until 1991 when Lassen Gold Mining began mining operations there and what few remnants were demolished. The Standish Jail was converted into a storage shed for the Lassen County Road Department.
Enough said, since I got sidetracked from my original topic. In a letter dated from March 1, 1909, Standish resident, J.B. Leavitt, (I am not sure of his official capacity), wrote to the Lassen County Clerk, George Bassett: “Dear Sir: I am in need of some old quilts for the jail at Standish.” What is noteworthy, its the only documented reference I have for the Standish Jail.
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Standish Methodist Church, 1908. Courtesy of Prentice Holmes
The Standish Methodist Church was established in 1904. For a number of years, all was well. By the early 1930s, attendance was so low, that services were discontinued. In the fall of 1938, Rev. E.N. Dabritz, pastor of the Susanville Methodist Church attempted to rectify the situation. By November the average attendance of the congregation was 70. In the meantime, the church had fallen into disrepair and needed a new roof. The Rev. Dabritz issued a plea for funds throughout the Honey Lake Valley and enough donations were received to replace the roof.
How long the church continued or when the Methodist Church abandoned it, I do not know. For over the last four decades and probably more it is known as the Standish Bible Church.
500 South Lassen Street, Susanville, April 5, 1952–Courtesy of the Uptegrove Family
Seasoned residents refer to a January snowstorm in 1952 as the “big snow.” In three days, Susanville was covered with five feet of snow and on the other side of the mountain in Westwood eight feet of snow blanketed the town. With all that precipitation from a single storm, it was far from the wettest year on record.
By late March officials were concerned with the spring run-off. A snow survey taken late that indicated there was eleven feet of snow at Silver Lake with over a fifty percent water content. By the first of April stream flows were quickly rising, especially on Piute Creek. By April 4, that creek was transformed in a raging torrent—Memorial Park now a lake and homes further down on Foss and Cornell Streets received substantial flood damage.
Flooding near Standish, 1952. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal
Susan River through Susanville caused minor damage, with the exception at the railroad trestle that spanned the river at South Lassen Street, trapped debris backing up flood waters. Downstream was another matter with tributaries to the river increasing water flows causing widespread flooding in the Standish district.
Janesville Oddfellows Hall—Courtesyof Howard & Gladys Scott
For whatever unknown reason the residents of Janesville were reluctant to embrace electricity, unlike their Standish neighbors. In the fall of 1929 there were a handful of Janesville residents who campaigned the citizens to sign up for electricity so a power line could be constructed from Standish. By November 1929, sixteen people had signed up, but to make the project a reality required twenty sign ups. The organizers were stymied by the reluctance of the Janesville Masonic and Oddfellow Halls to sign up. After all, it was thought these two buildings held many public functions, and they would be better served with electricity. In 1930, a power line was extended to Janesville for the initial subscribers.
In February 1898, it was revealed that a site for the utopian community of Standish had been selected. It consisted of 240 acres and one of the main features was the main road from Susanville to Amedee would run through the center of the town. That road we know today as Highway 395. After the announcement everything was relatively quiet. One would think the promoters would be anxious to develop the new town. That was not the case, as it was just the opposite. The Associated Colonies who was behind the project took a slow and methodical approach. In July they stated their mission was to “To build, not to boom.”
